Bills Central

Sean McDermott was furious with NFL officials following controversial loss to Broncos

A hotly debated interception in overtime of the Bills' divisional playoff loss to the Broncos set the Bills coach off, likely drawing a substantial fine from the NFL.
Randy Gurzi|
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott during the AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Denver Broncos.
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott during the AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Denver Broncos. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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The Buffalo Bills had their season come to an end with an overtime loss to the Denver Broncos.

Losing by a field goal in a game they fought hard to come back in was frustrating, but even worse was the controversy that happened at the end of the game. On their final offensive play of the day, Buffalo thought they had the ball at the 20-yard line after Josh Allen threw it deep to Brandin Cooks on third-and-11.

MORE: Tre White blames refs for critical 'bad judgement' call in Bills' loss to Broncos

Cooks had the ball in both hands, but as he hit the ground, Ja'Quan McMillian ripped the ball away. On replay, it was clear Cooks was down on the ground with possession, but officials spent no time discussing the play and the Broncos wound up marching down for the win.

Sean McDermott rips officials for Denver interception

During his postgame presser, Sean McDermott made it clear he was unhappy. He apparently didn't get all of his frustration out because McDermott spoke to Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News and unloaded on officials.

“That play is not even close. That's a catch all the way. I sat in my locker, and I looked at it probably 20 times, and nobody can convince me that that ball is not caught and in possession of Buffalo," McDermott said. "I just have no idea how the NFL handled it, in particular, the way that they did. I think the players and the fans deserve an explanation, you know?"

MORE: Bills DE Joey Bosa vents frustration in epic fashion following loss to Broncos

"We're not just going to sit here and take it. I'm pissed off about it, and I feel strongly as I've looked at it in review in my own locker, that it's a catch, possession Buffalo, and that the process should have been handled differently. I don't understand why the head official who is at the game does not get a chance to look at the same thing people in New York are ruling on.“

McDermott isn't alone in believing Cooks made the catch, but that was far from the only reason the Bills lost this game. They had five total turnovers and gave the Broncos an extra three points by inexcusably trying to take a deep shot with no timeouts before the half.

The call was controversial, for sure, but the Bills inflicted plenty of damage on themselves throughout the game. Pinning the loss on this one play overshadows the many mistakes they made throughout the day.

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Randy Gurzi
RANDY GURZI

Randy Gurzi is a graduate of Arizona State and has focused on NFL coverage since 2014.