Overview
- A late defensive pass-interference flag in the Rams’ Sunday night loss to the Denver Broncos wiped out what appeared to be a game-sealing interception and set up the Broncos’ go-ahead touchdown.
- Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters this week that the NFL told the team the call should not have been made, a statement he said he used to seek clearer feedback for his players.
- The NFL declined to confirm whether McVay had permission to disclose the league’s assessment and the league’s operations manual says postgame conversations between teams and officiating are confidential and can be subject to discipline.
- The league sent a memo to coaches reminding them that officials are encouraged to answer questions candidly but that those exchanges are not for public discussion; a recent precedent exists in which a coach said he had permission to speak about a league acknowledgment.
- The episode has renewed debate over whether judgment calls like pass interference should be reviewable on replay, recalled the failed 2019 interference-review experiment, and leaves game results unchanged while pushing replay discussions toward the offseason.