Preseason football is underway. The Denver Broncos and coach Vic Fangio faced the Atlanta Falcons in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on Thursday.
Heading into the game, all eyes and minds were eager to see if the new pass interference rule would be tested. Following the infamous NFC Championship Game no-call involving the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams, the NFL has granted head coaches the ability to challenge a pass interference call, whether the penalty is called or not.
The wait to see the first pass interference challenge didn't last very long. In the first half of the exhibition bout, first-year Broncos head coach Vic Fangio decided to use his red flag on a dispute over a pass interference.
With 3:19 left in the first half, Falcons quarterback Kurt Benkert threw a deep ball to receiver Russell Gage. Though incomplete, the officials called defensive pass interference on Gage, giving Atlanta 43 yards. Fangio challenged the call. After a brief review, officials made it clear that the âcall stands.â
The first challenge flag for pass interference just got thrown đ
(via @SNFonNBC)pic.twitter.com/drRgriPoWT
â B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) August 2, 2019
In the rulebook, pass interference must be âclear and obvious.â NFL senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron said the same thing at the NFL officiating clinic a month before the game, saying âclear and obvious, visual [and] significantly hinders.â
He was at the game Thursday night in the booth, and he helped make the call stand.
It should be interesting to see how the new pass interference rule progresses in the preseason. Some coaches, including Mike Zimmer (Vikings) and Matt Patricia (Lions), intend to apply their understanding of the rule via exploitation and draining their flag pockets.
Fangio's move is the first of its time and a historic landmark, even if the game doesn't matter in the long run.
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