Pat Bryant admitted he “sold” the controversial pass interference penalty that wiped out a late Rams interception and helped keep the Broncos' game-winning drive alive.
The Denver Broncos needed just about everything to go right to complete their stunning comeback against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night.
Wide receiver Pat Bryant apparently did his part to make sure one of the biggest calls went Denver's way.
Bryant acknowledged Monday that he helped sell the controversial pass interference penalty that wiped out what would have been a late Rams interception in the Broncos' 30-26 victory.
"A little pass interference. I sold it just a little bit," Bryant said, according to the Associated Press. "At the end of the day, you've got to do what you've got to do win. That's all."
The penalty came with Denver trailing 26-23 and just over a minute remaining.
Bo Nix attempted a pass for Bryant near the Rams' 11-yard line, where Los Angeles cornerback Josh Wallace came away with an apparent interception.
Instead, Wallace was flagged for defensive pass interference.
Replays immediately raised questions about the call. NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay said during the broadcast that Bryant appeared to initiate the contact by grabbing Wallace and pulling the defender toward him.
"I don't see the defender do anything that significantly hinders the receiver on this play," McAulay said, according to Yahoo Sports.
The penalty proved enormous.
Without the flag, Los Angeles would have taken possession at its own 8-yard line with 1:09 remaining. Instead, Denver received a first down and kept its drive alive.
Nix scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak a few plays later, completing another remarkable comeback and adding to his growing history of late-game heroics.
The Rams had one final opportunity, but Talanoa Hufanga intercepted Matthew Stafford in the end zone to secure Denver's second straight victory.
Bryant did much more than draw the disputed penalty.
The second-year receiver caught two passes for 44 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown that put Denver on the scoreboard after it trailed 16-0 at halftime. He also caught a two-point conversion as the Broncos erased the deficit.
The comeback was Denver's second in as many weeks after falling behind Jacksonville 13-3 in Week 2. But coach Sean Payton made clear Monday that he isn't satisfied with the Broncos continually putting themselves in those situations.
Denver survived this one, in part, because Bryant sold the officials on perhaps the game's most controversial call.
And unlike plenty of players who might have dodged the subject afterward, Bryant wasn't pretending otherwise.
