Buffalo‘s divisionalround showdown with the Denver Broncos came down to a 33-30 overtime loss in Mile High, extending the Bills‘ frustrating run of postseason exits.

But the most talked-about moment didn’t happen in the stat sheet, but in the seconds after a deep pass from quarterback Josh Allen to veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks was ruled an interception, halting what appeared to be a game-winning drive.

After the game, Bills head coach Sean McDermott didn’t mince words about his belief that the play was mishandled by officials, not just in the call itself, but in how it was reviewed.

“It’s hard for me to understand why it was ruled the way it was ruled,” McDermott said at his postgame news conference.

“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.”

Then, growing more animated, McDermott delivered a quote that immediately became a headline focus of the Bills‘ reaction to the defeat.

“But I’m saying it because I’m standing up for Buffalo, damn it. I’m standing up for us,” he emphasized.

“Because what went on is not how it should go down, in my estimation. These guys spend three hours out there playing football, pouring their guts out. To not even say, ‘Hey, let’s just slow this thing down.’ That’s why I’m bothered.”

Disputed call becomes focal point amid playoff heartbreak

The overtime interception ruling came after Cooks appeared to secure Allen‘s deep throw before hitting the ground.

Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian wrestled the ball free at the same instant, and officials on the field ruled it a turnover.

The play was reviewed and upheld without placing the ball back in Buffalo‘s possession, a decision that ensured Denver retained control and ultimately set up kicker Wil Lutz‘s 23-yard game-winning field goal.

Referee Carl Cheffers, in the pool report, explained that the receiver did not complete the process of the catch, saying the defender finished that process and therefore was awarded the ball.

For McDermott, that explanation didn’t address his core issue, that neither the team nor the head official made a visible effort to slow the sequence down and double-check the ruling in a game decided by a handful of points in the postseason.

Former officials and analysts chimed in online with contrasting takes, but for Bills players and staff, the call only deepened the feeling that luck wasn’t on their side in a season full of promise.

Despite the disputed ending, Buffalo‘s journey to that point had been dramatic: the team celebrated a rare road playoff win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, marking the franchise’s first such victory in 33 years, as Allen led a spirited comeback and game-winning drive just days earlier.