The Egregious Referee Call That Cost Rams in Week 3 Loss to Broncos

If there is a close game in primetime in the NFL, it’s almost a certainty that there will be a controversial call for the Monday morning talk shows to discuss. That was certainly the case on Sunday Night Football at the end of the game between the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos.

With 1:15 left to play on 3rd-and-6 and the Rams leading 26-23, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix targeted Pat Bryant along the sideline. However, it was Rams cornerback Josh Wallace who fought for the ball and came up with an interception. After the play, Wallace was called for defensive pass interference, giving the Broncos a new set of downs.

Had Wallace not been called for pass interference, the game would have been over. The Broncos had no timeouts left and with 1:04 left on the clock, the Rams would have been able to simply take two knees and drain the clock.

“As we get toward the end, we actually see the receiver grab the defender and pull him in,” said NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay. “I don’t see the defender do anything that significantly hinders the receiver on the play.”

NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay did not believe Rams CB Josh Wallace should have been flagged for pass interference, in what may have otherwise been an interception.

The Broncos went on to score what would serve as the game-winning TD. pic.twitter.com/A0YDJ8ZmZl
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 28, 2026

The play goes back to the 2018 NFC Championship Game. Back in 2018, Bill Vinovich was the referee for the NFC Championship Game between the Rams and Saints. Near the end of the game, Vinovich and his crew missed one of the more egregious defensive pass interference penalties in NFL history as Nickell Robey-Coleman hit TommyLee Lewis before the ball arrived.

It took 7.5 years, but Vinovich finally got his make-up call with Payton and McVay once again on the sideline.

While the call on Wallace was the most egregious, it wasn’t the only call against the Rams in that final sequence. On 3rd-and-goal, Nix overthrew Courtland Sutton in the end zone, setting up what would have been a game-tying field goal attempt. However, Quentin Lake was called for illegal hands to the face.

Quentin Lake Was Called For Hitting A Broncos Player In The Face Mask, And Sean McVay Was Not Happy About The Call! 😡 pic.twitter.com/cl0JkeQE9H
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) September 28, 2026

The penalty gave the Broncos another new set of downs. A few plays later, Nix scored what ended up being the game-winning touchdown to give the Broncos the lead on their way to winning, 30-26.

During the game, the Rams were called for 13 penalties by Vinovich and his crew. For a team that is typically one of the least penalized, it’s their most accepted penalties in a game since Week 4 in 2020. For comparison, the Broncos were penalized five times for 58 yards.

According to ESPN research, the Rams were called for five penalties in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. That is tied for the most by any team in a game since 2000.

The Rams were called for five penalties in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, which is tied for the most by any team in a game since 2000, according to ESPN Research.
— Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) September 28, 2026

At the end of the day, the Rams led 16-0 at the half and had several opportunities to take control and didn’t. The Rams didn’t lose by one call, but the call certainly had an impact on the game. If Wallace is correctly not called for defensive pass interference, we’re having a much different conversation and the Rams are 2-1. Continuing to say that “x team didn’t lose because of one call” has become such a cop-out for the officials. At some point, there needs to be some accountability. In an era that leans on video review, it seems odd that penalties like this can’t be reviewed with the help of replay assist.

That’s not to say every penalty should be reviewable, but in the final two minutes, calls like that and the illegal hands to the face where the rule is very clear should be allowed.

There are plenty of reasons the Rams are leaving Denver with a loss, and blowing a 16-point lead sits at the top of the list. However, in the NFL, games typically come down to a handful of plays. Wallace appeared to make the one that would have ended the game, but instead, it was taken away. The Broncos were given another opportunity, and a game that appeared to be over suddenly wasn’t because of a questionable call.

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