"Bullsh*t call" - Seahawks DT Byron Murphy rips NFL referees over facemask penalty before Sam Darnold's game-winning TD

Fans reacted to a contentious call in the Seattle Seahawks' 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday as Seattle fell to 8-7 on the season. Seattle's defeat, coupled with the Los Angeles Rams' 19-9 win over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium has put LA in pole position to win the NFC West and earn a playoff berth.

The Seahawks had the lead late in the fourth quarter, but quarterback Sam Darnold's 39-yard bomb to wide receiver Justin Jefferson saw the Vikings take a three-point lead.

Right before the touchdown pass, defensive tackle Byron Murphy had sacked Darnold for an eight-yard loss, but the referees called a face mask penalty on the rookie, advancing the ball 15 yards from the line of scrimmage. Instead of facing a 2nd-and-18 from their own half, Minnesota's next play was a 1st-and-10 from Seattle's 39-yard line.

The penalty proved to be a backbreaker for the Seahawks, and Murphy believes it wasn't even correct. During his post-game interview in the locker room, he called out the officiating crew for it.

"I just feel like (the call) was BS. I never grabbed (Darnold's face mask). I just grazed it. ... It's a bullsh*t call, but it is what it is. It's cool."

---

Seahawks playoff odds: Seattle needs a lot of help

The gut-wrenching loss to the Vikings left the Seahawks trailing the Rams by a game in the NFC West. The two teams face off in Week 18 in what's shaping up to be a winner-take-all duel for the division title.

However, for the Seahawks to have a chance, they will have to beat the Chicago Bears and hope that divisional rivals Arizona Cardinals do them a favor and upstage the Rams in Week 17. If LA wins and Seattle loses next week, the division race will be over.

If both teams finish with identical records after Week 18, the division title will go to the team with the higher strength of victory, which is the overall record of all the teams they have beaten this season.

The Seahawks are slightly ahead of the Rams in that metric, but with two games left for all the teams they have beaten this season, that equation could flip. As things stand, LA has the edge, but Seattle isn't out of it yet. However, according to the New York Times playoff simulator, they only have an 8% chance of earning a postseason berth.