CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — As the Carolina Panthers began lining up for a second-and-goal at the Denver 1-yard line late in the third quarter, Sean Payton heard a voice screaming in his headset: “Challenge it!”
It was Broncos director of game management and assistant quarterbacks coach Evan Rothstein, whose tasks on game day include taking a fast look at replays and immediately relaying his opinions to Payton for consideration.
With Carolina's Bryce Young
about to take a snap from center, Payton didn't hesitate to ask questions. He yanked the red challenge flag from his back right pocket and tossed it onto the playing field, placing full trust in Rothstein at the risk of losing a timeout.
The Panthers snapped the ball anyway, with Young handing off to Chuba Hubbard, who was stuffed for no gain.
Then came the whistles — and several moments of confusion.
Officials gathered, and after speaking with the NFL officiating office in New York, determined that Payton had thrown the challenge flag before Young took the snap, nullifying the second down play.
“That was a hard one for any one of us to see, and my concern was, “Was anyone able to see that I threw it before the play was snapped?'” Payton said. “And fortunately, New York can. That’s obviously a big play, and sometimes, it’s a slower feedback, depending on the game you’re playing. (If) you’re playing on Sunday night or on Monday (on national television with more cameras), that information might come quicker."
After reviewing the play, officials overturned what was initially ruled an incompletion on first down into a momentum-turning interception for the Broncos, who would go on to win 26-21.
“Replay can get involved to make sure that the head coach throws his challenge flag prior to the next snap,” NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth said afterward in a pool report. “We were actually able to use angles to show that the flag was out prior to the ball being snapped, and so we permitted the challenge.”
CBS, which broadcast the game, did not show any replays of when Payton dropped the flag in relation to the ball being snapped.
“They confirmed that he did throw the challenge flag before we snapped the ball on that very next play,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said. "I’ve got to go on their word.”
The play in question added to the unusual scenario.
Young's pass to the left corner of the end zone twice hit Tommy Tremble in the hands, the second time while the tight end was flat on his back. But replays showed the ball never actually hit the ground. Broncos safety Devon Key alertly bent over and snatched the ball before it hit the turf.
Key said he knew he caught the ball and his first instinct was the return it out of the end zone, but officials blew the play dead.
Carolina fans who watched the replay on the scoreboard booed because they thought Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad made contact with Tremble before he attempted to make the catch, but pass interference was not called.
“I had two officials that had a great look at the play,” referee Alan Eck said in a pool report. “They felt the defender arrived at the same time as the pass. We refer to that as a bang-bang play. They felt the timing was fine. The official ruling on the field was an incomplete pass.”
Tremble said after the game he thought officials blew the whistles to determine if there was pass interference.
NFL replay rules, however, don't allow officials to enforce penalties that were not initially called on the field.
The overturned call was a major turning point in the game.
The Broncos, trailing 14-13 at the time, scored on their next two possessions to take command of the game. Carolina's late comeback attempt ended when Nik Bonitto sacked Bryce Young to help seal Denver's fifth straight win.
Afterward, Payton awarded both Rothstein and Key game balls.
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