49ers-Seahawks showdown ends in controversy as game-sealing call leaves NFL fans divided

DAILYMAIL.COM • 2h ago

By ISABEL BALDWIN, US ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR 02:03 12 Oct 2026, updated 02:05 12 Oct 2026

The dramatic ending of the San Francisco 49ers’ divisional clash against the Seattle Seahawks left NFL fans in uproar on Sunday.

The Seahawks suffered a 32-29 loss to their NFC West rivals, the Niners, in agonizing fashion in the dying seconds of the Week 5 matchup.

The reigning Super Bowl champions thought they had the chance to extend the game, only for a divisive call from the officials to crush their hopes.

Facing fourth-and-10, Sam Darnold turned to wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who appeared to complete a remarkable effort to narrowly reach the first down marker.

With 54 seconds remaining, the wideout hurled his body forward in an attempt to leap over the line as he drifted out of bounds at the 40-yard line.

The ruling on the field was that Kupp was just short with the call standing after a review determined that he strayed out of bounds before hitting the marker.

However, many NFL fans were left outraged with the decision on social media as videos of the moment quickly went viral.

‘That s*** is rigged man LMFAOOOOOO,’ one fan wrote in disbelief on X, with another posting, ‘I just spent three hours watching great football for the game to be decided by refs man.’

‘i’m genuinely confused how that is not a 1st down,’ a third baffled fan claimed.

‘The Seahawks got ROBBED,’ another account fumed. ‘Cooper Kupp CLEARLY got the first down vs the 49ers.’

However, others agreed with the call, arguing the Kupp clearly went out of bounds before reaching the marker.

‘Nah, he short. He stretched after he was out of bounds,’ one fan posted.

‘There is a chip in the ball dude. They know where it went out,’ claimed another.

‘I thought it was a good call,’ insisted a third, while a fourth added: ‘THAT WAS SHORT, PLAYER. THEY ALMOST ALWAYS GET THIS CALL CORRECT.’

The ruling effectively ended Seattle’s hopes of pulling off a comeback as the Niners clung on to their narrow lead.

The win for 49ers (5-0) offered a small bit of payback for their two late-season losses to Seattle (3-2) last season, including a 41-6 defeat in the divisional round of the playoffs with a short-handed roster.

San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy was able to deliver late as the Niners opened the season with five straight wins for the third time in the last eight seasons.

The game featured an NFL season-high seven combined turnovers, an ejection of 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw and no touchdown drives of more than 25 yards before San Francisco took over trailing 26-21 late in the third quarter.

Purdy responded with an impressive drive against the vaunted Seahawks’ defense, including a 28-yard pass to Mike Evans after an intentional grounding penalty left the Niners in a precarious second-and-21 situation.

That helped set up Purdy’s seven-yard touchdown pass to newcomer Brandin Cooks as San Francisco took a 29-26 lead following a two-point conversion to Evans.

Sam Darnold responded by leading Seattle on a game-tying field goal drive before Purdy and the 49ers moved the ball 43 yards for Pineiro’s go-ahead kick.

The Seahawks had one last chance, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba dropped a third-down pass from the 50 at the San Francisco 25, before the ruling on Kupp’s attempt.

49ers-Seahawks showdown ends in controversy as call leaves fans splitComments are subject to our House rules and TermsNewest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}}

No one seems to have shared their thoughts on this topic yetLeave a comment so your voice will be heard first.

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{#replies.comments}}{{^isLast}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/isLast}}{{#isLast}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/isLast}}{{/replies.comments}}{{/replies.totalCount}}{{^replies.totalCount}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/replies.totalCount}}{{/isComment}}The opinions and views expressed in the comments section are solely those of the individual users and do not represent or reflect the opinions, views, or positions of MailOnline. MailOnline does not endorse, support, or verify the accuracy of any user-generated content.Terms|Privacy|FeedbackOldest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}}