Broncos notebook: Courtland Sutton explains questionable pass interference penalty
Jan. 1—KANSAS CITY — One of the biggest turning points in the Broncos' loss to the Chiefs Sunday was an offensive pass interference penalty on Denver wide receiver Courtland Sutton in the third quarter.
Leading 17-13, Sutton caught a 50-yard pass from quarterback Russell Wilson, splitting two defenders to make the grab. But the play was wiped away after officials called Sutton for pass interference. As Sutton went for the ball, he and Chiefs safety Bryan Cook fought each other before Sutton broke free for the catch. And the Broncos made it clear they thought the call was wrong.
"Apparently, when I asked the official that threw the flag, he said that I pushed the defender in the chest to make the catch, and that's where the flag came from," Sutton said. "But you guys can watch the film and see what happened."
Following the penalty, the Chiefs scored 14 unanswered and went on to win 27-24.
After the game, Broncos interim head coach Jerry Rosburg said he disagreed with the penalty, calling it "highly unfortunate." And Wilson said he "for sure" thought the penalty would be on the Chiefs, not Sutton.
Fellow wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was a bit more blunt about the call.
"That ain't no pass interference," Jeudy said. "I'm going to hear from the league for that later on during the week. But everybody knows that wasn't no pass interference call. How do you get a pass interference call with two guys on you?
"Sometimes there's just missed calls. It is what it is."
Okwuegbunam's return
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Broncos tight end Albert Okwuegbunam made his return to the Broncos' lineup on Sunday, after being inactive for eight of the past nine games. Okwuegbunam helped fill the void of rookie tight end Greg Dulcich, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve.
Okwuegbunam struggled to start Sunday, having a couple key drops. But he bounced back nicely, leading all Denver receivers with three receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown.
"It's been really tough," Okwuegbunam said. "A lot of things happened that are out of my control and whether I agree with them or not, they're out of my control. I made the decision to come to work every day and work my butt off and come in with a positive attitude. I knew an opportunity would come at some point, this year or next year. And fortunately, I got one today and I capitalized on it."
Rosburg calls on Outten
Rosburg decided to change the Broncos' offensive play-caller on Sunday, giving the duties to offensive coordinator Justin Outten for the first time this season. Outten had never called plays in the NFL before, but appeared to do well, helping the Broncos total 307 yards and score three touchdowns.
Rosburg said he made the decision to switch from quarterback coach Klint Kubiak to Outten because he wanted Kubiak on the field with Wilson.
"A quarterback coach and a quarterback relationship is different. They see the game different. So I wanted Klint with Russell," Rosburg said. "I didn't want the plays called from the sideline. That's why I had so much confidence in Justin to put him up in the box and call the plays."
