Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin was denied a touchdown opportunity in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers when referees called Franklin’s touchdown pass through contact even though the receiver didn’t actually touch the ground.
With less than three minutes left before halftime and facing 2nd-and-5 at Green Bay’s 17-yard line, quarterback Bo Nix threw a screen to Franklin, who ran 10 yards before being knocked down by Packers safety Javon Bullard. On Sunday, game officials, led by referee Brad Rogers, blew the “play dead” whistle at the seven-yard line.
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However, looking at the replay, we see that Franklin never actually touched the ground when he landed on Brad:
Fortunately, Franklin’s sack didn’t end up costing the Broncos points, as Nix threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Junior Jordan Humphrey two plays later. Franklin ended up scoring a touchdown in the third quarter — and that still stands. Denver ended up winning 34-26, so no damage was done in the end.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wired: NFL: Early whistle sets up Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin for touchdown against Packers