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Marshall Faulk, a Super Bowl champion running back who played with the St. Louis Rams during his NFL career, issued a stark warning to officials ahead of his former team’s playoff game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
Faulk told TMZ Sports in an interview published Sunday that he was taking the win for Los Angeles, but that he likes the competitiveness of playoff football as a whole.
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Tennessee Titans defensive end Jevon Kearse (90) chases St. Louis Rams back Marshall Faulk (28) during action at Adelpha Coliseum in Nashville October 31, 1999. (Freeman Ramsey/Tennessee Network/USA TODAY via Imagn Images)
However, he said the referees should let the players play.
“Here’s what I hope — I hope the refs stay out of the game,” Faulk said. “We don’t need to see the referees on TV as much. They’ve been too visible in these games. They’re throwing too many flags.
“I know they want to be seen. But they just need to stay out of the games and allow the football to be played on the field.”
Faulk’s comments hit the Internet a day after controversy erupted during the Denver Broncos’ divisional round overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills.
A key interception call favoring the Broncos in overtime sparked consternation.
At first it looked like a simultaneous possession, which would have led to the Bills keeping the ball. But as Bills receiver Brandin Cooks fell to the ground with the pigskin, the ball rolled into a position where Broncos defensive back Ja’Quan McMillian was able to snatch it for an interception while Cooks was lying on his back.
Colorado Buffaloes running backs coach Marshall Faulk before the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Folsom Field on August 29, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
Bills head coach Sean Mcdermott slams officials for controversial interception call: ‘NOT EVEN CLOSE’
Instant replay review showed Cooks on the ground with possession of the ball, which usually ended the play and awarded the Bills the completion. But enough of the ball was already in McMillian’s arms by the time Cooks hit the ground that officials didn’t overturn the call after reviewing it.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott wanted the officials to take a long look at the play, so he called a timeout to do so — teams can’t fight in overtime.
“It would make sense to me … that the head official would come in and want to take a look at it, just to make sure that everyone in the stadium from here to there is on the same page. It’s too important a play, in my opinion, and a play that potentially decided the game too, to even slow it down,” McDermott said.
“It’s hard for me to understand why it was set up that way. If it’s set up that way, then why didn’t he slow down just to make sure we got it right? That would have made a lot of sense to me, to make sure we set it up right. Because it’s a crucial play in the game. We have the ball at the 20, maybe scoring a game-winning field goal right there. So I’ll leave it at that.”
McDermott had more words for the Buffalo News from the team plane.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks to pass in the third quarter during an NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium on January 10, 2026. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)
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The winner of Bears-Rams on Sunday night will face the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game.
