Bills Mafia takes a brutal punch to the gut thanks to NFL playoff moment day after devastating loss

The NFL has things so backwards. What even is a catch anymore?

Adam Zientek — NFL News Writer
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Denver Broncos cornerback Ja'quan McMillian reaches in on Buffalo Bills wide receiver Brandin Cooks who has the ball and whose knee is on the ground during overtime at Empower FIeld at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Jan. 17, 2026.
Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After 31 years on this Earth, I still have no idea what a catch is in the NFL, and Sunday’s action around the league just made things worse.

The Buffalo Bills got screwed over during the overtime period when wide receiver Brandin Cooks went up for a catch, came down with the ball with his knee hitting the ground, before a defender ripped the ball away, resulting in an interception for Denver. It was one of the worst calls in recent memory, one that head coach Sean McDermott vehemently disagreed with after the game.

“That play is not even close,” McDermott said. “That’s a catch all the way. I was 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.”

Controversy in the Bills game reaches fever pitch after “catch” by Davante Adam

During the divisional round between the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears, a similar moment went down in the contest, with the referees ultimately ruling it a catch by wide receiver Davante Adams. Less than 24 hours before, it was an interception, but now the league has changed its tune.

Frustrating doesn’t even begin to explain how fans are feeling in the moment. The victory was ripped from the team’s grasp in one of the most crucial moments of the game, but a day later, the league ruled a near identical play a catch. What’s more, they took the time to review the play, something that McDermott was pleading for after the loss. The play, and how the officiating crew handled it during the Bills game, was inexcusable, and this was just further proof.

Heck, even artificial intelligence thought that Cooks secured the catch.

When fans, players, coaches, and even artificial intelligence all see the same thing, the problem isn’t the rule; it’s the league. When a nearly identical play is ruled an interception one night, and a catch the next, it’s impossible to believe the rules are being applied consistently.

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