​Controversial pass interference penalty erases would-be Rams INT in massive ‘SNF’ turning point originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.A sluggish “Sunday Night Football” game turned chaotic in the second half when the Broncos stormed back to erase a 16-point deficit against the Rams.After Denver and L.A. traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter — one of which was a pick-six of Matthew Stafford — the Broncos had a chance to go down the field and either tie the game or take the lead.It looked for a moment as though the Rams had taken away that opportunity from the Broncos entirely, before a defensive pass interference call that ruffled plenty of feathers along the Rams’ sideline.Here’s a look at the controversial call that changed “Sunday Night Football.”MORE NFL WEEK 3:Inside Drake Maye’s turnover troublesChargers, Texans and more teams to fall in 0-3 holeMike Vrabel explains why concern is ‘high’ for PatsHow Bills survived 5-turnover day to stay undefeatedRams-Broncos pass interference penaltyWith the Broncos in field goal range but looking for a go-ahead touchdown, Josh Wallace believed for a moment that he had ended the threat by picking off Bo Nix for the second time.Instead, a flag came in for defensive pass interference on a play that seemed less than definitive:Josh Wallace Was Called For Defensive Pass Interference On This Play.He Ended Up Picking This Ball Off, So It Turned Into A HUGE Play. I Don’t Know, Man… This One Is CLOSE. 👀 pic.twitter.com/DRYEAm8cYN— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) September 28, 2026Some, including NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay, believed the play was nothing more than innocent hand-fighting between Wallace and Broncos WR Pat Bryant, while other fans said on social media that Bryant actually got ahold of Wallace, rather than the other way around.Replay showed Wallace appeared to come down with what would’ve been a good interception, but the Broncos instead received a fresh set of downs from the 7-yard line. Even if Wallace hadn’t intercepted the pass, a simple pass breakup would’ve forced the Broncos to attempt a field goal, in all likelihood.MORE:Matthew Stafford makes wrong kind of history with pick-sixThe play called back memories of the infamous non-call on Nickell Robey-Coleman during the 2018 NFC championship game, which happened to involve the same head coaches: Sean Payton and Sean McVay.This time, Payton was the beneficiary as the Broncos punched it in for a touchdown after an illegal use of hands penalty against the Rams added to Denver’s momentum. Despite a late push from the Rams, the Broncos held on for a 30-26 win to move over .500 for the first time this season.