Richardson on one-handed TD catch: ‘I knew we needed to make a play’

The top highlight-reel play of highlight-reel plays during wild-card weekend was Paul Richardson’s incredible one-handed touchdown catch in the Seattle Seahawks’ 26-6 victory against the Detroit Lions.

Richardson’s wild, two-yard scoring catch with Lions strong safety Tavon Wilson draped all over him came on fourth down and gave the Seahawks their first points in the lopsided win.

‘I was just reaching as far as I could with one hand’

“Fourth-and-two, I knew we needed to make a play, regardless,” Richardson told Bruce Murray and Brady Quinn on the SiriusXM Blitz. “I saw the ball go up in the air as I was going across the field and … when I saw it dropping down, I was like, ‘Man, I’ve got to make a play.’ So I just leaned into the defender and I was just reaching as far as I could with one hand and I came down with it.

“I saw, when I was running across the field, I was getting hit, and so I was trying to run through that. And I saw the ref waiting on me and waiting on me and waiting on me. Man, I just wanted to catch the ball, because I knew it was fourth down and I was like, we either needed to get a penalty or we needed to make the play. And I’d rather make the play.”

‘I guess my other hand might have got his helmet’

Wilson drew a penalty for pass interference (that the Seahawks refused), but little did Richardson know at the time he, too, could have drawn a flag for grabbing Wilson’s facemask.

“Nah, I had no idea, I had no clue,” Richardson said. “I was so locked in on the ball and I knew I couldn’t get my other arm around him because he was running into me while I was trying to come back for the ball, so I just reached with the one arm that I could and made the ball. And as I kept watching (the replay), it looked like when I squeezed for the ball, I squeezed both hands and I guess my other hand might have got his helmet.”