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A controversial pass-interference call cost the Rams dearly in their defeat by the Denver Broncos, but coach Sean McVay said Monday that neither he nor the team would play the victim card.

With just over a minute left in the game, Rams cornerback Josh Wallace battled with Broncos receiver Pat Bryant before intercepting a Bo Nix pass at the Rams’ seven-yard line. Had the play stood, it would have preserved a second consecutive Rams victory.

But officials cited Wallace for pass interference, giving the Broncos another set of downs. Nix eventually scored a touchdown to give the Broncos a 30-26 lead and an eventual victory that dropped the Rams to 1-2.

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Gary Klein breaks down what went wrong for the Rams in a 30-26 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday night.

“I’m not going to play the victim card,” McVay said during a videoconference with reporters. “Doesn’t really matter. It is what it is. That was the call that was made, and there was a lot of opportunities that we had to be able to close the door on that game. … I wouldn’t have any additional coaching points for how Josh plays through the cycle of the snap.

“But I’m not going to make excuses either and we’re not going to play the victim card.”

Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie reviewed the play “over and over.”

“I told Josh, ‘Hey, nothing you can do. Refs got to call their calls. We can’t control that,’” McDuffie said. “But, I mean, looking back at it, I don’t know what they saw but I thought it was a great play. Got the interception for us.

“But like I said, whatever the refs saw they saw and threw the flag and ain’t much we can do about it, so it’s really just on to the next week.”

The Rams play the Eagles on Sunday in Philadelphia.

They will probably do so without cornerback Jaylen Watson, who left against the Broncos after suffering a dislocated right shoulder.

Watson will not be placed on injured reserve, McVay said, “but will probably be out for this week. We’ll see if we can kind of get him strengthened and harness it. It’s something that he’s dealt with before.”

Tight end Terrance Ferguson sustained an ankle sprain and is probably out against the Eagles. Tight end Colby Parkinson’s (shoulder) status will be evaluated this week.

Receiver Puka Nacua, who has been sidelined the last two games because of a hip injury, went through a lengthy on-field workout before the game against the Broncos.

Will he play against the Eagles?

”I’m hopeful,” McVay said, adding, “We’ll continue to see, but if he is able to progress the way that we hope there’s optimism that he’ll be able to play this week.”

McVay apologized for taking only a few questions during a postgame news conference after the defeat by the Broncos.

“I understand my role and responsibility is to be able to talk whether it’s after a win or whether we don’t get the results that we want,” McVay said, adding that the brevity resulted from a mix-up in timing. “There was a pause in any sort of questions and obviously an emotional game and so that was kind of what led to that.

“But if there was any misinterpretation, do apologize for that.”

DENVER — Mile sigh.

The Rams came here aiming to put together a second consecutive impressive prime-time performance.

And for the first half against the Denver Broncos on Sunday night, it looked like the Rams would do just that.

But the Rams’ 16-point halftime lead literally vanished into thin air.

After rallying briefly, the Rams could not hold off the Broncos in a 30-26 defeat in front of 76,633 at Empower Field at Mile High.

Matthew Stafford passed for two touchdowns, and Harrison Mevis kicked four field goals for the Rams, but it was not enough.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix passed for two second-half touchdowns and dived one yard for a touchdown with 47 seconds left, dropping the Rams’ record to 1-2.

Under 10th-year coach Sean McVay, the Rams had started a season 1-2 only once before. In 2024, the Rams were 1-2 after three games and 1-4 after five. They rebounded to finish 10-7 and advanced to the divisional round, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Next Sunday, the struggling Rams play the Eagles in Philadelphia.

Against the Broncos, less than a week after limiting the New York Giants to two field goals in a 28-6 victory at SoFi Stadium, the Rams’ defense dominated for two quarters.

But the Rams could not overcome Nix or a Broncos defense that got a 66-yard interception return for a touchdown by safety Talanoa Hufanga, who also intercepted a pass in the end zone on the final play.

The Rams built a 16-0 halftime lead on Stafford’s touchdown pass to Tyler Higbee and three field goals by Mevis.

But the Broncos ended any hope of a shutout midway through the third quarter when what had been a mostly anemic offense came to life.

Nix fired a five-yard touchdown pass to Pat Bryant and then completed a two-point conversion pass to Jaylen Waddle to cut the lead in half.

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix passes against the Rams in the first half Sunday.

(Jack Dempsey / Associated Press)

A few minutes later, Nix found tight end Nate Adkins for an eight-yard touchdown pass and then fired a two-point conversion pass to Bryant to tie the score.

The Broncos were driving again early in the fourth quarter when Rams cornerback Josh Wallace intercepted a pass, setting up Mevis’ fourth field goal for a 19-16 lead.

The Rams got the ball with about seven minutes left and Stafford connected with Adams for a 49-yard gain. But Hufanga picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown that put the Broncos ahead, 23-19.

But Stafford’s 48-yard touchdown pass to receiver Konata Mumpfield put the Rams back in front, 26-23.

Nix all but sealed the victory when he dived and reached over the pile for the one-yard touchdown with less than a minute left.

The Rams drove to the Broncos’ 14-yard line with two seconds left. But after a false-start penalty, Stafford’s pass was intercepted by Hufanga in the end zone.

Stafford completed 30 of 55 passes for 390 yards. He was sacked four times.

Davante Adams caught seven passes for 137 yards and Higbee had eight catches for 62 yards.

Running back Kyren Williams rushed for 88 yards and had 70 yards receiving.

Nix completed 17 of 34 passes for 186 yards.

Rams coaches and personnel executives call it “the moment of truth,” the split second when a defensive back, usually on the run in full stride next to a receiver, must decide how he is going to play a pass that is already in the air.

Top NFL cornerbacks remain calm. They do not panic.

“It’s those guys that just kind of — their blood pressure never rises,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula said.

Trent McDuffie is one of those guys.

The Rams traded for the All-Pro cornerback in March, sending the Kansas City Chiefs the 29th overall pick and three other draft picks for the four-year veteran. They quickly signed McDuffie to an extension that includes $100 million in guarantees.

Last Monday, McDuffie intercepted a pass in the Rams’ 28-6 victory over the New York Giants, a win that helped erase some of the sting from their embarrassing season-opening defeat by the San Francisco 49ers in Australia.

In McDuffie, a two-time Super Bowl winner, the Rams got even more than expected, coach Sean McVay said.

“He just has an amazing emotional intelligence of how to uplift and lead his teammates and challenge them in a way that’s authentic to his personality,” McVay said. “He loves the opportunity to be able to have some of the hard downs that a lot of corners sometimes don’t want, but this guy wants them.”

McDuffie, 26, is looking to make more plays Sunday night when the Rams play the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High.

With the Chiefs, McDuffie played against the Broncos six times, and he is still looking for his first interception against the former AFC West rival.

But mainly, he aims to help the Rams continue their momentum after giving up only two field goals against the Giants.

“It was one of those attitude games, where we didn’t have the greatest Week 1 performance,” McDuffie said. “So there was a little chip on our shoulder, a little attitude we brought.”

McDuffie began his rise to NFL stardom during a high school career that featured stops at Santa Ana Mater Dei, Anaheim Servite and Bellflower St. John Bosco, before playing in college at Washington.

Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie walks off the field after a win over the New York Giants on Sept. 21.

(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)

The Chiefs selected him in the first round of the 2022 draft, and he helped them make three Super Bowl appearances, winning two.

McDuffie said he learned a tough but valuable lesson against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII in Arizona in 2023.

With the ball at the Chiefs’ 45-yard line, the 5-foot-11 McDuffie lined up against 6-1, 225-pound receiver AJ Brown. As they ran downfield, McDuffie saw the ball in the air. But he did not know which way to turn his head. He did not know how he wanted to play the ball.

Brown caught the pass for a touchdown.

“Too much thinking in my head to where I didn’t make the play,” McDuffie said.

McDuffie turned the experience into a positive while developing into one of the NFL’s top players at his position.

“From then on, it was almost like, ‘All right, the ball’s in the air, it’s not so much a panic, it’s like you get an opportunity now,’” McDuffie said. “When you’re a DB in the NFL, there’s only so many times they’re going to throw the ball your way. There’s only so many times you’re in a position to make a play, so just kind of calming myself down.

“When the ball’s in the air, don’t panic — just become the receiver. Get back to the basics. You know how to play football. You know how to catch the ball. Just go make a play.

“And really, it’s the fear of failure that I don’t have anymore. Like if they make a play, they make a play. Let’s just line up and let’s keep attacking.”

The next season, despite not intercepting a pass, McDuffie earned All-Pro recognition. He forced five fumbles and had three sacks.

It did not take long for McDuffie to make an impression on his Rams teammates. During offseason workouts and training camp, he established himself as a leader and was voted a team captain.

His first interception for the Rams was the fourth of his career.

“I was in the right place at the right time to make the play,” said McDuffie, who also broke up three other passes, “but I think overall as a group we really took a step in the right direction, which looking back at the film was the most exciting part for me.”

Rams receiver Davante Adams raved about McDuffie during training camp. This week, he said McDuffie had been the “best-kept secret” in Kansas City.

“I’m just glad to see him making plays on guys that aren’t our receivers now,” Adams said. “Go out there and do his thing, show the world.”

Defensive lineman Aaron Donald did not see McDuffie up close until he came out of retirement to rejoin the Rams last month. McDuffie made an impression in Donald’s first game against the Giants.

“I usually don’t watch the DBs,” Donald said, “but he caught my eye. He’s something special.”

On Sunday, McDuffie won’t be the only elite cornerback on the field. “There’s a ton of great corners in the league,” McDuffie said, but he regards Patrick Surtain II of the Broncos, the 2024 NFL defensive player of the year, as the best.

“It’s always fun just being able to see him in person and work his craft,” McDuffie said.

McDuffie intends to showcase his own against a Broncos team that features quarterback Bo Nix operating coach Sean Payton’s offense.

The Rams are seeking another dominant performance.

“Now that we did it once,” he said, “now we have to prove it again.

“That’s kind of the standard.”

Aaron Donald is still earning his spot.

In his mind, anyway.

During defensive line drills, the Future Hall of Famer continues to go third — even when groups are split — rather than lead.

“Earning my keep right now,” Donald said after Rams practice Thursday. “I’m a guy that likes to work and earn everything I get.”

Donald, 35, has one game under his belt after returning from a two-year retirement to rejoin the team that selected the three-time NFL defensive player of the year in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft.

Donald played 33 snaps in the Rams’ 28-6 victory over the New York Giants on Monday. He made three tackles, including one for a loss.

Donald said he watched tape of his performance six times — two times by himself, once with his brother and three more times on his own.

“Not as bad as I thought,” he said. “A lot of things to clean up but on the right track.”

Donald looked “excellent,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula said.

“He was awesome,” Shula said. “He put a lot of pressure on the quarterback, and then you see like some of the run plays … that group as a whole played really tough, played stout, played physical at the line of scrimmage and Aaron was a huge part of that.”

Now, one of the top interior pass rushers in NFL history is preparing for Sunday night’s game against the Denver Broncos in Denver.

Will Donald’s playing time increase?

“Every game is going to kind of tell its own story,” Shula said. “I think we have a general range of where he would be, but I think depending on how the game plays out, you never know how many snaps and the situations that you’re going to be in.

“You never want to put a full hard cap on it.”

Donald is happy with the way his return to game action is playing out.

“We’ve got a good rotation … keeping guys fresh and right now I’m liking it,” he said. “I think it’s at a great pace right now.

“I’m getting my feet wet, get going, get a feel for the game again and other guys are out there working and getting work too.”

Etc.

Rams receiver Puka Nacua (hip), who sat out against the Giants, did not practice for the second day in a row. On Wednesday, coach Sean McVay told reporters he was “not sure” if Nacua would play against the Broncos. Later in the day, he told ESPN radio that Nacua was “not making great progress.” … Tight end Colby Parkinson (knee) and safety Kam Kinchens (hamstring) also did not practice.

Rams star receiver Puka Nacua remains sidelined because of groin soreness and his status for Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos is unclear, coach Sean McVay said Wednesday.

Nacua was not scheduled to participate in a light team jog-through. Asked if he expected Nacua to play against the Broncos, McVay said, “I’m not sure.”

Will Nacua practice this week?

“I would say it’s more likely than not, but we’ll see,” McVay said.

Nacua, the NFL’s receptions leader in 2025, sat out the Rams’ victory over the New York Giants on Monday night.

Are the Rams concerned that Nacua’s injury could be a longer-term issue?

“I don’t think so,” McVay said, adding. “When you’re a skill player and you’re really trying to hit high-speed yards and really open up… it’s like some of the things that can almost be pre-hernia is kind of what he’s feeling.

“You err on the side of caution. Usually time is the best thing that allows that thing to heal.”

McVay said Nacua does not have a hernia, and that the team’s training and medical staff did not feel the issue was “any type of long term threat.”

“I just know that he’s frustrated,” McVay said, “and we all want him to be able to be out there. But we want him to be able to return to performance, not just be able to just kind of gut through it.”

Quarterback Matthew Stafford said Nacua is an “unbelievable” player and loves having him on the field. But he trusts in all Rams receivers.

“Certain things that he does at a high level that maybe move down the list a little bit on things that we might run,” Stafford said. “But once the play’s called and things that we do, I trust all those guys to go out there and execute at a high level.”

Etc.

Running back Ronnie Rivers, who is also a key special teams player, was placed on injured reserve because of a “freak” calf injury suffered when he jumped to loosen up during the game against the Giants, McVay said. Running backs Dean Connors or Jordan Waters could be promoted to the roster for the game against the Broncos. The Rams signed safety Maximus Pulley to the roster.