The latest chapter of the Buffalo Bills’ postseason misery ended with controversy. And a plea from head coach Sean McDermott.
In overtime of Denver’s dramatic 33-30 victory in Saturday’s AFC divisional playoff game, Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw to Brandin Cooks deep in Denver territory.
For a split second, it appeared that Cooks made a sensational catch at Denver’s 20-yard line, but Ja’Quan McMillian wrestled the ball away as the two tumbled to the ground. The play was ruled an interception, not a catch. Then Bo Nix led the Broncos on a drive deep into Bills’ territory and Wil Lutz’s 24-yard field goal sent Denver to the AFC Championship Game.
Bills coach Sean McDermott, visibly upset, thought the call was wrong. Moreover, he said the officials didn’t spend enough time reviewing the play.
“Obviously, I don’t have the power to challenge,” McDermott said. “The game is in overtime and the (challenge) flag is not an option. So I called a timeout to get the (officials) to slow down.
“It seemed like the process was not slowing down. It was a rather rapid unfolding of the review. It would seem logical to me, it would make a lot of sense, if the head official would walk over to take a look at it and make sure that everyone here, in the stadium, who saw the play, to (in New York), would be on the same page.
“That is too big of a play, and a play that could have decided the game, to not even slow it down.”
McDermott thought that Cooks caught the ball and said it could have set Buffalo up for the game-winning field goal in overtime. But after the game, referee Carl Cheffers explained why the play was ruled an interception.
“The receiver has to complete the process of a catch,” Cheffers told a pool reporter. “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 also said that a replay review showed that the ball did not hit the ground.
“I’m standing up for Buffalo, damn it,” McDermott said. “What went on is not how it should go down, in my opinion.”
McMillian’s pick was Denver’s fifth takeaway of the game. Those turnovers doomed the Bills, and Allen blamed himself for the loss that derailed another postseason run for Buffalo.
“It’s really difficult,” a teary-eyed Allen said. “I feel like I let my teammates down tonight. You can’t win with five turnovers. If you shoot yourself in the foot like that, you don’t deserve to win the football game.”
Allen completed 25 of 39 passes for 283 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Denver sacked him three times, though he rushed for 66 yards on 12 carries.
He made a crucial mistake just before halftime, fumbling the ball away with 16 seconds left, and allowing Denver to kick a field goal to take a 20-10 lead. The Bills could have just sat on the ball, but Allen tried to make something happen.
“I was just trying to be aggressive,” he explained.
Asked if his frustration was compounded by officials’ calls that helped Denver win the game, Allen replied: “Yeah. I mean, losing that way. … Regardless, losing in the playoffs is not fun.”
McDermott said that Allen was wrong to put the loss on his shoulders.
“It’s not on him,” the coach said. “We had opportunities — all of us. I’m extremely proud of him. He’s a tremendous leader and a tremendous quarterback.
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