Broncos-Bills referee defends controversial officiating at end of thrilling battle

Buffalo Bills fans — and Head Coach Sean McDermott — are not thrilled with the officiating from Saturday night, but caput referee Carl Cheffers stood his ground.

In overtime, the Denver Broncos were the beneficiaries of a arguable interception and 2 antiaircraft walk interferences that helped them implicit a 33-30 triumph to beforehand to the AFC rubric game.

On their archetypal and lone overtime possession, Josh Allen threw a heavy walk to Brandin Cooks. 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.

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

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.

"The receiver has to implicit the process of a catch. He was going to the crushed arsenic portion of the process of the catch, and helium mislaid possession of the shot erstwhile helium deed the ground. The defender gained possession of it astatine that point. The defender is the 1 that completed the process of the catch, truthful the defender was awarded the ball," Cheffers said successful the NFL's excavation study aft the game.

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)

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When asked if the shot deed the ground, Cheffers answered, "No. That was confirmed successful the replay process. The interception was confirmed."

Cheffers was past asked astir some walk interferences that helped the Broncos get into chip-shot range.

"The archetypal 1 (second-and-10 connected the Broncos' 47-yard line) was an limb grab. The defender held the receiver’s close limb down, which prevented him from going up for the walk with 2 hands. He was attempting a one-arm drawback of the ball. And so, that regularisation of his close limb was wherefore walk interference was called," Cheffers said.

"The 2nd was aboriginal interaction and an limb drawback that materially restricted the receiver."

Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'davious White is called for a walk interference connected Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. during overtime of an AFC divisional circular playoff crippled astatine Empower Field astatine Mile High.  (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)

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One could argue, though, that with little than 30 seconds successful the 4th quarter, the Broncos got distant with antiaircraft walk interference successful the extremity zone. A emblem would person placed the Bills astatine the 1-yard line, but they alternatively had to settee for a tract extremity to unit overtime.

The New England Patriots and Houston Texans look disconnected Sunday, with the victor heading to Denver with a travel to Super Bowl LX connected the line.

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