Arizona Cardinals

What?! The Seahawks and Cardinals somehow played a wacky, unwatchable 6-6 tie

Published Nov. 15, 2016 1:51 p.m. ET

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Chris Chase

Oh. My. Goodness.

Fans who somehow stayed up to watch the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals game were treated, or whatever the opposite of treated is, to the wildest, wackiest, worst football game of the season, one that went to overtime at 3-3, was somehow extended by two field goals on the first possessions of the extra period, saw both teams blow chip-shot victories in the final minutes and ended in the fifth tie since 2003.

Don't be fooled by the relatively exciting OT period. Oh, it was wild when neither kicker could hit game-winners from well inside the extra-point zone, but that makes not a quality game. It'd be like sitting through a meaningless soccer game then watching two dudes whiff on PKs. This was the most unwatchable football game of 2016 and yes, I saw the 49ers-Rams Week 1 game, thank you. You shrug your shoulders at bad games between bad teams. When horrible games are contested between good teams it adds another layer of dreadfulness. Like seven circular layers. The game wasn't merely unwatchable, it was painful to sit through, like an elementary school orchestra concert. In a way, it was a perfect metaphor for this NFL season: a great primetime matchup with major ramifications in what's been one of the best divisions in football in recent years and it lays an egg. No, laying an egg implies success for the chicken. The egg got stuck here.

1. Since overtime was created in the NFL, no game had ever ended with a 6-6 score. Overall, it was just the third game to end 6-6 in the history of the NFL (dating back to 1940, when pro-fotball-reference stats begin). The Cardinals were involved in all three. (The first two came when the team played in St. Louis.) That 1972 game was also the last time a game without a touchdown ended in a tie.

2. Chandler Catanzaro plunked a 24-yard field goal off the upright that would have won the game with 3:26 left in overtime. Twenty. Four. Yards. He was kicking from 24 yards and not 19 yards because Arizona inexplicably got a delay of game prior to the field goal.

3. Later, Steven Hauschka missed a 28-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining.

4. Prior to the last four minutes of this game, there had been only four field goals this season that were missed inside 30 yards. In the last 210 seconds, there were two more.

5. The fact that the tie is only like the fifth-most fascinating part of this dumpster fire (I loathe that term but can't think of anything more appropriate) speaks volumes.

6. Only two games in the Super Bowl era had ever gone to overtime at 3-3.

7. In regulation, the teams combined to score twice in 22 possessions. Then, as if to prolong the torture of those still brave enough to endure overtime, Arizona and Seattle both hit field goals to open overtime and to continue the game. It's perhaps the first time anyone had wished the old overtime rules were back.

8. The teams had 16 punts, 15 penalties and six points in regulation.

9. Arizona outgained Seattle 302-130 on offense in regulation. Seattle's offense mustered only 28 minutes of possession in a 75-minute game.

10. Russell Wilson averaged less than four yards per attempt in regulation. On his completed passes in overtime, he went for 13, 8, 14, 5, 6, 31 and 27 yards. In other words, Hall of Fame numbers.

11. On their final drive in regulation, Seattle moved the ball just short of midfield with 55 seconds remaining. The Seahawks were then assessed two holding penalties on successive plays, giving them first-and-30 from the their own 28.

12. Once again, because it really can't be said enough, both kickers had field-goal attempts from inside 28 yards to win the game and both missed. But tie goes to Catanzaro. At least dude hit the upright.

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