The New Orleans Saints felt they were robbed of a defensive touchdown after their strip sack of Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff was deemed to have been a forward pass attempt in Week 1.
Fox Sports rules analyst Mike Pereira explained that Goff's "intent was to throw it forward
," and because he had started his throwing motion, Goff was granted an incomplete pass despite it traveling backward after being hit.Saints coach Kellen Moore was diplomatic when asked about the ruling after an eventual 31-30 loss.
"I understand what the rules view it as; once the arm is moving, there's really no matter where the ball is going," Moore said. "There's protection there. Unfortunate outcome for us."
So, what's the relevancy for the Denver Broncos?
In the
AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots last season, fill-in quarterback Jarrett Stidham intended to throw a ball forward, but he was hit by Patriots defender Christian Elliss, and the ball ended up going slightly backwards. It was initially ruled an incomplete pass, but after review, officials determined it was a fumble, recovered by New England.
The NFL's rulebook states, "If contact by an opponent materially affects a passer after the passer begins his throwing motion, it is a forward pass if he passes the ball, regardless of where the ball strikes the ground, a player, an official, or anything else."
So, did contact from Elliss impact where Stidham's pass landed?
Backwards pass by Stidham, refs reverse their own call without a challenge pic.twitter.com/WDZCLoruLg
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) January 25, 2026
It's up for debate whether the same ruling from the Detroit game should have been applied in Denver's favor.
After that turnover in the AFC title game, New England scored its only touchdown of the game, which proved to be crucial in a 10-7 victory over the Broncos. Stidham certainly would have liked to have been bailed out by the ruling that saved Goff and the Lions in Week 1.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL didn't apply Jared Goff backward pass rule to Jarrett Stidham
