You’re never supposed to ask if things can possibly get any worse. “Sunday Night Football” in Week 7 is why.
The NFL is in the midst of a week from hell, in which it finds itself in the middle of another domestic violence fiasco days after Week 6 TV ratings hit their lowest mark in five years. So the worst thing that could’ve happened to the league’s already-dropping ratings was a sloppy, low-scoring game on its ratings darling, “Sunday Night Football.”
Sometimes, Karma just has a way of catching up to you.
The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals played one of the worst games in the history of football, as both teams failed to score a touchdown in a 6-6 tie. It was the first time an NFL game didn’t feature a single touchdown in 44 years.
Of course, while it might be bad for TV, it was wildly entertaining for the sports nerds like us, who sat here hooting and hollering our way through every painful second of this incredible game.
Truth be told: It wasn’t that bad. There was tons of defense, some mediocre offense and a bunch of downright terrible special teams.
Here’s everything you need to know:
— Arizona tried to score the first points of the game in the second quarter, but Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin leapt over the Cardinals linemen in front of him to block a kick. It was pretty sweet.
— With just minutes remaining in regulation, the Cardinals led the Seahawks 3-0. Seattle kicker Steven Hauschka kicked a game-tying 40-yard field goal with 4:06 to play. The game eventually went to overtime tied 3-3 because who needs offense?
— Cardinals kicker Chandler Catanzaro hit a go-ahead 45-yard field goal with 11:28 left in OT to put Arizona up 6-3, only to see the Hauschka and the Seahawks march down the field and hit a 36-yard field goal five minutes later to cause sudden death.
— Cardinals running back David Johnson, one of the best in the NFL, nearly scored the game-winning touchdown with 4:22 remaining, but his heel stepped out of bounds a split second before his toe landed on the pile on. The Seahawks then stopped him on the ensuing goal-line carry to stay alive.
Then this happened on Catanzaro’s attempt at a 24-yard game-winning field goal.
No one could believe it.
— But it gets better.
Hauschka followed Catanzaro’s miss with a shank to the left from 28 yards away with 11 seconds remaining, ending the game in a tie after a failed Hail Mary attempt from the Cardinals.
The 6-6 tie is the lowest-scoring tie in NFL history. Unbelievable.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images