- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,149,813
- Reaction score
- 59
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott was passionate and fiery while speaking on the lack of proper review of Brandin Cooks's down-by-contact catch in overtime that was ruled an interception.
So much so that he did something he never does, which is speak publicly and to the press about poor officiating.
But it was time.
Buffalo saw multiple bad calls favor the Chiefs in their matchup during last year's AFC Championship game, including a conversion on 4th down where QB Josh Allen visibly broke the plane, but was called short.
It ended Buffalo's season. Saturday in the divisional round, it happened again.
This time around, it was the faux interception that cost Buffalo a spot near the 20-yard line to attempt what would have been the game-winning points. There was a rushed review.
After the press conference, something else happened that never does. McDermott had more to say.
The head coach called the Buffalo News from the team plane, offering the coach’s take on the pool report that he'd not yet seen at the time of his postgame media availability.
“That play is not even close," the Bills coach 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, you know?”
When asked if he read the pool report, McDermott replied, "Yeah, [Bills P.R. chief Derek Boyko] sent it to me. I just got it. I wish I would have gotten it before my press conference.” He was also asked if there was any recourse he could pursue.
“Here’s the deal, right? The fans deserve more. The players certainly deserve more. They deserve an explanation, and it’s a shame that a game is decided on a call like that, and there is no time spent with the head official going underneath the hood or to the replay booth, right? To the monitor. I don’t understand how that works. I don’t understand how that could be the case when it’s such a close play, so basically, there is one person ruling on that play, or only New York ruling on that play? I don’t agree with that. If that’s the case, I don’t agree with that -- that that is the best approach to decide a game like that.”
It is worth noting that the Broncos are now 14-2 in home games with Carl Cheffers as a referee, side judge, or head official.
The pool report from Cheffers aimed to justify the decision, though it's disproven by the replay, which shows that Cooks had control of the ball when his knee and body were down by contact, and was on the ground when the defender ripped the ball out of his hands.
What also goes a long way to disprove Cheffers' rationale is that a previous pool report from league officials further dispels the notion, so much so that it would stand to reason his performance and position may come under review.
The NFL overturned an outcome that made a play a catch by Aaron Rodgers during a Week 14 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. According to that standard, McDermott would be correct.
As to why McDermott was speaking up in a way he doesn't usually speak out? He spoke to that too.
“Because I only speak up when there is a wrong. In this case, it happened to be to our team. We win with class and we lose with class in Buffalo. That’s how we handle our business, but when I’m looking at the replay myself and I’m being objective and I’m saying, ‘you can not convince me that that was not a catch, Buffalo possession, ball at the 20. You can’t convince [me].’ I’m speaking up because I feel strongly that that was a catch and that possession should have been ball belongs to Buffalo. I can’t agree with their assessment of a change of possession or whatever the statement was. I can’t agree with that. We’re not just going to sit here and take it, is what I’m saying. We’re not just going to sit here and take it. I’m pissed off about it, and I feel strongly as I’ve looked at it in review in my own locker that it’s a catch, possession Buffalo, and that the process should have been [long pause] ... handled differently. I don’t understand why the head official who is at the game does not get a chance to look at the same thing people in New York are ruling on.”
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Bills' Sean McDermott adds more comment on controversial Broncos INT
Continue reading...
So much so that he did something he never does, which is speak publicly and to the press about poor officiating.
But it was time.
Buffalo saw multiple bad calls favor the Chiefs in their matchup during last year's AFC Championship game, including a conversion on 4th down where QB Josh Allen visibly broke the plane, but was called short.
It ended Buffalo's season. Saturday in the divisional round, it happened again.
This time around, it was the faux interception that cost Buffalo a spot near the 20-yard line to attempt what would have been the game-winning points. There was a rushed review.
After the press conference, something else happened that never does. McDermott had more to say.
The head coach called the Buffalo News from the team plane, offering the coach’s take on the pool report that he'd not yet seen at the time of his postgame media availability.
“That play is not even close," the Bills coach 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, you know?”
When asked if he read the pool report, McDermott replied, "Yeah, [Bills P.R. chief Derek Boyko] sent it to me. I just got it. I wish I would have gotten it before my press conference.” He was also asked if there was any recourse he could pursue.
“Here’s the deal, right? The fans deserve more. The players certainly deserve more. They deserve an explanation, and it’s a shame that a game is decided on a call like that, and there is no time spent with the head official going underneath the hood or to the replay booth, right? To the monitor. I don’t understand how that works. I don’t understand how that could be the case when it’s such a close play, so basically, there is one person ruling on that play, or only New York ruling on that play? I don’t agree with that. If that’s the case, I don’t agree with that -- that that is the best approach to decide a game like that.”
It is worth noting that the Broncos are now 14-2 in home games with Carl Cheffers as a referee, side judge, or head official.
The pool report from Cheffers aimed to justify the decision, though it's disproven by the replay, which shows that Cooks had control of the ball when his knee and body were down by contact, and was on the ground when the defender ripped the ball out of his hands.
What also goes a long way to disprove Cheffers' rationale is that a previous pool report from league officials further dispels the notion, so much so that it would stand to reason his performance and position may come under review.
The NFL overturned an outcome that made a play a catch by Aaron Rodgers during a Week 14 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. According to that standard, McDermott would be correct.
As to why McDermott was speaking up in a way he doesn't usually speak out? He spoke to that too.
“Because I only speak up when there is a wrong. In this case, it happened to be to our team. We win with class and we lose with class in Buffalo. That’s how we handle our business, but when I’m looking at the replay myself and I’m being objective and I’m saying, ‘you can not convince me that that was not a catch, Buffalo possession, ball at the 20. You can’t convince [me].’ I’m speaking up because I feel strongly that that was a catch and that possession should have been ball belongs to Buffalo. I can’t agree with their assessment of a change of possession or whatever the statement was. I can’t agree with that. We’re not just going to sit here and take it, is what I’m saying. We’re not just going to sit here and take it. I’m pissed off about it, and I feel strongly as I’ve looked at it in review in my own locker that it’s a catch, possession Buffalo, and that the process should have been [long pause] ... handled differently. I don’t understand why the head official who is at the game does not get a chance to look at the same thing people in New York are ruling on.”
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Bills' Sean McDermott adds more comment on controversial Broncos INT
Continue reading...
