When Riley Moss was flagged for defensive pass interference on Sunday afternoon against the Giants, it was as clear as day that it was the wrong call. Broncos fans knew it, Giants fans knew it, seemingly everyone except for the group wearing stripes on the field knew it. Basically, every Bronco on the field, even a Bronco who inserted himself on the field and was flagged for it.
The ball that Moss was flagged on was seriously underthrown by Jaxson Dart. Moss got his head around and didn't make any illegal contact with the defender. Simply, the Giants got an incredible bailout call to save the day. The Broncos wound up winning the game, but it is hard to imagine what the media reaction to the call would have been if they had not, and that horrible call cost the Broncos a win and first place in the division.
Moss played the ball incredibly well, and his teammates were ready to back him up. Even after the Broncos' incredible win, much conversation remained on the horrible officiating of Sunday's game. In a sight that everyone loves to see, Broncos' all-world corner Pat Surtain came to the defense of his running mate Riley Moss, and did not hold back his words.
Pat Surtain loudly defends Riley Moss after awful Week 7 penalty
"Riley was in perfect position. Perfect coverage, the ball was underthrown, there's not much that you can do", said a heated Surtain on his Closed on Sundays podcast that he hosts with fellow corner Terrion Arnold. Surtain says that if anything, Moss was the one being interfered with. "If you freeze-frame it, when he turned around, the receiver was mugging him. Like, damn near choking my dawg out."
Surtain was absolutely heated during most of their time on this topic, and most of what he said is not quite appropriate for this website. The moral of the story, however, is that it didn't take a rocket scientist to know it was a bad call. The Broncos' All-Pro also observed that the official closest to the play didn't throw a flag and initially called the play incomplete. A further away official was the one to throw the flag; an official with a worse view made the crucial call.
For so many reasons, it rocks to see Broncos defenders stick up for each other. Moss receives a ton of flak for some of the larger plays he allows, including his share of earned pass interference calls. Surtain made sure to stick up for his teammate against the official, and in how own words, "let his (expletive) have it." If the Broncos are going to make a run this year, it is incredible to see how well the group stands together.