In the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson bought time on third and goal before throwing a strike to tight end Adam Trautman.
Trautman went down to his knee and hauled the ball in with a knee down in bounds, the equivalent of two feet for a sideline catch. The tight end also got his buttocks down in bounds.
The play was initially ruled an incomplete pass, but after review, officials awarded Trautman and Denver’s offense a touchdown. It was hard to blame officials for not spotting the catch in real time — Trautman didn’t even think he caught his body down in bounds.
“I had no idea,” Trautman said after the game. “Honestly, I thought my knee was out. I mean, I can’t really see — I’m focusing on the ball — but then I saw Coach Payton put his hands up for a touchdown. I guess I missed the first replay on the
board, but I saw the second one and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m in!’ So yeah, it was awesome.”
Broncos coach Sean Payton quickly challenged the initial no-catch ruling, which proved to be a smart decision.
“I kind of saw it, and then the replay comes, and every once in a while, it was like that people’s court, where everyone felt really good about it,” Payton said after the game. “And yet, there’s always that, ‘Is it clear?’ I felt — the whole knee thing is important. That was — I don’t want to say it was easier, but it was easier, quicker to throw the flag. There was not a lot of gray area there and a lot to gain with it.”
That knee getting down in bounds was key, as Wilson explained after an eventual 29-12 victory.
“I thought Trautman did a tremendous job of getting his knee down,” Wilson said. “When you get a knee down, it’s considered two feet. Just a heck of a catch. As soon as I threw it, I knew he was going to catch it. We just believed that was going to be a touchdown. Tremendous, tremendous play by him and a great effort by the offensive line giving me enough time.”
Trautman is typically not heavily involved in the passing game — he now has 16 receptions 125 yards and two touchdowns this season. He made the most of his opportunity on Sunday, though, and many fans and pundits likened it to wide receiver Courtland Sutton’s impressive catches this season.
It's another Victory Monday in #BroncosCountry! While there were many mighty Mile High Moments from yesterday's #CLEvsDEN win, one rose above the rest in Adam Trautman's terrific 4th quarter touchdown catch from @DangeRussWilson on 3rd-and-goal, which all but put the game away! pic.twitter.com/g2uGjsaZF2
— Mile High Moments (@MileHighMoments) November 27, 2023
Troutman is in!!!! that’s a touchdown @Broncos
— Alfred Williams (@BigAlRadio) November 26, 2023
Adam Trautman doing his best Courtland Sutton impersonation pic.twitter.com/tUvhv80Fss
— Good News Broncos 🫏 (@BadNewsBroncos) November 26, 2023
gotta give Trautman props that’s a great catch
— T (@TimContic) November 26, 2023
THAT'S A CATCH AND A TOUCHDOWN!!
Spot on Courtland Sutton impression by Adam Trautman there
— Mile High Mario (@VetanzeTherapy) November 26, 2023
And the Trautman family goes NUTS!!!
AdamTrautman with amazing catch!!! pic.twitter.com/cYcKLhDrZJ
— Coach Ryan Mullaney (@RMullaney) November 26, 2023
A ridiculous TD catch by COURT….Adam Trautman!!!
— ThatsGoodSports (@BrandonPerna) November 26, 2023
If I’m Adam Trautman, I am never shutting up about my shin-down touchdown #BroncosCountry
— Lindsay Bebout (@lindsaybebout) November 26, 2023
The wild reaction from the stands here at Mile High after the announcement of Adam Trautman’s TD #9sports pic.twitter.com/xUmDAp3Kmb
— Scotty Gange (@Scotty_G6) November 26, 2023
Russell Wilson after the win:
"How about [Adam] Trautman’s catch? That was pretty sweet."
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) November 27, 2023
Pretty sweet, indeed. That was a catch that Trautman and Broncos fans will never forget.
