The Seattle Seahawks’ 20-7 preseason loss against the Green Bay Packers might have been a clunker to watch, but the real worst moment of the game came late in the second quarter on a punt return.
Seahawks receiver Jake Bobo ran up and called for a fair catch on a short punt, clattering into defensive back Tyler Hall, who was blocked into Bobo. Within seconds of their loud collision, Bobo was sprawled out on the Lambeau Field turf.
Immediate medical attention was given to Bobo as players knelt in prayer. Bobo (and Tyler Hall, incidentally) were both able to get up and walk off the field. Hall had a knee injury that is apparently not significant, according to Mike Macdonald, whereas Bobo was diagnosed with a concussion. Not all concussions are the same, and while he still has to go through the NFL’s concussion protocol, there’s reason for optimism that is was not very serious.
“Jake has a concussion,” Macdonald said in the post-game press conference. “He’s in good spirits. And we will start that protocol and go from there.”
“Considering what it looked like, I think we’re fortunate that’s what we’re dealing with at this point,” he added.
We’ll see if Bobo’s concussion in any way impacts who does and doesn’t make the roster at wide receiver come Tuesday’s roster cuts. In the meantime, all the best to Bobo as he recovers from his concussion.
By the way, that play by the Packers is legal. A gunner can block an opposing player into a returner and it is not a penalty if the receiving team’s player is blocked into his own returner. It’s only an interference penalty if the kicking team player makes contact with the returner before the ball is caught. That the officials deemed Bobo to not have control of the ball even after his knee was down and he still had the ball while laid out on his back is a different story altogether.
