The NFL keeps running into the same problem with pass interference: one bad flag can swing everything.
Sunday night’s call on Rams cornerback Josh Wallace was the latest example. Wallace picked off a Bo Nix pass deep in Los Angeles territory, a play that looked like it would nearly lock up a Rams win.
Instead, Denver receiver Pat Bryant sold contact from Wallace before the ball got there, drew the flag, and kept the Broncos alive. Denver finished the job and won.
Rams coach Sean McVay said the league has since told him the penalty should not have been called. That does nothing for a Los Angeles team that looks headed for a tight NFC West race.
It also came on the heels of another rough PI flag in Sunday’s Cowboys-Ravens game, which only poured fuel on the argument that these plays should be reviewable. The NFL already tried something like this after the infamous non-call in the 2019 NFC Championship Game involving the New Orleans Saints, but that experiment didn’t stick.
The case for review is obvious enough. Pass interference can turn a game on its head, and the punishment is often massive - a 40- or 50-yard penalty, not a modest 15-yard walk-off. That’s a huge swing for a call that can be made on a split-second judgment.
But making it reviewable through the usual challenge system brings its own mess. Coaches’ challenges already chew up time, and PI would add another layer of judgment on top of judgment.
An official would have to decide whether the original flag was wrong, then decide whether the replay showed enough to overturn it. That gets murky fast, especially on a call that might look like a 60/40 split instead of a clear mistake.
The CFL has lived with reviewable pass interference for years, and it has worked well enough after the league accepted that defenders can’t always avoid every bit of contact before the ball arrives. That’s one route the NFL could follow.
But there may be an easier answer: let replay assist handle it.
Replay assist already steps in on obvious mistakes without forcing coaches to burn a challenge. A catch ruled good that clearly hits the ground gets fixed quickly, and the game moves on.
The same logic could apply to pass interference. If the contact is clearly incidental, if both players are simply hand-fighting, or if the throw is nowhere near the receiver, replay assist could intervene fast and cleanly.
That would also spare officials the awkward task of publicly second-guessing a colleague in the middle of a game. The call could come from the eye in the sky, the mistake could be corrected, and everybody could keep moving.
After Rams-Broncos, fans are left with the same expectation they’ve had for a while now: if the league has the tools to fix an obvious error, it should use them.
In Other News...
Rams Pass Interference Frustration Is Fueling This NFL Debate
Controversial pass interference calls in Week 3 have pushed an old NFL argument back into the spotlight, with coaches once again weighing whether those penalties should be reviewable or challengeable. Around the league, the frustration is familiar: a single flag can reshape a drive, yet the sport has long struggled with how much oversight is too much once officiating starts to slow the game down.
Sean McVay added more fuel to the conversation by confirming the league agreed a pass interference penalty against the Rams was incorrect in a recent game. Across the division, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said he once supported allowing challenges on those calls, but he is more hesitant now because of the effect on game flow. For the Rams, it is another reminder that the debate is not just about fairness, but about what kind of game the NFL is willing to live with. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Fans Will Relate To Kelly Staffords Reaction After That Call
The Rams trip to Denver ended with plenty of frustration, and one late pass interference flag on Josh Wallace became the kind of call fans could not stop replaying in their heads. Jason Kelce even weighed in on the New Heights podcast, saying Broncos receiver Pat Bryants exaggerated wrist movement should have worked against the penalty, and Bryant later admitted he had indeed sold the contact to draw the flag. Denver then cashed in with the game-winning touchdown, leaving Los Angeles with another tough result to dissect.
Kelly Stafford seemed to capture the mood from the family side of the trip, sharing photos from Denver as the game played out. For Rams fans, it is the familiar mix of travel, emotion and officiating frustration that can make a loss linger a little longer, especially when a single call ends up shaping the final moments. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Offense Just Lost A Piece Sean McVay Has Counted On
Terrance Fergusons rookie season hit a setback this week, with the Rams placing the tight end on injured reserve because of a medial ankle sprain. The move means Ferguson will miss at least four weeks, taking away a young pass-catching option Sean McVay had been counting on as the offense tries to keep its depth intact.
To help cover the roster shuffle, Los Angeles elevated wide receiver Alex Bachman and defensive end Larrell Murchison from the practice squad. Fergusons absence also opens the door for rookie Max Klare to see more snaps at tight end, giving the Rams another chance to test their depth at a position that suddenly looks thinner than it did a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]