One day earlier, the Denver Broncos celebrated advancing to the AFC Championship Game thanks to a controversial interception by Jaquan McMillan. A day later, the Chicago Bears thought they could repeat that performance in the fourth quarter.
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With a little more than 11 minutes left in the game, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw the ball to Davante Adams on 2nd-and-10. Adams put the ball in, but Chicago’s Tyrik Stevenson took it away as the game ended.
Different from the AFC divisional round, the ruling on the field was that Adams completed the receiving process and was knocked down by the contract, and the interception was invalid.
It was a banger, but unlike Brandin Cooks, Adams didn’t go down when he caught the ball.
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) catches a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The play was initially ruled an incomplete pass but was eventually overturned. Despite TeSlaa’s hard work, the Packers won the game 27-13.
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The best pictures from the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) catches a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The play was initially ruled an incomplete pass but was eventually overturned. Despite TeSlaa’s hard work, the Packers won the game 27-13.
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The best pictures from the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: New England Patriots’ Robert Spillane (14) and Christian Elliss (53) take on Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (87) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. The Raiders won the game 20-13.
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The best pictures from the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) is tackled by Washington Commanders safety Will Harris (3) for a fumble in the first quarter at Northwestern Stadium. It was Wilson’s debut with the Giants, and he had a tough performance (17-of-37 passing, 168 yards) as the Commanders won the game 21-6.
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The best pictures from the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Fireworks are set off before the NFL kickoff game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles opened the new season with a 24-20 victory over their old rivals in the NFC East.
NBC rules expert and former NFL referee Terry McCauley said Adams clearly completed the catch. He added that the receiver has enough time to complete the third act, also known as the football move, after dropping two feet.
Since Adams’ knee dropped after the football action, it was enough for him to go down from contact, which was not the case in the Cooks’ situation on Jan. 17.
The Rams took advantage of the ruling in their favor, scoring a touchdown from Kyren Williams to lead the Bears 17-10 just a few plays later.
This article originally appeared on USA Today: Davante Adams catch ruling sparks Bills interception Deja Vu
