Pete Carroll frustrated, confused by ruling on 4th-quarter fumble in loss

GREEN BAY, Wis. --Seattle Seahawkscoach Pete Carroll disputed a critical possession ruling by the officials Sunday that helped theGreen Bay Packerssalt away a 27-17 victory after a key fourth-quarter interception and ensuing fumble.

With less than seven minutes to play and Seattle trailing 24-17, Green Bay linebacker Jayrone Elliott intercepted a Russell Wilson screen pass near midfield but fumbled the ball.

Both teams battled to recover it.

"I don't know what the heck happened," Carroll said. "I'm going to say it out loud here about this fumble thing. When the ball's on the ground, and there's a big pileup, we're trying to get that football. And [Seahawks tackle] Justin Britt handed it to the official. Somewhere in there, the officials said that they declared that it was down, that they had the ball. Nobody pointed. Nobody told us that. So we kept battling, and we have the football. I don't really understand that very well.

"I know what they said and all that, but I'm just disappointed in that because we're going to compete for that ball, and we did. And we want to walk away from those piles with it, and we did. We just didn't get it. Anyway, I was just disappointed in how that turned out. It was a huge play in the game, obviously."

Britt said he wrestled the ball away from Elliott before the officials declared the Packers had possession.

Green Bay then drove to Seattle's 3-yard-line and kicked a field goal with two minutes left to cap the victory.

"Me and him kind of reached for it at the same time, and then all I know is he tried to pull it into him," Britt said. "Then I pulled the tip and pulled it away. I walked away with it. Explain to me how that's their ball."

Asked when the official declared it was the Packers' ball, Britt said: "I believe they said it after I walked away with it.

"I think they were blowing the whistle the whole time, but that doesn't mean they were declaring anything. I know somebody ripped my helmet off. I don't know how that's not a flag."

Carroll was asked what the officials told him after the call.

"That they declared that they [the Packers] had the ball," he said. "Well, they didn't. They didn't point it out. ...There's a lot of things that happened in this game. That play in particular because it's such a big deal to us to take care of the ball and get it. Justin did a great job to get that ball back."