DENVER — Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott sat by his locker after Saturday night’s playoff loss to the Denver Broncos, watching the same play about 20 times. Every time, he came to the same conclusion: Bills wide receiver Brandin Cooks made a completed catch in overtime.
“That play is not even close. That’s a catch all the way … and nobody can convince me that that ball is not caught and in possession of Buffalo,” McDermott told a pool reporter after his postgame news conference. “I just have no idea how the NFL handled it, in particular, the way that they did. I think the players and the fans deserve an explanation, you know?”
The Bills lost 33-30 in the AFC divisional round. But on their lone offensive possession in the extra frame, a controversial call left McDermott with plenty to say.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen launched the ball downfield on third-and-11 from Buffalo’s 36-yard line, and while Cooks initially came down with the ball and appeared to have a knee down and be down by contact, Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian took the ball away. Instead of the Buffalo having a potential winning field goal attempt on deck, the Broncos had the ball at their 20-yard line.
“He had a step on me and I just fought through the hands and finished the play,” McMillian said. “He actually had the ball coming down, and once I had my hand on the ball, I was able to take it from him. I fell on top of him and just held the ball up and showed the fans some love.”
The play was ruled an interception, which Broncos coach Sean Payton described as “an amazing play.” Because overtime challenges are not allowed, McDermott then called a timeout. He felt a proper review process was not taking place. The officials did not stop the game to review the play, but it was looked at by league replay officials in New York.
McDermott told a pool reporter that he was “pissed off about it” and that the process should have been “handled differently.”
“I don’t understand why the head official who is at the game does not get a chance to look at the same thing people in New York are ruling on,” he said.
A separate pool report interview was conducted with referee Carl Cheffers, who explained what was seen to uphold the interception.
“The receiver has to complete the process of a catch,” Cheffers said. “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 it was confirmed in the replay process that the ball did not hit the ground.
Although Cooks said he felt he caught the pass, he said he should have done more to leave things out of the officials’ hands. Multiple Bills players posted on social media after the game indicating they felt a catch was completed by Cooks.
“Too big of a play in a play that decided the game, potentially, as well, to not even slow it down,” McDermott said, referring to the officials. “That’s why I had to call the timeout. It’s not what I wanted to do, but I had to do it in order to make sure that I understood what was going on and that they did take a look at it.”
As McDermott added, “I’m saying it because I’m standing up for Buffalo, damn it. I’m standing up for us.”
On the ensuing game-winning drive by the Broncos, the Bills were called for two defensive pass interference penalties, becoming only the second team in the past 25 years, regular season or playoffs, to have multiple such penalties on one drive in an overtime period. (It also happened to the New York Jets against the Green Bay Packers in 2018.)
Cornerback Tre’Davious White, who was called for the second pass interference while covering Marvin Mims Jr., disagreed with the penalty, which set the Broncos up at the Bills’ 8-yard line.
“As a defensive back, man, that’s what you want: Take the guy to the ground and finish the play. And referees, they just don’t know ball, man,” White said.
White said he felt Mims wasn’t looking back for the ball and said he “played through his hands.”
“I didn’t touch him before the ball got there,” White said. “I feel like I finished through the pocket like I’m coached to do.”
