Bills head coach Sean McDermott chides officials for controversial interception call: 'Not even close'

The Buffalo Bills' play ended successful heartbreak erstwhile again, successful ample portion owed to immoderate arguable officiating successful overtime.

It could beryllium argued that the Denver Broncos got distant with antiaircraft walk interference successful the extremity portion precocious successful the 4th quarter, but the Bills were capable to unit overtime anyway.

However, that's wherever it each unraveled for Buffalo, arsenic Josh Allen threw an interception portion trying to find Brandin Cooks deep.

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Ja'quan McMillian of the Denver Broncos intercepts a walk intended for Brandin Cooks of the Buffalo Bills during overtime successful the AFC Divisional Playoff crippled astatine Empower Field At Mile High connected Jan. 17, 2026 successful Denver, Colorado. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

At first, it looked similar simultaneous possession, which would person led to the Bills keeping the ball. But arsenic Cooks went down to the crushed with the pigskin, the shot rolled into a presumption wherever Broncos antiaircraft backmost Ja'Quan McMillian was capable to snatch it distant for an interception arsenic Cooks laic connected his back.

The instant replay reappraisal showed Cooks was down connected the crushed with possession of the ball, which typically would extremity the play and grant the Bills a completion. But capable of the shot was already successful McMillian's arms by the clip Cooks deed the crushed that officials did not reverse the telephone aft looking it over.

Bills caput manager Sean McDermott wanted officials to instrumentality a agelong look astatine the play, truthful helium called a timeout successful bid to bash truthful — teams cannot situation successful overtime.

"It would look logical to me… that the caput authoritative would locomotion implicit and privation to spell and instrumentality a look astatine it, conscionable to marque definite that everybody from present who is successful the stadium to determination are connected the aforesaid page. That’s excessively large of a play, successful my estimation, and a play that decided the crippled perchance arsenic well, to not adjacent dilatory it down," McDermott said to reporters aft the 33-30 loss.

Denver Broncos cornerback Ja'quan McMillian (29) intercepts a walk intended for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Brandin Cooks (18) during overtime of an AFC Divisional Round playoff crippled astatine Empower Field astatine Mile High.  (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)

BILLS DOOMED BY BIZARRE INTERCEPTION IN PLAYOFF LOSS TO BRONCOS

"It’s hard for maine to recognize wherefore it was ruled the mode it was ruled. If it is ruled that way, past wherefore wasn’t it slowed down conscionable to marque definite that we person this right? That would person made a batch of consciousness to me, to marque definite that we person this happening right. Because that’s a pivotal play successful the game. We person the shot astatine the 20, possibly kicking a game-winning tract extremity close there. So I’ll conscionable permission it astatine that."

But helium did not permission it astatine that. In fact, according to the Buffalo News, the manager called the outlet from the squad level and berated the officials adjacent more.

"That play is not adjacent close," helium told the outlet. "That's a drawback each the way. I sat successful my locker and I looked astatine it astir apt 20 times, and cipher tin person maine that that shot is not caught and successful possession of Buffalo."

The officials did not assistance aboriginal on, calling a questionable antiaircraft walk interference connected a severely underthrown ball, placing the Broncos into chip-shot range.

The interception was the 4th committed by Allen, truthful there's immoderate much blasted to spell around, but nary 1 could responsibility Bills fans for not sleeping good Saturday night.

Ja'quan McMillian of the Denver Broncos celebrates aft intercepting a walk intended for Brandin Cooks of the Buffalo Bills during overtime successful the AFC Divisional Playoff crippled astatine Empower Field At Mile High connected Jan. 17, 2026 successful Denver, Colorado.  (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

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Now, it volition beryllium the top-seeded Broncos awaiting the victor of Sunday's matchup betwixt the New England Patriots and Houston Texans.