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Sean McVay Questions Late Penalty in Rams Loss to Denver

Sean McVay and the Rams reacted to a late pass interference call that helped Denver secure a 30-26 victory on Sunday night.

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Late Penalty Leads to Denver Win

The Los Angeles Rams fell 30-26 to the Denver Broncos on Sunday night after a late flag set up Denver for the winning score.

The key moment occurred on third and six from the Los Angeles 11 yard line. Cornerback Josh Wallace appeared to intercept a pass from Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. Instead, officials called Wallace for defensive pass interference against wide receiver Pat Bryant. The penalty gave Denver first and goal from the Rams 7 yard line, and the Broncos scored on the drive to take the 30-26 lead.

Rams React to the Whistle

Rams head coach Sean McVay said after the game that he would review the play carefully. He noted that it looked like it was a good, competitive play from his vantage point, but added that the team will see what officials say upon review.

Wallace also shared his thoughts on the tough sequence. He said that he felt like the defense stopped them a couple of times and explained that players simply have to keep playing at the end of the day.

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald took a practical view of the situation. He stated that the referee made the call and nothing can change it now, noting that it is what it is.

Flags Pile Up and Historic Echoes

The final minutes proved costly for Los Angeles across the board. The Rams were called for five penalties in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. That tied the mark for the most penalties by any team in that span of a game since 2000.

In total, Los Angeles finished the night with 13 penalties. That stands as the highest single game penalty count for the franchise since 2019.

The late flag also brought back memories of past postseason history involving current Broncos coach Sean Payton. Former Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth posted online that Payton finally got his pass interference call, pointing back to the 2018 NFC Championship Game. In that contest, McVay and the Rams won in overtime following a controversial no call on a potential pass interference against Los Angeles late in the fourth quarter. Referee Bill Vinovich and back judge Todd Prukop worked both that 2018 matchup and Sunday night's game.