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Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen apologized for his taunting penalty during the NFC championship game.
There are dumb penalties and then there are dumb penalties. During the NFC championship game Sunday, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen committed a foul that falls in the latter category.
With a little more than two minutes left in the third quarter, Woolen helped force an incomplete pass on third-and-12 near midfield. The incompletion put the Los Angeles Rams in a punting situation while already down by 11 points.
But Woolen was feeling a little bit too good about himself immediately following the play. Before heading to the Seahawks bench, Woolen delivered trash talk to the Rams sideline and earned a taunting penalty.
Just one play later, the Rams struck for a 34-yard touchdown. It gets even worse for Woolen — the 26-year-old cornerback was in coverage on the touchdown throw.
Fortunately for Woolen, the Seahawks held on to defeat the Rams to win the team’s first NFC championship in 11 years. But after clinching a Super Bowl berth, Woolen still delivered an apology on social media.
“No more taunting penalties,” wrote Woolen on X as a caption to a GIF which included a “I’m sorry” message.
Riq Woolen Apologizes for ‘Dumb’ Taunting Penalty
Woolen’s taunting foul received universal criticism from pundits and fans on social media. Multiple pundits referred to the penalty as “dumb.”
But Seahawks fans on social media seemed to accept Woolen’s apology.
“Was ready to make you walk the plank. But we won,” wrote one X user. “And guess what, you can truly redeem yourself in the biggest game of them all.”
“Mistakes happen and since you apologized and asked so nicely, you’re forgiven,” wrote another user. “Please don’t let it happen again though.”
“It’s okay just don’t let it happen in the SB,” wrote a Seahawks fan. “Talk after the last play of the game.”
Despite the apology and the Seahawks win, Woolen could still see criticism during the Super Bowl bye week. Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe was highly critical of Woolen shortly after the NFC championship ended.
“How long do you want to stand there and celebrate in front of their bench? Because they let you get away with it initially,” Sharpe said on his podcast. “The official didn’t throw the flag, but you just stood there and just started walking up and down and just looking at them.”
Seahawks Defeat Rams in NFC Championship Game
The taunting penalty aside, Woolen played well in the championship game. He finished with two combined tackles and two pass defenses.
Only safety Nick Emmanwori had more pass defenses for Seattle in the victory.
Ironically, the touchdown Woolen allowed after his penalty was the last score of the game. The Seahawks held on to win 31-27.
Although Seattle’s defense gave up 27 points and 365 yards, the unit buckled down when needed. The Rams had a 14-play, 84-yard drive in the fourth quarter which took 7:24 off the clock. But the possession ended with zero points when Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon deflected a pass in the end zone on fourth-and-4.
With the victory, the Seahawks will face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. The two teams will meet in a Super Bowl rematch from 11 years ago.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb
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