Broncos want an explanation for latest Josh Allen TD they couldn't afford to give up

In the third quarter of Sunday's Wild Card Round playoff between the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos, the visiting Broncos were trying not to let go of the rope. Bo Nix gave Denver an early 7-0 lead with a deep touchdown pass to Troy Franklin but Buffalo then answered with 13 points of their own and were driving to add onto that. The last thing the Broncos could afford was allowing a touchdown.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what they did — or at least that's what the refs called. Facing a fourth-and-1, Josh Allen was trying to draw a flag first and then dropped back after the snap to take a shot at the end zone. He uncorked a beautiful ball right to the baseline of the end zone where running back Ty Johnson had broken free. Johnson miraculously kept his hands under the ball but was dangerously close to his feet coming down on the white line.

Take a look for yourself at the catch by Johnson in the back of the end zone.

The refs, naturally, went to review the play after the fact. What was shocking is that Jim Nantz and Tony Romo on the CBS broadcast returned from a commercial break to say that the call of a touchdown was "confirmed". That's where the gripes can really start.

Broncos fans have reason to be angry at refs for costly Bills TD

To confirm that was a catch and Bills touchdown, the rulebook states that the refs would need irrefutable video evidence that Johnson's foot or ankle didn't touch the white paint on the back of the end zone. It's certainly close and he may not have but absolutely nothing in the replays definitively says that's the case.

If the announcement had been simply that the play stands, that would've made far more sense. The refs ruled it a touchdown on the field and, just as you can't quite tell definitively if he stayed off the white paint, you equally can't say he did touch it. Thus, the call on the field would stand.

That's not what was said, though, which has to be infuriating for Broncos fans in every way. This was a touchdown that put Denver down two scores on the precipice of the final quarter of the game and the explanation for it being a touchdown that we were given was anything but satisfactory. Because based on what we're seeing when it comes to the replay, there's no way that this call should've been confirmed unless there's another explanation. But even then, we weren't given it.