The New Orleans Saints thought they had the game won. But then disaster struck. Brandin Cooks had just scored on a 32-yard pass from Drew Brees to tie Sunday's game with the Denver Broncos at 23-23 with 1:21 remaining. All they needed was a Will Lutz extra point.
The touch on this @DrewBrees pass was all sorts of PERFECT. #Saints50 #DENvsNO https://t.co/TdpksZu2eb
— NFL (@NFL) November 13, 2016
But Denver safety Justin Simmons blocked the kick and defensive back Will Parks scooped up the ball and returned it the other way for 2 points to give the Broncos a 25-23 lead.
The play was reviewed to see if Parks had stepped out of bounds during the return, but the call stood and the Broncos left the Superdome with the win.
MORE: Broncos-Saints highlights, stats
After review, the call of the field stands.
— NFL (@NFL) November 13, 2016
Leap the line.
Block the extra point.
Take the lead.
Wow. #DENvsNO https://t.co/yX5QdVQ2Bn
The Saints (4-5) have a quick turnaround before heading to Charlotte for a Thursday game against the Carolina Panthers, who fell to 3-6 following their own loss filled with late-game drama. Panthers receiver Kelvin Benjamin was stripped by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters to set up a game-winning 37-yard field goal by Cairo Santos.
The Chiefs (7-2) moved into a tie with the Oakland Raiders atop the AFC West, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5) were the only team in the NFC South to win Sunday.