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Marshall Faulk, a Super Bowl champion running back who starred with the St. Louis Rams during his NFL career, had a blunt warning for officials ahead of his former team’s playoff matchup against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
Faulk told TMZ Sports in an interview published Sunday that he’s pulling for Los Angeles in the win, but loves the competitiveness of playoff football overall.
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Tennessee Titans defensive end Jevon Kearse (90) chases down St. Louis Rams back Marshall Faulk (28) during action at Adelpha Coliseum in Nashville on Oct. 31, 1999. (Freeman Ramsey/The Tennessean/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
However, he said the referees need to let the players play.
“Here’s what I hope for – I hope the referees stay their a– 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 football to be played on the field.”
Faulk’s comments hit the internet a day after controversy erupted in the Denver Broncos’ overtime Divisional Round victory over the Buffalo Bills.
A key interception call that went in favor of the Broncos in overtime sparked the consternation.
At first, it looked like simultaneous possession, which would have led to the Bills keeping the ball. But as Bills receiver Brandin Cooks went down to the ground with the pigskin, the ball rolled into a position where Broncos defensive back Ja’Quan McMillian was able to snatch it away for an interception as Cooks lay on his back.
Colorado Buffaloes running backs coach Marshall Faulk before the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Folsom Field on Aug. 29, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
The instant replay review showed Cooks was down on the ground with possession of the ball, which typically would end the play and award the Bills a completion. But enough of the ball was already in McMillian’s arms by the time Cooks hit the ground that officials did not reverse the call after looking it over.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott wanted officials to take a long look at the play, so he called a timeout in order to do so — teams cannot challenge in overtime.
“It would seem logical to me… that the head official would walk over and want to go and take a look at it, just to make sure that everybody from here who is in the stadium to there are on the same page. That’s too big of a play, in my estimation, and a play that decided the game potentially as well, to not even slow it down,” McDermott said.
“It’s hard for me to understand why it was ruled the way it was ruled. If it is ruled that way, then why wasn’t it slowed down just to make sure that we have this right? That would have made a lot of sense to me, to make sure that we have this thing right. Because that’s a pivotal play in the game. We have the ball at the 20, maybe kicking a game-winning field goal right there. So I’ll just 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 in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium on Jan. 10, 2026. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)
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The winner of Bears-Rams on Sunday night will play the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game.
Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.
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