Commanders Fall to Broncos Amid Controversial Officiating in Overtime Loss
Refs review the spot and see that Mariota was down by contact but it was due to obvious tripping which should've been a penalty but the refs can't throw a flag off of a replay... pic.twitter.com/qFq1WeaOO0
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) December 1, 2025
Sunday Night Football in Week 13 delivered plenty of drama, but for the Washington Commanders, it ended in frustration and missed opportunities-some of which were out of their control. Hosting the Denver Broncos, Washington was looking to snap out of a rough season with backup quarterback Marcus Mariota stepping in under center. The Broncos, meanwhile, were chasing the top spot in the league standings, neck-and-neck with the Patriots.
What unfolded late in the fourth quarter wasn't just a gritty comeback by Denver-it was a sequence of officiating decisions that left more questions than answers.
Let’s start with Washington's second-to-last possession in regulation. Mariota, trying to extend a play, was tripped and went down, then quickly got up and scrambled for about seven yards.
But here's the thing: while he was ruled down by contact after an expedited replay review, the trip itself looked like a clear penalty on Denver. That flag never came.
And while the replay review confirmed Mariota was down, it didn’t address the trip at all. That’s a missed call that could’ve changed the entire sequence-first down Washington, clock running, momentum shifting.
Instead, the Commanders were forced to punt two plays later.
Still, they got the ball back with just under three minutes left, a chance to tie or win the game. Facing second-and-10 from their own 26-yard line, Mariota targeted Terry McLaurin, who was clearly interfered with by Broncos corner Patrick Surtain II.
Should have been pass interference on Surtain pic.twitter.com/nYGtC1l0vx
— Tedd Buddwell 🏀🏈 (@TedBuddy8) December 1, 2025
No flag. The contact was obvious on the replay, but the officials stayed silent-and so did the broadcast, which didn’t even acknowledge the missed call.
That’s when things really unraveled. On the next snap, McLaurin was called for a false start-replay showed no movement that justified the penalty.
Then, on the very next play, Mariota was flagged for intentional grounding. NBC’s rules analyst Terry McAulay didn’t mince words: “This is absolutely not grounding,” he said on the broadcast.
“He throws it over the head of No. 17 who is outside the numbers. By rule, that is not intentional grounding.”
So instead of a manageable first-and-10, Washington was staring down second-and-25 with a 10-second runoff on the clock. That’s a brutal swing in a one-score game.
Despite the setbacks, the Commanders managed to drive into the red zone and kick a field goal to force overtime. But in the extra period, they came up short-falling on a missed two-point conversion after a touchdown.
The NBC SNF crew disagreed with consecutive penalties against the Commanders on the final drive of regulation vs the Broncos.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 1, 2025
Rules analyst Terry McAulay: "This is absolutely not (intentional) grounding, guys." 🏈🦓🎙️ #NFL #SNF pic.twitter.com/lRzZhfqEGG
Now, to be clear, there's no guarantee Washington would've scored a game-winning touchdown in regulation if any of those calls had gone their way. But when you consider the sequence-missed penalties, questionable flags, and a drive that still ended in the red zone-it’s hard not to wonder how different the outcome could have been with just one or two of those moments going the other direction.
For a team already battling through a tough season, the Commanders didn’t just have to beat the Broncos-they had to battle the officiating too. And on Sunday night, that was a fight they couldn’t quite win.