Why Broncos were called for penalty that lost them game to Colts

Billy Heyen

Why Broncos were called for penalty that lost them game to Colts image

The Denver Broncos had won. They were 2-0.

But there was a flag on the field. The game wasn't over yet.

The Indianapolis Colts would get another chance.

Spencer Shrader pushed his 60-yard field goal attempt at the buzzer wide to the right. The Broncos led 28-26. With no penalties, the game was over.

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But there was a flag, and everything changed. The Colts converted on their do-over, and it was Indy improving to 2-0 instead.

Why were the Broncos called for a penalty to lose vs. Colts?

The Broncos were called for a leverage penalty.

It's a 15-yard personal foul.

Leverage is when a player illegally uses a teammate to try and jump over the line of scrimmage to block a kick.

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It's different than a leaping penalty.

On leverage, there is a distinct use of a teammate to gain an advantage.

The officials took a little while to discuss it and arrived at the penalty that more or less decided the game.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle