ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The NFL season-opener Thursday night between the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs was a nail-biter. The game was a nail-biter. It came down to the final play, when the Ravens were a toenail away from setting up a two-point conversion that would have determined the winner.

A record-setting audience of 28.9 million viewers tuned in. The Chiefs showed off their newest Lombardi Trophy. Taylor Swift was in attendance.

The game should have been a perfect night for the NFL, but the conversation quickly turned to officiating.

“I didn’t see any of the game,” Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said Friday. “I just caught some of the highlights, and then heard about some of the penalties.”

The Baltimore Ravens were called for four illegal formation penalties. Three of them were called on left tackle Ronnie Stanley. Two of them were called on the first drive. The Ravens were only called for one illegal formation penalty in the entire 2023 season.

The illegal formation penalty is a “point of emphasis” this year. In other words, the NFL has instructed officials to give particular attention to the matter. Typically, the penalty is called often in the first few weeks of the season but the calls fade away throughout the year.

“It’s like, ‘We’re going to write a bunch of speeding tickets on your exit off of 23 here early on.’ Then it calms down a little bit,” Payton said. “I know it’s been a point of emphasis, just protecting the line of scrimmage integrity in all phases. Keeping the defense out of the neutral zone, keeping the offense in legal formations. I understand it.”

Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey told DNVR that he’s happy he got to see the “point of emphasis” on TV before playing.

“You never want to be the guinea pig,” McGlinchey said.

The NFL rulebook states that all five ineligible players—almost always the five offensive linemen—must line up on the line of scrimmage. The center has no problem complying, since he’s snapping the ball. The other four linemen must have their head in line with or in front of the center’s waist.

In the past, the referees would give a warning if a player is lining up out of position. The flag typically wouldn’t be thrown until the second time the mistake is made.

But that changed this preseason.

“The new rule is that coaches are warned pregame,” McGlinchey said.

When illegal formations became a point of emphasis, referees began telling coaches before the game that they’re watching for the penalty. That constitutes the warning.

While the Ravens’ tackle was lining up out of position, the Chiefs’ right tackle was moving early.

Jawaan Taylor—whose pre-snap positioning last season probably prompted the point of emphasis this year—rocked backward in his stance before the snap more often than not.

“If you can get away with it, then why not?” McGlinchey said.

Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper has noticed the trend from Taylor.

“He been doing that,” Cooper told DNVR.

While lining up six inches behind where you’re supposed to or moving a quarter-second early seem inconsequential, every advantage counts. As you’ve probably heard, football is a game of inches.

Cooper’s job is to beat the tackle upfield, then turn back to pressure the quarterback. It’s a race, and sometimes tackles get away with cheating.

“It just gives them a little bit of a head start,” Cooper said. “Everybody is trying to find an advantage.”

To be fair, Cooper thought some of the illegal formation penalties on Thursday were toss-up calls, but he isn’t upset that the refs sided with the defense.

“It’s better for us,” Cooper said. “It helps us. If we can get some of those calls in our game, I’m with it.”

Neither McGlinchey nor Cooper viewed Thursday night as a monumental shift. Their approaches to Sunday’s game haven’t changed.

“You can’t always count on the refs to be on your side,” Cooper said. “You can’t always count on the offensive linemen to line up where they’re supposed to. You’re number one thing is to go win. Go do your job.”

Injury Report

The Broncos and Seahawks released their injury reports ahead of their game on Sunday. Once again, the Broncos didn’t list a single player on the report.

Broncos

Seahawks

Notes

• The crowd noise in Seattle is notable. Sean Payton said it’s one of the “four or five venues that are noticeable different” than the rest of the league. He doesn’t believe noise is as impactful now as it used to be. He says the usage of shotgun offenses (where the quarterback has more space to communicate) and the silent snap count have helped.
  
  
• Expect plenty of touchbacks when the Broncos kick off. Payton says kicking into the end zone is fine, forcing a return from the goal line is ideal, and allowing a return from the six- or seven-yard line is “catastrophic.” He expects wind in Seattle that makes hitting the right spot tricky, so aiming long might be the plan.
  
  
• Two of the Broncos practice squadders, wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey and fullback Michael Burton, don’t fit in with the others. Both are proven players who will likely play for the Broncos on Sunday. Payton: “We’ll see, but I would definitely say they’ll both be playing this season. Relative to this game, I’d rather just not comment on it.”
  
  
• The Broncos tried out Chargers linebacker Andrew Farmer on Friday, according to Mike Klis of 9News.