After a blown call cost the Saints a chance to advance to the Super Bowl last season, NFL owners approved a rule change this offseason that will allow coaches to challenge pass interference calls (and non-calls) in 2019.
After a training camp practice last week, Denver coach Vic Fangio said he would be the first to take advantage of the new rule. Fangio kept his word during the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday evening, challenging a defensive pass interference call against the Falcons.
Fangio lost the challenge.
“I didn’t have a great look at it,” Fangio said after the game. “Obviously, I was at the other sideline, but they did say it stands, so it was pretty close. They didn’t say confirmed.
“I had made the statement that I was going to throw the first challenge flag for a [pass interference], and a couple of guys were challenging me to do it there, so I did it.”
