The second-year coach didn’t throw his red challenge flag after his rookie receiver was ruled to have come down out of bounds.<\/p>\n
Author of the article:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Associated Press<\/p>\n
Arnie Stapleton<\/p>\n
Published Sep 09, 2025 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 3 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n DENVER \u2014 Brian Callahan stands corrected \u2014 unlike the call he failed to challenge.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The Titans\u2019 second-year coach acknowledged Monday that he didn\u2019t know the NFL catch rule Sunday when he didn\u2019t throw his red challenge flag in Tennessee\u2019s 20-12 loss at Denver after his rookie receiver made an acrobatic catch but was ruled to have come down out of bounds.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n On first-and-20 with the Titans trailing by a point late in the third quarter, Elic Ayomanor raced down the Tennessee sideline, leaped over cornerback Riley Moss and hauled in a 21-yard pass from Cam Ward.<\/p>\n Ayomanor appeared to get his right elbow down inbounds before any other part of his body hit the white line out of bounds. When the officials ruled an incompletion, however, Callahan didn\u2019t challenge the call and the Titans went on to punt after two more misfires.<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n It proved to be a big blunder in a one-score road loss in which the Titans, who went 3-14 in Callahan\u2019s first season, were held to 133 yards of offense to go with 131 yards in penalties that were walked off against them.<\/p>\n Pressed after the game why he didn\u2019t challenge the call, Callahan explained, \u201cYou\u2019ve got to get a foot in bounds, too, which we didn\u2019t have a clean look at whether his foot was down, as well. An elbow doesn\u2019t equal two feet, so his foot would have had to come down, as well. We didn\u2019t have a clean look, so the call from upstairs was that it wasn\u2019t worth challenging.\u201d<\/p>\n Wrong on all accounts.<\/p>\n One elbow does equal two feet \u2014 the NFL rulebook is clear that a catch is good if a player \u201ctouches the ground inbounds with both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n And it certainly was worth a challenge, something Callahan acknowledged Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cMy interpretation of the rule was wrong,\u201d Callahan said after having had more time to ponder his decision. \u201cI\u2019ll own it. We should have challenged the play and that\u2019s pretty much all I can say about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Or will say.<\/p>\n Asked if those advising him about the play also were unaware of the NFL\u2019s rules for what constitutes a catch, Callahan demurred, saying he won\u2019t discuss the process and, besides, the decision falls on him as head coach.<\/p>\n Payton\u2019s unconventional call<\/p>\n If it\u2019s any consolation, Callahan\u2019s wasn\u2019t the only curious call in Denver on Sunday.<\/p>\n Facing fourth-and-8 from the Titans\u2019 36 with 1:05 remaining and Denver clinging to its eight-point lead, it appeared Broncos coach Sean Payton had a choice between sending out his rookie punter Jeremy Crawshaw to try to pin Tennessee deep or kicker Wil Lutz to attempt a 54-yard field goal.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n After timeouts by both teams, Payton kept his offense on the field, however, and dialed up a pass play. Bo Nix was unable to hit Marvin Mims Jr. at the 5-yard line and the Titans took over. Three incompletions and a strip sack later, the Broncos had the win, after which Payton disputed any notion that going for it was a head-scratcher.<\/p>\n He said he knew the Titans would be in a cover-zero look with pure man-to-man coverage and no deep safeties, so it wasn\u2019t the roll-the-dice choice it might have appeared.<\/p>\n Payton also said he had faith in Lutz making it from that distance, \u201cbut the way we\u2019re playing defensively, you have to look at the quickest way for them to take the ball 64 yards would be a scoop and score\u201d following a blocked field goal try.<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I didn\u2019t want that to happen,\u201d Payton said. \u201cSo, we had a lot of time to think about it. I felt real good about the call.\u201d<\/p>\n So did Nix.<\/p>\n \u201cI felt like we had a good play,\u201d Nix said. \u201cWe were going to max protect it. We knew they were going to be in (cover) zero. They just brought the house. They brought everybody, and it\u2019s hard. You don\u2019t have enough guys to block them. You hopefully have enough time to buy some time. Probably just a few inches higher, Marvin goes out there and catches it.\u201d<\/p>\n Courtland Sutton \u201cwas probably open, as well,\u201d Nix said. \u201cIt\u2019s just tough for them to cover crossers like that in a zero situation. Sometimes you hit them; sometimes you don\u2019t. That one, coach was aggressive. Next time we\u2019ll hit it.\u201d<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Share this article in your social network<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Breadcrumb Trail Links SportsFootballNFL The second-year coach didn’t throw his red challenge flag after his rookie receiver was…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":131222,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[436],"tags":[49,48,514,82],"class_list":["post-131221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131221"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131221\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/131222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=131221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=131221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Head](\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/torontosun\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2234203466-e1757420476614.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&h=216&sig=Sji10jmeBvm0pfAUsV4YeA\")
Head coach Brian Callahan of the Tennessee Titans looks at his play book during the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos during the game at Empower Field At Mile High on September 7, 2025 in Denver. Photo by Justin Edmonds \/Getty Images North AmericaArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/19.4.3\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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