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NFL rules analyst Walt Anderson weighed in on the controversial interception call in overtime of the Denver Broncos’ win over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday night.
Broncos defensive back Ja’Quan McMillian took the ball from Bills receiver Brandin Cooks on a deep pass from Josh Allen. It appeared Cooks fell with the ball and McMillian took it after Cooks completed the catch. But NFL officials ruled that McMillian intercepted the pass and created the turnover.
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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, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Denver took the field and scored the game-winning field goal to advance to the AFC Championship Game.
Anderson appeared on NFL Network and explained that Cooks never had complete control of the ball when it hit the ground and that because the ball was still loose in his arms, McMillian was able to secure it for the interception.
He also addressed the question of why there was no proper explanation of the play. Chief referee Carl Cheffers did not address the play to the audience or viewers. Anderson said the replay assistant and New York officials quickly reviewed the play and made the decision.
“Replay has all these angles to take a look and see ‘was the call on the field wrong, or was the call on the field correct?’” Anderson said. “If you can confirm that the decision on the field is correct, they really want to move the game forward and they don’t want to have unnecessary stops.”
BILLS CONDEMNED BY BIZARRE INTERCEPTION DURING PLAYOFF DEFEAT TO BRONCOS
Denver Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian reacts after intercepting a pass during overtime of an NFL divisional playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Bills head coach Sean McDermott was furious with the call-up confirmation process. He wanted the officials to take a long look at the play, which is why he said he took a timeout after the interception.
“It would make sense to me … that the head official would come in and want to take a look at it, just to make sure that everyone in the stadium from here to there is on the same page. It’s too important a play, in my opinion, and a play that potentially decided the game too, to even slow it down,” McDermott said.
“It’s hard for me to understand why it was set up that way. If it’s set up that way, then why didn’t he slow down just to make sure we got it right? That would have made a lot of sense to me, to make sure we set it up right. Because it’s a crucial play in the game. We have the ball at the 20, maybe scoring a game-winning field goal right there. So I’ll leave it at that.”
But he didn’t stop there. In fact, according to the Buffalo News, the coach called the outlet from the team plane and berated the officials even more.
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott reacts during the second half of an NFL Divisional Playoff football game against the Denver Broncos, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/RJ Sangosti)
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“This game isn’t even close,” he told the outlet. “It’s a trap all the way. I’ve sat in my locker and watched it probably 20 times, and no one can convince me that this ball isn’t caught and in Buffalo’s possession.”
