Late in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix escaped the pocket and ran downfield before lateraling the ball to running back Javonte Williams, who went 20 more yards before being tackled out of bounds.
It was an impressive (and entertaining) play, but after review, the lateral was ruled an illegal forward pass. Williams was clearly behind Nix when the QB pitched the ball, but the QB’s speed and momentum carried the ball about a yard forward before the running back grabbed it out of the air.
Check out the play for yourself:
Physics are ruining football, IMO pic.twitter.com/CzNuzLefWh
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) January 5, 2025
“I didn’t think I was going to be able to get out of bounds in the two minutes, and Javonte was giving probably too much effort where he could have been behind, but he was trying to lead block for me, and I could have gone around,” Nix said after the game. “[I] was just trying to get out of bounds at that point. Unfortunately, it was just momentum. It was a forward pass, but we got the field goal out of it.
“[I’ve] got to finish that drive or two and get a touchdown when we have the opportunity again. That was a missed pass on my part. [It was] just fun at that point. You’re just doing what you can to [do] whatever you believe is the best decision in that moment to get closer to the end zone.”
Many fans and pundits took to Twitter/X in disapproval of the NFL’s rule.
Apparently the NFL doesn’t believe in physics.
Bo Nix throws a lateral while running 15 mph… oh, gasp, but not the ball!
Newsflash: velocity is a thing. It was a lateral. Clear as day.
Rugby gets it. Need to adopt the momentum rule to lateralspic.twitter.com/Dh9QRLRPgg
— Will Sage (@_wsage) January 6, 2025
That Bo Nix lateral is exactly what I’m talking about. Dude makes a great play and laterals the ball to the guy behind him and now we are reviewing? Like wtf is that? It’s too damn much man https://t.co/Xve8Vxb3w0
— Dana DePassio (@Dund89) January 5, 2025
Need rugby interpretation. Backwards out of the hand. Physics carries it forward
— Cameron Fay (@camerondtf) January 5, 2025
Unlike rugby, the NFL rule does not take into account if the pitching player initially tosses the ball backward. Only the football’s landing zone matters — it must end up as a “backward pass” — so Nix’s toss did not count.
Should the league consider amending the rule to allow for Sunday’s scenario where momentum carries the ball forward even though the receiving player is behind the pitching player? Let us know your take on Twitter: @TheBroncosWire.
