The biggest play in Sunday night’s Broncos-Rams finish wasn’t a touchdown or a sack. It was a flag.
Late in Denver’s 30-26 comeback win, the Broncos faced a third-and-6 in the red zone with the Rams clinging to a 26-23 lead. Bo Nix fired toward Pat Bryant near the right sideline, and Rams corner Josh Wallace came away with the interception. But Wallace was hit with pass interference, wiping out the pick and handing Denver a fresh set of downs.
That call changed everything. Six plays later, the Broncos found the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown, and the Rams never got the ball back with enough time to answer. They did have one last possession, starting with 47 seconds left, but couldn’t produce the score they needed before time expired.
Three days later, the fallout is still going. Sean McVay said Wednesday that the NFL told him Wallace should not have been flagged for pass interference, according to Nate Atkins of The Athletic.
The ruling stung because the play looked dubious in real time. Wallace didn’t seem to interfere with Bryant, and if anything, Bryant appeared to be the one who may have committed offensive pass interference. Still, the flag stood, and Denver cashed in.
Bryant didn’t exactly hide his view of the moment when he spoke to Romi Bean of CBS Colorado. “It was a little pass interference, I did sell it just enough to get the flag.
He definitely gave me a little nudge that I felt, I felt like I couldn’t get the ball so it was either the ball or the call and we ended up with the call. He definitely gave me a shove.”
The Broncos had been in trouble much earlier, too. They trailed 16-0 at halftime before mounting their second-half rally, while the Rams had pushed back in front after Denver had drawn even. But the late penalty became the hinge point, and the result left the Rams at 1-2 while the Broncos moved to 2-1.
McVay’s team also had its own issues beyond the controversial flag. The Rams gave away a 16-point lead, and Matthew Stafford threw a pick-six that helped fuel Denver’s comeback.
The matchup also carried a familiar edge for McVay and Sean Payton. Nearly eight years ago, when Payton was coaching the Saints, the two met in the NFC championship game, and McVay’s Rams won in part because a potential pass interference went uncalled.
The Rams went on to the Super Bowl and lost to the Patriots. This time, the controversial call went the other way, with Payton’s Broncos benefiting.
McVay still pointed away from the idea that one call tells the whole story. Earlier in the week, he said, “We’re not going to play the victim,” per Atkins.
The Rams will try to move on quickly. They play the Eagles in Philadelphia on Sunday.
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