Worst Call Week 9: Why did officials let this Chargers touchdown stand?

Sometimes the worst call of the week is the worst for painfully obvious reasons. In the Chargers versus Seahawks game in Week 9, Los Angeles quarterback Philip Rivers threw a pass to wide receiver Mike Williams who scored a touchdown with a little more than one minute left in the second quarter.

While dancing down the sideline toward the end zone, you can see Williams’ foot went out of bounds at the 9-yard line.

The broadcast showed slowed down footage as the touchdown was being reviewed, and the announcers made it clear they were convinced the Chargers wide receiver stepped out of bounds before scoring.

But after review, the officials upheld the original ruling of a touchdown.

CBS NFL Rule Analyst Gene Steratore tried to defend the bizarre decision.

“Right before that pirouette at the 9-yard line, it appears that the heel hits the ground…Is it clear and indisputable? Even with my bifocals on, I can’t say clear and indisputable. We’ll have to say it stands on this one.”

Actually, you don’t need bifocals to see that heel went out of bounds. The touchdown should not have counted. It’s also worth noting that if the official made the correct call, the Chargers still would have had first down and another opportunity to get points before halftime.

But, the Chargers extended their lead to 19-7 with time left on the clock in the first half, and the Seahawks went on to lose the game by eight points.