Following the Denver Broncos' 26-21 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, the talk following the game was centered around the key play in the game that helped propel the Broncos to victory.
In the third quarter of the game, with the Panthers already leading 14-13 and knocking on the door for another touchdown, safety Devon Key came up with a miraculous interception that no one even knew was an interception until several looks at the replay were shown.
The Panthers actually ran their next snap, but the play was blown dead when officials noticed that Broncos head coach Sean Payton had thrown his red challenge flag. The fans in Charlotte hated the decision and controversy has run wild since, including Panthers quarterback Bryce Young saying he'd
never seen anything like it before.
Video shows Sean Payton threw challenge flag in time
Video has emerged of Payton getting the flag out before the Panthers ran their play. It's milliseconds before, but the flag is clearly thrown before the snap. It doesn't get much closer.
Maybe one of the better angles of the challenge flag timing. Taken from my seats @mike_e_kaye pic.twitter.com/w82VCugCmD
— Drew Dunn (@DunnDrew) November 9, 2026
Though there will still be those who question this, here is the NFL rule as it's written regarding such a situation:
Their own rule does not state this. Here’s what it actually says. At issue is “throwing a red flag onto the field of play before the next legal snap.”
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) November 9, 2026
The league said its review showed Sean Payton challenged in time. The rules give wide latitude for replay assist to get… https://t.co/czh7XpF65A pic.twitter.com/rUZgNZYYlA
After the game, Payton was asked who makes the call for challenges.
"It's Evan [Rothstein], said Payton. "It's Evan. It's not a group vote. It's Evan. Evan talking to me.”
Payton gave Rothstein, the team's director of game management, a game ball following the win.
"[I]t was that close," Payton said of getting the flag out in time. The coach said they yelled "Challenge!" as he tossed the flag to alert officials.
Payton gets the flag in his pocket.
"It's got two ounces of sand and three rubber bands around it," he said. "And that's what we use to say we disagree. We just launch it onto the field. It's great TV.”
Panthers fans and those who dislike the Broncos will see this the opposite way and state that the play was run and a challenge should not have been allowed. However, was the right call made? It very definitively was, and that's what should end that conversation.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Video shows Sean Payton throw flag before next play (here’s what NFL’s rulebook says)
