The Denver Broncos gave the Kansas City Chiefs all they could handle on Sunday, and they would have had a better chance of pulling off a major upset if not for an unwarranted penalty.
The Broncos were leading 17-13 late in the third quarter when Russell Wilson completed a 44-yard pass to Courtland Sutton. Denver would have had the ball at the Kansas City 40-yard land, but Sutton was called for offensive pass interference.
An official ruled that Sutton pushed off of Chiefs defensive back Bryan Cook before he made the catch. You can see the play below:
offensive pass interference on Broncos Courtland Sutton wow pic.twitter.com/QaFUN1WXu7
— Ted Buddwell (@TedBuddy8) January 1, 2023
That did not look like much of a push. Sutton and Cook appeared to be hand-fighting, and Cook lost his balance while trying to turn his body to make a play on the ball.
Had the flag not been thrown, the Broncos would have had a chance to add to their lead. Instead, they were forced into 3rd-and-19 from their own 8. They picked up 10 yards on the next play and had to punt.
The Chiefs scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive to take a 20-17 lead. They went on to win 27-24.
