Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, although not in the playoffs himself, has commented on some of this year’s controversial plays. One that stands out is the catch-or-no-catch situation involving Brandin Cooks of the Buffalo Bills, which continues to spark debate after the Bills lost to the Denver Broncos in the divisional playoffs.
Many have weighed in on the topic post-game, highlighting that the final two matches of the divisional round were also marred by controversial catches. Burrow seemed to side with the officials on this, expressing his frustration on social media. He remarked, “I’m appalled at the number of players who don’t understand the meaning of catch in the rulebook, and it’s not official. The two plays yesterday weren’t difficult decisions, and they were both correct.”
The situation has been particularly painful for fans in Buffalo. Had Cooks’ catch been ruled valid, it could have allowed Matt Prater to kick a field goal, potentially sending the Bills to New England. Instead, a disputed interception by the Broncos secured their advancement to the AFC Championship Game.
It’s a bit vague what exactly Burrow was referencing in his comments, but Sunday’s games each had their share of contentious moments. For instance, during the Texans’ game, a catch by Xavier Hutchinson was ruled after a review, despite a fumble. Similarly, Davante Adams of the Rams also faced scrutiny when a fumble was called after his knee touched the ground. In both cases, some wondered why Cooks’ play didn’t yield the same outcome.
NFL rules analyst Walt Anderson commented on the Broncos’ interception, stating he believed Jaquan McMillan did take the ball from Cooks, but that he lacked full control at that moment. “Replay has all the angles to see, ‘Was the on-field decision wrong or was the on-field decision correct?’” he said, emphasizing the desire to keep the game flowing without unnecessary delays.
Sean McDermott, the Bills’ head coach who was let go after the season, expressed his outrage over how the situation was handled. He argued that the referees should have revisited the play more carefully and even called a timeout to reassess.
“It seems logical to me…that the head official would want to walk over and watch the game just to make sure that everyone in the stadium was on the same page,” McDermott said. “It was a very important play, and we had the opportunity to kick a game-winning field goal. It’s hard to comprehend why it was ruled that way.”
