In the Denver Broncos 28-14 win over the Carolina Panthers there were a modest 12 accepted penalties and only one challenge. Despite this dearth of action, the officials played too big of a role in the outcome of the game.
Down By Contact Challenge
Sean Payton challenged a ruling on the field that Panthers WR Jalen Coker was down by contact before fumbling in the 4th quarter. This challenge was unsuccessful. However, it had more merit than the announcers indicated. In the context of the play, announcers said that the ground could not cause the fumble, however this rule is not as simple as they expressed.