Referee denies Jim Caldwell was told crew missed facemask call

A facemask call on Paul Richardson would have negated his acrobatic touchdown catch.

Referee Brad Allen denied he admitted to Lions coach Jim Caldwell the he made a crucial mistake on a second quarter touchdown pass. 

Seahawks receiver Paul Richardson gave Seattle a 7–0 lead with an acrobatic catch but appeared to grab Lions safety Tavon Wilson’s facemask in the process. Wilson was flagged for pass interference, though the penalty would have been offset if Richardson were called for a facemask. 

NBC’s Michelle Tafoya reported that Caldwell told her at halftime an official told him his crew “got it wrong” in missing the facemask penalty. 

Allen, though, denied that any member of his crew made such an admission.

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“I did not tell Coach Caldwell that,” Allen told a pool reporter. “I’m not aware that any on-field game official told Coach Caldwell that.”

After the game, Caldwell declined to answer questions about the officiating.