Around the league, Sean McDermott’s future in Buffalo has been the hot topic, but right now, he isn’t thinking about it. He’s been preparing for battle against the officiating in NFL, believing that the controversial interception call in overtime stole a victory from the Buffalo Bills. It’s not just frustration; it might be the beginning of changing the course of NFL history in terms of the review system. 

Resharing McDermott’s outburst against the NFL Officials in his conversation with Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News, NFL insider Jonathan Jones pointed out an important detail. 

“Sean McDermott is on the NFL’s competition committee and I would not be surprised to see him/the Bills propose some type of rule change this offseason,” Jones wrote on X. 

Ever since the controversy at Empower Field at Mile High erupted, it has become a league-wide discussion. It goes beyond the simple question of whether the call was right. It has become about whether the current “centralized” replay system is transparent enough to handle the immense pressure of playoff overtime.

McDermott, who rarely goes against the officiating, hasn’t been quiet, demanding accountability from the league office. 

“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,” he asserted, via ESPN. “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 whole controversy centers on the final moments of Buffalo’s 2025 season. In the heat of overtime, Josh Allen launched a deep strike on third-and-11 to Brandin Cooks. Cooks appeared to secure the ball around the 20-yard line, seemingly putting the Bills in prime position for a game-winning field goal.

However, as Cooks went to the ground, Ja’Quan McMillian wrestled the ball away. Officials ruled that Cooks did not complete the process of the catch before losing control, even though he appeared to have possession as his knee hit the turf. The play was therefore ruled an interception, and Denver took over possession and ultimately secured the overtime victory over Buffalo.

Upon reviewing the pool report, McDermott remarked that the head official never actually went “under the hood” to consult a monitor.

Instead, the play was ruled on solely by the league office in New York without the on-site referee’s involvement. He argued that a single person sitting in a remote office making these decisions is fundamentally flawed and not the “best approach to decide a game like that.” Reason? Lack of transparency and on-field checks. 

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk criticized the handling of the post-game explanation. He believes that since referee Carl Cheffers didn’t personally make the final call, he shouldn’t have been the one to defend it. He also highlighted an almost identical play that took place in Week 14 involving Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. 

His play, too, was ruled an interception but ended up being overturned to a catch because Rodgers was deemed to have possession the moment his knees hit the ground. But, suddenly, the standards appeared changed. That’s something Florio raised questions about. 

League-wide divided opinions on the controversial call against the Bills 

There’s a division in thoughts over the ruling that robbed Buffalo of a chance to chase the Super Bowl. Former All-Pro CB Richard Sherman was among the first to voice his opinion against the call. He stated that he had never seen a play like that called anything other than a catch. 

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky agreed with him, insisting that the play should be ruled “a catch every time.” Marshall Newhouse had a tad different perspective. He argued that if it wasn’t a catch, it should have at least been an incomplete pass rather than a turnover.

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On the other side of the debate, CBS broadcaster Gene Steratore agreed with the call. 

“It feels to me like Cooks doesn’t have firm possession of the football when they’re down by contact,” remarked Steratore. “You would go interception here, because the ball doesn’t hit the ground.”

Additionally, former Broncos legend Shannon Sharpe (of course) stood by the officials. He highlighted the process of the catch rule practiced in the league, where a player needs to maintain control all the way to the ground.

If we go by the rulebook, it supports the call, but it won’t stop Bills fans from questioning the process. Especially when there’s a precedent that another officiating crew called the play differently in the regular season.