The Buffalo Bills‘ 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the AFC divisional round will sting for quite some time.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen couldn’t stop tears from flowing after the game, taking full responsibility for his mistakes during the matchup. As for Bills head coach Sean McDermott, he was angry.
While multiple questionable penalties in overtime bolstered the Broncos’ final drive, the referees’ call of Bills wide receiver Brandin Cooks’ catch as an interception at Denver’s 20-yard line made McDermott irate. While McDermott rarely complains about officiating, he didn’t hold back his opinion after the game.
He hated the call on the field and had a bone to pick with whoever was in charge of the league’s replay review in New York.
GettyBroncos’ Ja’quan McMillian intercepts a pass intended for Bills wide receiver Brandin Cooks in overtime during the AFC Divisional Playoff game.
“It’s hard for me to understand why it was ruled the way it was ruled,” McDermott told reporters. “And if it is ruled that way, then why wasn’t it slowed down just to make sure that we have this right. That would have made a lot of sense to me – to make sure we have this thing right.
Because that’s a pivotal play in the game. We (would have had) the ball at the 20, maybe kicking a game-winning field goal right there.”
After his press conference, McDermott continued to go off during a pool report. “We’re not just going to sit here and take it,” he said. “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, and that the process should have been handled differently.”
Sean McDermott Could Face a $100,000 Fine for Criticizing the Referees
GettyBills head coach Sean McDermott at EverBank Stadium on January 11, 2026.
The NFL does’t just hand out major fines to players who publicly criticize the officials; the league also punishes coaches who speak out.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was fined $100,000 for violating long-standing league rules prohibiting public criticism of game officials following Kansas City’s 20-17 loss to the Bills in December 2023.
Reid faced the penalty for a brief comment; McDermott’s tirade was quite lengthy. In both instances, Carl Cheffers served as the head referee. McDermott, head coach of the Bills since 2017, likely understood he’d face a penalty for making these postgame comments.
“That play is not even close,” McDermott said. “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. 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?”
The NFL will formally announce penalties from the Bills-Broncos game on Saturday, January 24 at 4 p.m.ET.
The Refs Shared a Statement on Why They Ruled Brandin Cooks’ Catch an Interception
Cheffers explained the controversial call in the pool report after the game, “The receiver has to complete the process of a catch. 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.”
While analysts and fans can argue over whether Cooks had possession when he hit the ground, a thorough replay for such a pivotal play should be routine.
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