Referee 'didn't see' hit to Sam Darnold's head on Colts' fumble return TD

It's the second game in a row where the refs have missed a blow to Darnold's helmet.

Nov 3, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) reacts to his interception against the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Referee Shawn Smith said he didn't see a hit to Sam Darnold's head during the Colts' fumble return touchdown on Sunday night, which is why his crew controversially picked up their flag and ruled that there was no penalty on the play.

"What I originally saw was a potential facemask on that high hit on the quarterback," Smith told PFWA pool reporter Kevin Seifert after the game when asked why he initially threw the flag. As for why it was picked up, Smith said "We determined that the initial force was at the shoulder and it was incidental contact to the head and neck area."

Seifert then asked Smith if a forearm to the quarterback's head would be considered a blow to the head, to which he replied "Well, I did not see that." He also confirmed that it wasn't a situation where replay assist could step in.

The NBC broadcast shows Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart contacting Darnold's head with his hand and forearm area. NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay thought it should've been a penalty.

"As I look at it, that's a pretty big blow to the head from the forearm, hand, wrist of the tackler," McAulay said. "He's a defenseless player, that's forcible contact. If they'd have called that, left the flag down, that's certainly supportable as a foul for unnecessary roughness."

Terry McAulay felt the Colts might have gotten away with a penalty.

"That's a pretty big blow to the head from the forearm, hand/wrist of the tackler...If they would have called that, left the flag down, that's certainly supportable as a foul for unnecessary roughness." pic.twitter.com/0k5MlFgFgB

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 4, 2024

Head coach Kevin O'Connell thought the same thing. "I thought there was contact to the head and neck area of the quarterback," he said after the game.

"I felt like I could've held onto the football, first and foremost on that," Darnold said. "But the calls are what they are. It's not my job to evaluate that or talk about that even, so that's really all I'll say about it."

Colts DB Kenny Moore II scooped up the Darnold fumble and returned it for a touchdown to give Indianapolis a 7-0 lead. But that would be the Colts' only TD all night, as the Vikings rallied in the second half for a 21-13 win.

It's the second week in a row where there's been a controversial no-call on a hit to Darnold's head. This one wasn't as blatant as the missed facemask in the Vikings' loss to the Rams, but it does look like it should've been called. The explanation has been the same both times: the refs didn't see it.