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Brandin Cooks of the Buffalo Bills said he caught what ultimately turned into a controversial interception during the Denver Broncos’ overtime victory Saturday night.
Cooks, 32, had the ball stripped from him by Broncos defensive back Ja’Quan McMillan after apparently completing the catch. The officials ruled it an interception, taking the ball away from the Bills.
“At the end of the day, it was a trap. Not just what it looked like, like you said, but what it looked like,” Cooks said during a recent appearance on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.”
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Ja’Quan McMillian of the Denver Broncos intercepts a pass intended for Brandin Cooks of the Buffalo Bills during overtime in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on January 17, 2026. (Matthieu Stockman/Getty Images)
“You see examples throughout the year in the league, previous years, and wait a minute, if that was the trap, then obviously it was the trap. But I think when you look back, the time that was spent looking at it wasn’t enough.”
Cooks lamented the lack of time devoted to the review, given the magnitude of the appeal. If it was a catch, it would have put the Bills within field goal range with a chance to win the game on a kick. Instead, the interception gave the Broncos the ball to their offense with a chance to win the game.
“The first thing you think about, well, it’s overtime, so we can’t argue with that. And so when the timeout comes, I’m like, okay, there’s hope here,” Cooks said.
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Denver Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian intercepts a pass intended for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Brandin Cooks during overtime of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game at Empower Field at Mile High. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
“Like, OK, they’re about to look at this thing and get it right. And that’s what’s going through my mind, right? The offense is heading toward Denver. Like, wait, wait. You know, this timeout is going to give them some time to be able to, you know, look at this. Obviously they haven’t looked at it enough and, you know, here we are.”
What frustrated Cooks even more was that he was certain he would keep the ball and make what could have been the game-winning catch.
“(My) knee shot, shoulder shot, back shot, whatever it was, my hands never left that ball, right? The other thing is the tie goes on offense, but I really feel in my heart that I caught that ball and, you know, it doesn’t matter what I think or what I know anymore,” Cooks said.
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Denver Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian (29) reacts after intercepting a pass intended for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Brandin Cooks (18) during overtime of an NFL divisional round playoff football game in Denver, Colorado on January 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
After the crushing playoff loss, the Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott. Bills owner Terry Pegula told reporters Wednesday that his decision to fire McDermott was based on the results of the team’s 33-30 overtime loss to the Broncos on Sunday.
Cooks signed with the Bills in late November to help bolster their expansive receiving corps. In five regular season games with the Bills, he caught five passes for 114 yards. In two playoff games, Cooks caught five passes for 78 yards.
