There’s something that Bills wide receiver Brandin Cooks can’t shake from his mind. “You think about it every single day,” he said, reflecting on Buffalo’s heartbreaking playoff exit against the Denver Broncos.
Cooks was at the center of one of the most controversial plays in the Bills’ 33-30 divisional round loss on Jan. 17 — a play where Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian appeared to snatch the ball right out of Cooks’ hands in a pivotal moment in overtime.
Appearing on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” on Thursday, Cooks broke down the incident, making it clear he’s still frustrated with how it played out. Bills quarterback Josh Allen launched a deep pass to Cooks, and both Cooks and his defender McMillian hit the ground. Cooks seemed to secure the ball before he went down, but as they fell, McMillian rolled over him, scooping the ball before it touched the turf. The interception was awarded to McMillian.
“At the end of the day, it was a catch. Not just what it looked like, but what it felt like,” Cooks said. “When you look back at it, the time that was spent on it to review it wasn’t enough. Given the magnitude of that game and situation, it’s a little disappointing.”
Cooks spared no details, emphasizing his grip on the ball. “In that situation, knee hit, shoulder hit, back hit, whatever the case may be, my hands never left that ball. And then 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.”
He described the hope he clung to when the team called a timeout. “The first thing you think about is it’s overtime, so we can’t challenge it. So when the timeout happens, I’m like, ‘OK, there’s hope here. They’re about to take a look at this thing and get it right.’ And that’s what’s going through my mind right there.”
“At the end of the day it was a catch” @brandincooks on the controversial play from last Sunday #BillsMafia | #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/V03OBNykqU
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) January 22, 2026
Beyond the disputed play, Cooks opened up about his midseason arrival in Buffalo and the heavy weight of feeling like he let Allen down. “I felt like I was there all year and I went through everything. And then you hear your quarterback say, ‘I let the team down.’ That triggers something for me right away because that guy has so much on his shoulders with this team, and he’s carried us all year. And to have the opportunity to be able to alleviate some of that pressure, that was going through my mind. It’s like I felt like I let him down,” Cooks said.
During the conversation, Cooks also spoke about life off the field. He highlighted how quickly he connected with teammate Keon Coleman, saying he knew from the start that Coleman was someone he’d naturally gravitate toward. He also shared his surprise at the news of head coach Sean McDermott’s firing. “Found out through the media, on social media. My reaction was, ‘Wow.’ You talk about a great coach. You talk about a guy that’s been doing it at a high level for a long time. I think I know a little bit about some great coaches. I’ve been fortunate enough to play for some, and I’d put him in that category.”
Even days later, the sting of that playoff loss — especially the controversial ending — hasn’t faded. “A loss like this, in this magnitude, is going to stick with me all offseason,” Cooks said.