NFL Facing Punishment Decision on Matthew Stafford Incident

Stafford was involved in a contentious incident in the first half of Sunday’s title game. The All-Pro quarterback lost the ball after getting sacked by Seahawks defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.

The Rams were able to recover the ball after the sack on Stafford, which allowed L.A. to score a 50-yard field goal in the succeeding snap. That score cut down Seattle’s lead, 10-6, with 12:11 remaining in the second quarter.

Lawrence could find himself in some trouble with the league for his tackle on Stafford, though. The NFL Officiating Department reviews every play in every game, and Lawrence’s sack on the Rams QB could lead to a potential fine. No penalty was called in the game, but Lawrence appears to have grabbed onto Stafford’s facemask during the tackle.

According to Rule 12, Section 2, Article 15 of the NFL rulebook, players are not allowed to “grasp and control, twist, turn, push, or pull the facemask or helmet opening of an opponent in any direction.” Violations of this rule will result in a facemask infraction and a 15-yard penalty.

More than a few folks on social media are adamant that the referees missed a facemask call on Lawrence.

“It was a clear face mask that DeMarcus Lawrence got away with on Matthew Stafford. Seahawks very fortunate, as Sean McVay with every right to complain,” posted Andrew Jerrell Jones of NBC and ESPN.

“Nasty FACEMASK takes down Matthew Stafford in the NFC Championship Game On a HUGE play Wait… no flag? Seriously??? Rams were forced by the refs to settle for a field goal,” reacted NFL writer John Frascella.

“NFL refs get paid way too much to miss easy calls. This is the NFC Championship. All eyes in the stadium are on the QB. How do the refs miss an obvious facemask on Matthew Stafford? These are the kinds of (missed) calls that can alter the outcome of games. PAY ATTENTION!” commented Derek Clark of FS1.

The NFL rulebook also stipulates that facemask penalties may be fined $11,593 for a first offense and $17,389 for a second. For context, Lawrence has not been fined for a facemask penalty throughout his 12-year NFL career. However, he has been fined five times for various infractions, totaling $95,374 in penalties.

Lawrence will now wait for the NFL’s review of his potential facemask violation. The league will announce its decision via the gameday accountability report, which is published every Saturday.  

It has been a tight encounter in Seattle thus far. As of writing, the Seahawks hold a slim lead over the Rams, 17-13, heading into halftime.