Overview
- Late in the third quarter of Sunday’s game a pass to Tommy Tremble was tipped and caught by Broncos safety Devon Key inches above the turf but was initially ruled incomplete on the field.
- Denver director of game management Evan Rothstein alerted coach Sean Payton to challenge, and Payton threw the red flag before officials allowed the Panthers to snap the ball again.
- The NFL replay center in New York reviewed multiple camera angles and concluded Payton’s challenge flag was out before the next snap, so the on-field ruling was reversed to an interception.
- Crew chief Alan Eck said there was no defensive pass interference because the defender and receiver arrived at the same time, a so-called bang-bang play, and Denver then drove 80 yards on 14 plays to take the lead.
- The reversal helped the Broncos win 26-21, extended their streak of one-score wins to 16, and has left fans and social media contesting the timing of the challenge while raising fresh questions about replay procedures and in-game communication.