You are not crazy. Officiating has been terrible in 2026.

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 04: A referee picks up a penalty flag during an NFL game at M&T Bank Stadium on October 04, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The NFL is calling more penalties per game than at any rate over the last two decades. What's worse is they are calling more penalties at the most critical moments in games. According to Warren Sharp, they are changing games in ways never seen before:

• #1 most red zone penalties per game by offenses in history
• #1 most penalties on 3rd/4th downs in the second half of games in history

Reading his full research breakdown and we see just how crazy it has been through the first four weeks of this regular season. They have overturned touchdowns at double the historical average and offenses, in particular, are getting called more than ever before.

This data hurts even worse when us Denver Broncos fans recall that egregious block in the back on George Kittle's 54-yard touchdown reception that wasn't called. We could have used this trend to our advantage on Sunday, but that crew let it play out.

We all love to blame refs and Denver got away with on in Week 3, so it does tend to even out over time. But as a fan of the NFL in general, I absolutely hate when officiating determines games. They need to figure it out.

Broncos daily recap

Denver Broncos Stock Up, Stock Down: Week 4 loss to the 49ers

Stock up and stock down is a weekly series where I go through the Denver Broncos' 53-man roster and tell which Broncos players' stock is going up, down, or remains unchanged. After a tough loss to the 49ers, we are going to see some stocks trending the wrong way.

Both CB Pat Surtain II and WR Pat Bryant suffered short-term ankle injuries

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is reporting that Surtain II is week-to-week" and that one source believes he will be sidelined for about two weeks.

Broncos vs. Chargers odds: Opening lines for Week 5 matchup

The Broncos are 3.5-point road favorites against the Chargers in Week 5. The over/under stands at 42.5 for this matchup.

Potent quotablesSean Payton

On if the 49ers defense limited QB Bo Nix's downfield passing
I think to your first point, and we had seen this on tape, they did a pretty good job of staying on top of some of the deeper throws and [that is] part of what they're trying to do defensively. So I think coming away from that game tape, I think the feeling overall was just more yardage underneath in different ways that I think we feel like we could have taken a little bit more advantage of."

On injury updates and if the team plans to add another cornerback
I appreciate it... Of course today and throughout the week, really we'll stay away from any updates. Guys were all in today getting work and rehabbing. We'll make sure we go through the process well, and then we'll have a report Wednesday."

On the value of playing the level of competition that they have so far this season in finding out where the team is
We just put up a few numbers coming off of that game. Sometimes you end up in a game like that, it's 3-3 at the half. Obviously one side of the ball against a good offense, you feel real good about. We just blocked a field goal at the end of half. Then offensively, we've talked a lot about our starts, but the hardest thing about the loss was I think-and I felt this way after the game-our collective guys played hard. So we have to look at that today when we watch the tape. There are going to be times where you play in a game that maybe goes differently than you think, and that was one of them a little bit. Then your margins into that second half and how important it is. So I think to answer your question, every season you're learning week-by-week a little about this year's team. I use that term, A year ago is a year ago.' So we have another big challenge here this week relative to going on the road, a similar itinerary going west and getting ready to play a division team."

On how CB Jahdae Barron and CB Kris Abrams-Draine stepped up and his confidence in them moving forward
Relative to their play yesterday, I thought they came in and did a real good job. It was good to see. I think it's a position we have depth at, and those guys both kind of got thrown into the fire and I thought they handled it well."

On his overall assessment of the defense's performance
I thought we handled third down pretty well. They had about four or five third-and-1s. We got one critical stop on a fourth-and-1. I thought the guys played with great energy, effort. The first touchdown given up was kind of off of a motion, a little bit of a scramble. [49ers QB] Brock [Purdy] did a good job of finding [49ers WR] Deebo [Samuel Sr.] in the left corner of the end zone. I think just going through it, and then even in the staff meeting, there were a lot of positives to draw from."

On what he saw from the run blocking on tape
There are always two or three things. There are some clean looks we do a good job with. Then there are some looks where defensively, we're getting a run stunt. I think that overall just the consistency and our approach-whether it's in the shotgun or under center-that will continue to be a focal point for us. It's always in these details. I think certainly you saw that yesterday."

On assessing QB Bo Nix's throwing mechanics so far this season
I would say this because it's a position I've coached for I don't know however many years... There are times where you want to be careful how much you say. In other words, he's real good when he flushes out of the pocket. I think there was one snap a week ago, he came out the back instead of climbing. He's pretty good relative to understanding the drop as it pertains to the depth of route. There are times where [Quarterbacks Coach] Logan [Kilgore] or [Offensive Coordinator] Davis [Webb] will look closely with a route and say, Hey, maybe we hitch here.' I think he has a feel for these routes, and he understands-whether it's in the gun or under center-what it should feel like and look like."

Under the radar

#Chargers Pro Bowl OT Rashawn Slater is believed to have suffered a high-ankle sprain based on the initial exams, sources say.

He'll have an MRI this morning, but that's an injury that general takes several weeks to heal. A hit to the LAC OL. pic.twitter.com/vy8tF1xCXX

- Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 5, 2026

Denver run game has been pedestrian and mostly inept. 30th in % of runs that gained 6 or more yards. pic.twitter.com/0gUPZkeBWd

- Joe Mahoney (@ndjomo76) October 5, 2026

NFL rules are currently trying to tell you there's a difference between the wrist and the forearm, and that difference is the difference between a fumble or not.

- Sam Monson (@SamMonsonNFL) October 4, 2026

The Bronco D forced 61 3-and-outs in 17 games in 2025 which was second most in the NFL last season. They have only 7 in 4 games this season which is second to last. One pace for 30, which was the least last szn - WAS. pic.twitter.com/OmF2RqiAVK

- Joe Mahoney (@ndjomo76) October 5, 2026

The Feed

Post your own thoughts on MHR's Feed.