Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott faced criticism after a controversial call by officials that awarded the Broncos an interception following what seemed to be a clear catch by wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
Even during the flight back home, he remained resolute.
Many NFL fans were taken aback Saturday when officials quickly made a judgment on a crucial play in overtime. Brandon Cooks caught the ball and went down, but then Denver’s Jaquan McMillan snatched it away.
The referees swiftly ruled it an interception, maintaining that decision despite McDermott calling a timeout to give them a moment to reconsider.
The Broncos subsequently took advantage, moving down the field to kick a game-winning field goal, which advanced them to the AFC Championship Game.
At the postgame press conference, McDermott voiced his disappointment with the officiating.
“It’s hard to understand why this call was made,” McDermott expressed. “If it was deemed that way, wouldn’t it make sense to slow it down and get it right? This was a crucial moment. If we had the ball at the 20, we could’ve easily kicked the game-winner.”
“I’ll step back from this issue, but I’m speaking up for Buffalo. What happened is not right. They played their hearts out for hours, yet there was no effort to pause and review,” he added.
McDermott’s frustrations lingered even on the team plane, where he discussed his thoughts with Jay Skulski. buffalo news He reiterated remarks made in the press conference.
“That call wasn’t acceptable,” he told Skulski. “It was clearly a catch. I watched it multiple times, and I can’t be convinced that it wasn’t a catch and that Buffalo didn’t have possession. The way the NFL handled it is baffling. Players and fans deserve some clarity on this, right?”
When asked if the Bills could challenge the league’s ruling, McDermott seemed doubtful.
“The fans have rights; the players do too. They need answers. It’s unfortunate that such significant games can pivot on a single call like that. There’s often no chance for the head official to review the play properly, and in such a tight game, that’s hard to fathom. It’s like one person in New York is calling all the shots. If that’s the case, I don’t think that’s how it should be done,” he remarked.
When questioned about breaking the norm of being cautious in critiquing officiating, McDermott was straightforward.
“I only speak out when there’s a clear mistake, and unfortunately, this time it affected our team. We strive for class in Buffalo, and in this instance, we feel let down. Watching the replay made it clear to me that it was a catch, and Buffalo had possession. I strongly disagree with the change of possession they stated. We won’t just accept it without question,” he explained, visibly frustrated.
The Broncos are set to face the winner of the Texans-Patriots game, but will be without their starting quarterback, Bo Nix, who fractured his ankle on the second-to-last play and will undergo surgery before the end of the season.
