Bills Fall in OT Heartbreaker to Broncos After Controversial Calls Seal Playoff Exit
The Buffalo Bills’ season came to a gut-wrenching end in Denver, and it wasn’t just the scoreboard that stung. After clawing their way into overtime despite a rollercoaster of a regulation, Buffalo found itself undone not only by its own miscues but by a string of controversial calls that left fans and players alike stunned.
Let’s start with the setup: Buffalo had just forced a three-and-out to open overtime, giving Josh Allen and the offense a golden opportunity to steal the win. All they needed was a field goal. The stage was set, and Allen was doing what he does best-putting the team on his back in crunch time.
But on 3rd and 11, things unraveled. Allen took a shot downfield to Brandin Cooks.
It was a contested ball, with Denver’s Ja’Quan McMillian right there in coverage. Initially, it looked like a simultaneous catch at worst-something that typically goes to the offense.
But the officials ruled it an interception on the field. After review, the call stood.
According to CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore, Cooks lost control on the way down, and McMillian ended up securing the ball before it ever touched the turf.
That play flipped the momentum. And the next Broncos drive became a parade of yellow flags that will be talked about all offseason in Western New York.
First came a third-down pass interference call on Taron Johnson. Then, Joey Bosa was flagged for roughing the passer-though that one was declined.
Two plays later, another pass interference was called, this time on Tre’Davious White, largely due to an underthrown ball from rookie quarterback Bo Nix. The underthrow forced White into contact, and the flag came out.
Frustration boiled over. On the very next play, White was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for slamming his helmet to the turf in front of an official. That moved the Broncos well within range, and Will Lutz calmly knocked through the 24-yard field goal that ended the Bills’ season.
It’s the kind of ending that feels like a punch to the gut-especially given how the game unfolded. Buffalo had only two penalties through four quarters. Then, in overtime alone, they were flagged three times in rapid succession, each one more damaging than the last.
Yes, the Bills made their share of mistakes earlier in the game. There were missed opportunities, turnovers, and lapses that let Denver hang around longer than they should have.
But to see the game-and the season-swing on such debatable calls in overtime? That’s a hard one to process.
For Josh Allen, it’s another chapter in a career full of late-game heroics that sometimes fall short through no fault of his own. He put Buffalo in position to win, again. And again, the ending slipped through their fingers.
Now, the Bills head into another offseason full of questions. The roster has talent.
The quarterback is elite. But after another crushing playoff loss, Bills Mafia is left wondering when it will finally be their time.
For now, all they can do is regroup-and hope that the 2026 season brings a different kind of ending.