The Denver Broncos provided the world with one of the most exhilarating endings of the 2016 season Sunday when rookie Justin Simmons leaped into the backfield to block the potential winning extra point. Will Parks scooped up the ball and scampered for the two-point score to give the Broncos a road win over the New Orleans Saints.
The play went under review when it looked like Parks could have stepped out of bounds on the return.
The NFL's senior vice president of officiating Dean Blandino gave a detailed description of why the play was ruled called on the field.
That's great stuff from Blandino.
The move by Broncos' Jared Crick to push down long snapper Justin Drescher without grabbing and causing a penalty flew under the radar. Keeping the snapper down allowed Simmons to clear without contacting Drescher, which would have drawn another flag. It's interesting that it's not an illegal play. Kudos to the Broncos and their staff for coaching that technique.
With Parks wearing white shoes it was nearly impossible to tell if his foot hit out of bounds. The rookie, however, wasn't worried.
"So, I'm in bounds," he said, via The Times-Picayune. "I wasn't tripping at all. I was looking like I took ballet in fifth grade. Y'all can't tell me I'm out."
