The drive that ended the New England shutout included multiple misses by the officials.
After a first-down scramble by Patriots quarterback Drake Maye from the New England 35, Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs and Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe got into a scrum. No flags were thrown.
It started when Jobe knocked Diggs down when he was clearly out of bounds. Diggs went after Jobe. During the altercation, Diggs pulled Jobe’s facemask, and Jobe struck Diggs in the facemask, twice. One was open-handed, the other was a punch.
NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay said the initial hit out of bounds “absolutely” should have drawn a penalty. The post-play exchange should have triggered multiple additional flags.
Both players undoubtedly will be fined. Jobe could end up with more than one.
It didn’t impact New England’s drive; they scored on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Maye to receiver Mack Hollins not longer after the skirmish.