The Los Angeles Rams left Denver with a 30-26 loss on Sunday, but the finish had plenty of people around the NFL talking about something other than the final score. With 1:15 remaining and the Rams holding a 26-23 lead, Josh Wallace seemed to come away with an interception on a Bo Nix throw aimed at Pat Bryant. Instead, officials flagged Wallace for pass interference, giving the Broncos a fresh set of downs at the 7.
The reaction was immediate and loud.
"This isn't DPI," The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov insisted.
"Man Denver getting Chiefs calls," Coach Jason Brown compared.
"Another terrible PI call! Late in a game.
What are we doing refs!?" former cornerback Darius Butler raged.
"That was a horrendous penalty. That should have been an interception," NBC journalist Charean Williams wrote.
"That’s an AWFUL call…." former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel wrote.
"The refs taking this game over is despicable," online personality Connor "Boston Connor" Campbell retched.
Denver made the most of the extra life. Nix finished the drive himself, sneaking in for the go-ahead touchdown with 47 seconds left. On the Rams’ last possession, Matthew Stafford was picked off by Talanoa Hufanga, who earlier in the fourth quarter had also grabbed the record-breaking 33rd pick-six of the reigning MVP’s career.
The call drew enough backlash that even NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay, a former referee, said he thought the officials got it wrong. On the broadcast, he said:
“As we get towards the end, we actually see the receiver grab the defender and pull in on him. I don’t see the defender do anything that significantly hinders the receiver on this play.
Even the first part. There’s just hands on him, he doesn’t do anything with them.”
“If the knee gets down, yes. If two feet are down, yes. I absolutely-that’s what I see.”
The Rams now turn to a home matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday as they try to get back to .500. That game is set for 10 a.m. PT on Fox.
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Broncos Rally Win Will Ignite Debate Over One Crucial Late Call
The Rams had a handle on Sunday night until the game slipped away in the kind of finish that tends to linger. Denver erased a 16-point deficit to beat Los Angeles 30-26, and the late stages turned on a defensive pass interference call against Josh Wallace that wiped out an interception and handed the Broncos a fresh set of downs on a drive that ended in the go-ahead touchdown.
For Los Angeles, the loss leaves plenty to sort through beyond the final score. The Rams saw a winnable prime-time game turn on one call and a late Broncos surge, while Denvers comeback also pushed it above .500 for the first time this season, ensuring the officiating decision will be part of the postgame conversation around the matchup. [Read more 🡒]