Joe Buck publicly criticized the NFL officials after he deemed them to have missed a pivotal game-changing call in the Monday Night Football clash between the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams. Trailing 27-24 with the game on the line and with under 30 seconds remaining in the contest, the Rams needed a special drive from quarterback Matthew Stafford to get them, at least, into field goal range. Joe Buck was critical of the referees on MNF after missing a game-changing DPI on the FalconsGettyMatthew Stafford has been so clutch when the game is on the line over his careerGettyBut there was also the small issue of them having no timeouts left. After missing an open receiver on first down, Stafford opted to launch the football deep down field for wide receiver Tutu Atwell to make a play, but it hit the turf as the pass fell incomplete. However, upon video replay, the footage showed that Atwell’s arm was clearly being held by Falcons defensive back Dee Alford. After seeing this, ESPN announcer Buck, who was alongside rules analyst Russell Yurk, felt that a defensive pass interference penalty should have been called on the Falcons. View Tweet: https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw“They may have missed a pass interference,” Buck said.“I agree with you. He goes up kind of with one arm, he’s holding that arm down. I think that’s pass interference,” Yurk added.“Watch the left arm of Atwell and the grab here not allowing his arm to go up and make the catch. That’s a missed call,” Buck noted.Had this hold been spotted by the referees, the penalty would have given the Rams a 1st & Goal inside the one yard line, which would have given them a prime opportunity to play for the win, or send the game into overtime with a successful field goal conversion. The Rams had one last chance to try and move down the field as star receiver Puka Nacua – who has made some controversial comments on NFL referees of late – almost pulled off a stunning one-handed catch inches away from the sideline. However, it was ruled incomplete and upon review, the on-field decision was upheld as replays showed he didn’t quite maintain control of the ball when going out of bounds.Rams WR Tutu Atwell appeared to be held by Rams DB Dee Alford in the 4th QTRX/ @awfulannouncingThe contact from Alford on Atwell wasn’t penalised, and it ultimately cost the Rams a chance to win the gameX/ @awfulannouncingIt was all smiles for the Falcons as they pulled off the upset over the playoff-bound RamsGettyDespite the Rams’ late rally in the second half after the Falcons blew a 24-3 lead that they held at halftime, the Rams now fall to 11-5. Rams’ sharp decline in recent weeksFor much of the season, the Rams looked like the team to beat in the NFC, and were considered one of the leading contenders for Super Bowl LX. But after Sean McVay‘s side dropped their second straight game, and third in their last five outings to leave them with an 11-5 record with one game left to play, there has been a significant shift in the narrative around the Los Angeles outfit. Furthermore, Stafford was considered the leading frontrunner in the MVP race in what is his 17th year as a pro. But on Monday night, the 37-year-old quarterback – who has been compared to Tom Brady – fired three interceptions to go along with his 269 passing yards and two touchdowns, with his crucial turnovers resulting in 14 Atlanta points. This marked his sixth interception in the gunslinger’s last five outings – and eighth overall – after having gone the previous eight games without a single one. Matthew Stafford’s MVP case is in tatters after a 3 INT performance on MNFGetty“I obviously didn’t play well enough,” Stafford said after the game. “Nothing they did to be honest with you. Same kind of stuff they’ve been doing all year. We didn’t execute well enough I obviously didn’t play well enough. That’s what it is.”Now Stafford’s – who still leads the NFL in touchdowns with 42 on the year – MVP race hangs in the balance. This comes as New England Patriots star quarterback Drake Maye has emerged as the new front runner having amassed 30 touchdowns and 8 interceptions as the Patriots have a 13-3 record with one to play. Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.