The Denver Broncos had a field goal attempt blocked in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs after safety Justin Reid appeared to jump early on the edge.
In real-time, Reid appeared to cross the line of scrimmage before the ball was snapped. Upon review (without a down-the-line angle), it’s a tough call, but it looks like Reid might have been onside after all.
The Broncos were winning 14-9 at the time of the block. After an eventual 24-9 victory, coach Sean Payton made no public complaints about the no-call.
“That’s a good crew we had,” Payton said when asked about the officiating after the win. “We had them during camp. In a three-hour game, there’s that emotion and that momentum — you talk about it — you want to keep it when you have it, then quickly rebound. There are certain things that take place in the flow of a game.
“I said to [our players] before the game, I said, ‘Look, recognize the team you’re playing. You’re not going to win this game in the first two or three quarters. You’re going to have to win this game, so get on to the next play.’ Myself included. You [can’t] get mad because you think they were offsides on a blocked field goal. You have to get to the next series, and I thought we did a good job of that.”
Payton might have felt differently had the blocked field goal led to a Chiefs comeback win, but it’s wise to not blast officials, especially after a win. It’s also wise to not make a definitive statement on a play before seeing replays from all angles. Regardless of whether or not it was the right call from officials, it’s no big deal to Payton in hindsight.
