Emotions are high in Buffalo after the Bills fell short in a controversial overtime period in Denver, leaving another season ended by heartbreak. Controversy is the word of the night for Bills Mafia, who saw officials flag the Bills three times in overtime and rule an interception in favor of Denver without much explanation for the players.
Josh Allen said after the game he received no explanation for why his deep pass intended for Brandin Cooks, his final pass of the night, was ruled an interception for Ja'Quan McMillian instead. On the broadcast, CBS Rules Analyst Gene Steratore said that Cooks lost control of the ball on the way to the ground, allowing McMillian to come away with the ball.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said after the game he was frustrated by how the events around the play unfolded, especially the lack of transparency in why the officials went with the call they did.
Sean McDermott responds to officiating controversy that overshadowed Bills’ season-ending loss
“It’s hard for me to understand why it was ruled the way it was ruled," he said. "And 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 sense to me. To make sure 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.”
He did not just leave it at that. Before the next reporter could follow up with another question, McDermott continued on a rant on why he needed to point out his issues with the officiating late in the game.
“I’m saying it because I’m standing up for Buffalo, damn it. I'm standing up for us. Cause what went on, that's not how it should go down,” he said. “In my estimation. These guys spent three hours out there playing football, pouring their guts out, to not even say ‘hey, let’s just slow this thing down,’ that’s why I’m bothered.”
McDermott said he believes Cooks was down by contact on the play, but assured that he’s objective enough to accept if it went the other way, if only it’d been slowed dow and explained why that was the case.
“In my eyes, it was, yes. Even if it wasn’t, and I’m being objective, even if it wasn’t, the players are owed, to me, a ‘hey, let’s stop it, let’s slow it down, let’s put the head referee and get him a chance to look at the monitor’, just to make sure.”
After the game, PFWA pool reporter Jeff Legwold asked head official Carl Cheffers about the controversial interception.
"The receiver has to complete the process of a catch. He was going to the ground as part of the process of the catch and he lost possession of the ball when he hit the ground. The defender gained possession of it at that point. The defender is the one that completed the process of the catch, so the defender was awarded the ball," Cheffers said.
He also confirmed that the ball never hit the ground, though there the topic of why the game wasn't slowed down, at least in a manner that would have been to McDermott's liking.
READ MORE: Josh Allen's heartbreaking reaction to Bills playoff loss says it all
It’s fair to expect McDermott might get a fine for his comments, though he seemed aware of that when he began his rant on the officials. He might not be alone, as many Bills players have voiced their frustrations with the outcome, too.
Nonetheless, the results stand, and the Bills have no choice but to begin preparing for 2026. Though, the franchises’ familiarity with this same heartbreaking feeling doesn’t make the transition to the offseason any easier to process.