The Denver Broncos‘ divisional round clash against the Buffalo Bills was nowhere short of drama and controversy. After the former’s close-call victory on Saturday, the team’s head coach, Sean Payton, took the officials under scrutiny for a call that didn’t seem to go well. This came after their cornerback, Ja’Quan McMillian, attempted an interception against Brandin Cooks during the opening minute of the 2nd quarter.

According to Payton, the refs should have called the game while the Bills’ wide receiver had possession of the ball. “There was a hold in the end zone,” he said.

The overtime clock saw Josh Allen trying to end the game with a long throw down the field to Brandin Cooks. However, chaos began after the pass never reached its target. Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian read the play, jumped at the right moment, and took the ball away from Cooks before it could hit the ground.

The interception was Denver’s fifth turnover of the game and turned out to be the biggest play of the night. It also stood out because Vance Joseph’s defense hadn’t forced many turnovers all season, making McMillian’s heads-up play a rare and timely highlight.

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott quickly called a timeout as Denver’s offense ran onto the field, hoping the play might be reviewed. However, the ruling on the field stood. CBS Sports rules analyst and former NFL referee Gene Steratore supported the call, saying the interception was correctly made. The takeaway set the Broncos in a prime position as they took advantage by marching 75 yards downfield to the Bills’ five-yard line.

The drive ended with Wil Lutz drilling a short 23-yard field goal, eventually sending Denver to the AFC Championship Game. Turnovers emerged as a major issue for the team as the Bills gave the ball away five times while the Broncos lost it just once. Josh Allen accounted for four of those mistakes himself, with two lost fumbles and two interceptions that ultimately handed the game to the Broncos.

The ref himself stepped forward to address the situation. According to Carl Cheffers, the restriction of the Bills’ wide receiver Brandin Cooks right hand. “The first one (2nd-and-10, Denver 47-yard line) was an arm grab,” Cheffers said. “The defender held the receiver’s right arm down, which prevented him from going up for the pass with two hands. He was attempting a one-arm grab of the ball. And so, that restriction of his right arm was why pass interference was called.”

The controversial call didn’t just receive a backfire from the Broncos’ coach Sean Payton, but also drew a verdict from the opponent. In light of the discussions, the Bills’ head coach Sean McDermott also shares his thoughts on the matter.

Bills’ head coach expresses concern over the interception call

The Bills’ hunt for their first-ever Super Bowl title once again came to a concerning end. While things seemed to be quite achievable even during the last few minutes, an interception call from the ref reduced the chances of their triumph. Saddened about the loss, the team’s head coach, Sean McDermott, could only express shock over the fact that an experienced official made the call that he thought was otherwise.

“It’s hard for me to understand why it was ruled the way it was ruled,” McDermott said in a post-match interview. “If it is ruled that way, then why wasn’t it slowed down? Just to make sure that we have this right. That would’ve made a lot of sense to me, to make sure that we have this thing right because that’s a pivotal play in the game. We have the ball at the 20, maybe kicking a game-winning field goal right there.”

With this, the Bills are now out while the Broncos advance ahead for an even challenging draw. Another issue unfolded after Broncos head coach Sean Payton returned to speak with reporters and shared tough news about his quarterback. Bo Nix suffered a broken bone in his ankle on one of the final plays of the game and will need surgery on Tuesday. This marked an end to his postseason run. With Nix sidelined, Jarrett Stidham is set to take over at quarterback for the AFC Championship Game and would also start the Super Bowl if Denver keeps winning.

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