The Raiders-Seahawks game proved to be one of the more entertaining showdowns in Week 12, with both teams going back and forth in an eventual 40-34 overtime victory for Las Vegas.
Indeed, it was running back Josh Jacobs who provided the climactic finish for the game, rushing 86 yards for a walk-off touchdown and capping off a 303-yard, two-touchdown game for Las Vegas.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of NFL fans didn’t get to see it live due to a perfect storm of the game not finishing in regulation, thanks to bureaucratic guidelines followed by “NFL RedZone” and CBS.
HE GONE‼️‼️@iAM_JoshJacobs OT GAME WINNER.
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/8JtHrsHSR2
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) November 28, 2022
MORE: Josh Jacobs, by the numbers: Raiders RB puts up historic performance vs. Seahawks
Normally, fans would have been able to watch Jacobs’ walk-off touchdown on “NFL RedZone,” which provides live coverage of all games in action — unless there is only one game playing at that time. In which case, the show will not show the competition, deferring instead to the network in charge of the broadcast.
“RedZone” host Scott Hanson directed viewers to turn their attention to CBS, which he mistakenly thought was carrying a national broadcast of the game. Turns out, he was wrong; only a few select markets got to see the action.
He later apologized and explained the show’s operating procedures following his mistake:
…I would never intentionally mislead you, our loyal viewers.
There is no one on earth (that I know of) who wants to show you more football than I do.
However: I am an employee – not the boss. I have orders just like many of you do at your jobs. More later. Thank you.
— Scott Hanson (@ScottHanson) November 28, 2022
NFL POWER RANKINGS: Where Raiders, Seahawks stand entering Week 13
Fans in non-local markets instead got to watch “60 Minutes,” which CBS promptly switched to at 7 p.m. local time. Per 506Sports, only the Chicago, Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Charlotte markets — plus large swaths of California, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana — got to see the ending of the game.
While it certainly wasn’t the Heidi Game 2.0, it was an unfortunate set of circumstances that deprived many NFL fans the opportunity to see an exciting finish.