Broncos feel robbed on fourth-down spot by refs that cost 3 points

1 hour ago 3

One of the sideline officials appeared to spot Drake Maye a full yard short on a key fourth-down attempt by the New England Patriots.

The Denver Broncos would've looked at that guy and thought they got the stop.

But the ruling on the field was, somehow, a first down anyway.

And then when the Broncos challenged it, the call stood. New England had a first down on a Maye tush push.

MORE: NFL fans want Tony Romo to 'shut up'

Four plays later, the Patriots kicked a field goal to take a 10-7 lead in the third quarter of the AFC Championship Game.

The call was worth three points.

Maybe it was right. Maybe not. But it's a painful one for the Broncos.

Here's a look:

Did Drake Maye get the 1st down??pic.twitter.com/4fm4zji7e6

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 25, 2026

MORE: What Steelers hiring Mike McCarthy means for Aaron Rodgers

Those yellow lines are unofficial, so maybe that's part of the problem.

But when Sean Payton challenged, he signaled to the refs to look at the view from the sky cam (which is the one pictured in that post from X).

It's sure a close one. It seems like it would've been tough to overturn in the other direction, too.

Denver will just have to overcome it.

More NFL news: