Bills’ Brandin Cooks could be in some hot water with the NFL with what he said about overtime controversy against the Broncos
It was for sure a catch.
Wide receiver Brandin Cooks has opened up about one of the most controversial plays in recent memory. In the overtime period against the Denver Broncos, Cooks came down with the ball, his knee hitting the ground, before having the ball stripped away and ruled an interception.
The heartbreak the Bills Mafia has endured throughout their lives is something to behold. Thirteen seconds, wide right (times two), and now “the catch.” It’s a shame that the referees got it wrong, and we aren’t sitting here writing about the Bills being in the AFC Championship Game.
Cooks could face some discipline from the league for being so forward about his thoughts on the matter. The NFL doesn’t like it when you criticize the referees, and it could impact Cooks’ pocketbook after his latest comments.
Buffalo Bills WR Brandin Cooks opens up on “the catch” in divisisonal round vs. the Broncos
Nevertheless, one of the biggest reasons why Buffalo lost came down to a bad call by the officiating crew, and Cooks was quick to share his thoughts while speaking with “Good Morning Football.”
“At the end of the day, it was a catch. Not just what it looked like, like you said, but what it felt like,” Cooks said. “You see examples throughout the league all year, in previous years, and you’re like, ‘wait a minute, if that was a catch, it’s a no-brainer that this was a catch.’ I think when you look back at it, the time that was spent on the review wasn’t enough. Given the magnitude of that game and the situation, it’s a little disappointing.”
Being inside the stadium myself, my wife and I were jumping up and down and celebrating because we also thought it was a catch. Maybe it was just the heat of the moment, but I can’t even recall there being a single replay of the controversial play inside the stadium. It seemed like they wanted to quickly get the offense back on the field without having to review the play. It was bizarre. Again, we could have missed the replay, but from my recollection, it didn’t even show inside the stadium.
“I really feel in my heart of hearts that I caught that ball” – Brandin Cooks on “the catch”
Cooks said what every member of Bills Mafia was thinking about the catch that wasn’t a catch.
“In that situation, knee hit, shoulder hit, back hit, whatever the case may be,” Cooks said. “My hand never left that ball, right? So, the other thing is the tie goes to the offense, but I really feel in my heart of hearts that I caught that ball. You know, it doesn’t matter now what I think or what I know, we’re sitting here not playing.”
With the game being in overtime, Buffalo couldn’t challenge the play and needed the officials up top to officially call it. In the NFL, games are bogged down with officials taking an extra look at anything and everything if it’s deemed close, but not in this case. With such a crucial moment in the contest, again, it was just bizarre that the league didn’t slow things down for a moment to get it right.
“The first thing you think about is overtime, so we can’t challenge it. So when the timeout happened, I’m like, okay, there’s hope here,” Cooks said. “Okay, they’re about to take a look at this thing and get it right. And that’s what’s going through my mind, the offense is marching out there for Denver, and I’m like, wait, hold on, that timeout is going get them some time to be able to look this through. Clearly, they didn’t look it through enough. Here we are.”
Buffalo didn’t do themselves any favors earlier in the contest – Turnovers were devastating
Buffalo didn’t lose because of just one catch; they shot themselves in the foot with turnover after turnover, but clawed and fought their way back to make this an actual game. In overtime, with a deep shot down the field, it looked like Buffalo was going to pull out the victory, before it was ripped out of their hands by the officiating crew.
In the end, the play will live on as another painful chapter in Bills history, not because it was close, but because it felt final in the worst way possible. No review, no explanation, no chance to right it. Just a whistle, an offense jogging back onto the field, and a season slipping away in real time.
Buffalo will spend the offseason owning its mistakes, as it should, but this one will always linger. Not because it cost them the game itself, but because everyone watching knew what they saw, and the league never bothered to look long enough to ensure it was right.
More importantly, I hope that Cooks is back in Buffalo next season. I know that there are going to be some big changes, but he was crucial for the team down the stretch, and I would be excited to see him back in the Bills’ red, white, and blue.
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