Sports

McVay says NFL acknowledged pivotal Rams penalty was wrong

The late pass-interference call erased a Los Angeles interception before Denver scored the winning touchdown; the Rams coach says the league later deemed the flag a mistake.

Image credit: 621st Contingency Response Wing / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0; archival August 2019 photograph of Sean McVay at Rams training camp, not the September 2026 game

Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay said the NFL informed the team that cornerback Josh Wallace should not have been penalized for defensive pass interference late in Sunday’s 30–26 loss to the Denver Broncos, Reuters reported October 1. The flag erased Wallace’s interception with the Rams leading 26–23 and just over a minute remaining.

What it means locally

Denver received a first down at the Los Angeles 11-yard line after the penalty and scored the deciding touchdown six plays later on Bo Nix’s 1-yard run with 47 seconds left. McVay said the Rams submitted the play to the league for review and received feedback that the call was incorrect. He emphasized using the response to coach players and moving on from the loss. The Rams fell to 1–2 and next play the Philadelphia Eagles on the road. The accompanying photograph shows McVay at Rams training camp in August 2019 and is archival; it does not depict the September 2026 game or the disputed play.

Full report and further details: Read original report →