ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss keeps getting flagged for holding defenders on deep passes even though he has worked hard to curtail his penchant for penalties.
On Sunday, he broke up Jordan Love’s pass on third-and-4 from Green Bay’s 35-yard line to Matthew Golden only to see a yellow flag come flying in from midfield by back judge Greg Yette. It gave the Packers 25 yards.
That much-derided call threatened to change the complexion of the game because on the next snap, Josh Jacobs ran for a 40-yard touchdown to give Green Bay a 23-14 lead.
The Broncos rallied to beat the Packers 34-26 and Moss had a big tip-drill interception and a key pass breakup near the goal line to help Denver (12-2) extend its winning streak to 11 games.
Moss has a dozen pass interference calls this season, tied for the league lead among cornerbacks.
Broncos coach Sean Payton has gotten irritated with the constant calls on Moss. He even ran onto the field to argue a defensive pass interference flag on Moss at the goal line that threatened to extinguish Denver’s 33-32 comeback victory over the New York Giants in Week 7.
Asked about the abundance of soft DPI calls on Moss of late, Payton again defended his cornerback who draws plenty of targets playing opposite reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II.
“Look, he continues to compete,” Payton said. “I can’t say the word, but it begins with an ‘A’ relative to that call. It’s just … holy cow. And it’s something that’s frustrating I’m sure for him. But he’ll keep competing. He’s tough, came back with a big interception. You know, the one in New York was brutal. But he’ll keep competing. We’ve got to get better overall at seeing and being consistent officiating those calls.”
Moss was in perfect position to defend the pass, but put his left hand on Golden’s right wrist for a split second while the ball was in the air, which apparently is what triggered the flag.
“Well, he’s holding his arm right there,” CBS commentator Jim Nantz said on the broadcast as a replay of Moss’s penalty was shown.
“Yeah,” color analyst Tony Romo said, “but every DB does that. That doesn’t affect the play.”
The contact didn’t rise to the level of “hand-fighting” that normally draws a flag. And after the game, Moss suggested the officiating crew “wanted to throw the flag from across the field” and insisted he had “great coverage” on the play.
Surtain suggested Moss has gained an undeserved reputation amongst officiating crews that are quick to whistle him for pass interference.
“Yeah, I think those calls are pretty ticky-tacky,” Surtain said Wednesday as the Broncos prepared for Sunday’s showdown against the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4) at Empower Field. “I just think there’s examples across the league where other guys are doing the exact same thing and they don’t get called for it.
“But at the end of the day, he holds his head high and he moves on to the next play.”
Moss allowed six catches for 68 yards Sunday, according to Next Gen Stats. His three pass breakups against the Packers brought his season total to 15, which is the fourth highest in the NFL.
Moss’s flag wasn’t the only one that riled Payton on Sunday. He lamented the quick whistle that took away a touchdown from wide receiver Troy Franklin, who spun out of an arm-tackle in the second quarter and sprinted into the end zone only to see the officials had blown the play dead, mistakenly ruling his knees had hit the ground.
“Those are the calls that are hard to … I’m just going to say I disagree with the call,” Payton said. “How’s that?”
Backfield depth
New running back Cody Schrader is wearing No. 5. The Broncos claimed Schrader off waivers from the Houston Texans this week.
He takes the roster spot of safety Brandon Jones, who was placed on injured reserve with a pectoral injury.
Schrader played in two games for the Rams in 2024 and spent time with the Jaguars and Texans this season. Schrader ran for 1,627 yards and 14 touchdowns for Missouri in his final college season. He brings depth and insurance to a running back room that lost J.K. Dobbins to a Lisfranc foot injury. RJ Harvey sustained a rib injury Sunday, but was practicing Wednesday.
Payton said Harvey’s injury won’t prevent him from playing against the Jaguars: “No, he’s looking good.”
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