On NFL Gameday Sunday morning, NFL rules analyst Walt Anderson gave his consideration of the controversial Denver Broncos overtime interception that led to a game-winning field goal, ending the Buffalo Bills’ season in the divisional round with a 33-30 loss.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen launched deep for receiver Brandin Cooks, who appeared to catch the ball before falling to the ground as the ball spurted free, with Broncos defensive back Ja’Quan McMillian rolling over the top of Cooks’ body, taking the ball with him before it hit the ground.
“As the receiver’s going to the ground, as soon as he hits the ground, the ball is immediately loose,” Anderson said. “By definition, that would normally be an incomplete pass if it comes out and hits the ground.
“The reality here is the ball never hits the ground. The loose ball ends up being immediately in control by the defensive player, who then rolls over with the ball, and he maintains control of the ball.”
Catch or INT? Walt Anderson dives into the officials’ decisions last night 👇 pic.twitter.com/7DhIHe9EPT
— NFL GameDay (@NFLGameDay) January 18, 2026
It was ruled an interception, despite Cooks having the ball when he hit the ground, with Anderson, the former senior NFL Vice President of officiating, agreeing with the call.
NBC rules analyst Terry McAuely weighed in on Twitter with his expertise, echoing the sentiments of Anderson and the officiating crew’s decision.
The responses to me quoting the rule here are fascinating.
To be clear, by rule, this is not a completed catch by the receiver. It’s an interception. https://t.co/BswEXpsOfe https://t.co/xEQPMj03eG
— Terry McAulay (@tjmcaulay) January 18, 2026
As Bills coach Sean McDermott stood at the podium after the game, he had not yet made sense of the call, or at the very least, why a longer review process wasn’t given.
“In my eyes, it was (a catch), yes,” McDermott said. “But even if it wasn’t — I’m being objective here — even if it wasn’t, the players are owed, to me, ‘Hey, let’s stop it, let’s slow it down, let’s put the head referee and give him a chance to look at the monitor,’ just to make sure.”
To a pool of reporters, he gave an even more incensed take on the play.
“That play is not even close,” McDermott said. “That’s a catch all the way. I sat 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.”
Anderson explained that there are replay officiating crews on site and at the league office in New York, with multiple camera angles, and that they review every single play. Their goal is to confirm or adjust each call to ensure the ruling is correct.
“… Replay has all of these angles to take a look and see ‘was the ruling on the field wrong, or was the ruling on the field correct?’,” Anderson said. “If you can confirm that the ruling on the field is correct, they really want to move the game along, and they don’t want to have unnecessary stoppages.”
McMillian naturally had a take on the play that was in agreement with Anderson’s on Sunday morning.
“I just fought through the hands and made the play,” McMillian told reporters. “He actually came down with it, but since I had my hands on the ball, I was able to take it from him. I just held the ball up and showed the fans some love.”
The Bills’ season ended in another heartbreak, as the Broncos moved on to their first AFC Championship Game appearance since Peyton Manning’s last ride in 2015-16. They’ll have to do without starting quarterback Bo Nix, as head coach Sean Payton announced after the game that his former first-round quarterback had suffered a broken ankle on one of the last plays of the game and would miss the rest of the season.
In his place, backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who has taken one snap all season, will attempt to get Denver past the winner of Sunday’s divisional round matchup between the Houston Texans and New England Patriots.