WATCH: Kenneth Walker III scores first career playoff touchdown vs San Francisco 49ers
It took a little more than a quarter for Kenneth Walker III to check “first playoff touchdown” off his list of NFL achievements. He ran one seven yards into the end zone to get the Seattle Seahawks on the board in Saturday’s Wild Card game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Walker burst onto the scene for the Seahawks after making a name for himself at Michigan State last season. After Rashaad Penny suffered a season-ending injury, Walker took the bulk of the work in the Seahawks backfield and made the most of the opportunity, totaling 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season.
Walker also made history on the play. He became the first Seahawks rookie to score a rushing touchdown in his playoff debut, the NFL said.
Seattle drafted Walker in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft after an impressive lone season with the Spartans in 2021 after transferring from Wake Forest. He was the focal point of Mel Tucker’s offense, rushing for 1,636 yards and 18 touchdowns.
NFL officiating under fire for Seahawks vs. Rams game that altered NFC Playoff field
Multiple executives and coaches criticized the NFL officiating that altered the NFC playoff field following the Seattle Seahawks’ win over the Los Angeles Rams last weekend, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
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Seattle won in overtime and managed to earn the No. 7 seed in the Wild Card playoffs after the Green Bay Packers lost to the Detroit Lions. Because of Seattle’s win, Detroit could not make the postseason despite the win-and-in scenario for the Packers.
The complaints described the officiating in the Rams-Seahawks game as the worst officiated game of the year, according to Schefter.
“Multiple executives and coaches said the NFL needs to reevaluate how it chooses and trains its officiating staff for future seasons,” Schefter wrote. “Those same executives and coaches said game officials and the league missed multiple calls that helped key the Seahawks’ overtime victory over the Rams that sent Seattle to Saturday’s wild-card round and prevented the Detroit Lions from reaching the playoffs …
“One source told ESPN this week that the NFL must do a better job of screening, hiring and training its officials; the league can’t have games in which teams’ seasons are on the line and have questionable and impactful calls such as the ones in the Rams-Seahawks Week 18 game.”