After a gut-wrenching overtime loss to the Broncos, emotions were running high in Buffalo - and nowhere more so than with head coach Sean McDermott. The Bills had a golden opportunity to climb back into the AFC playoff picture, but instead, they stumbled again, this time in dramatic - and controversial - fashion.
The moment that sparked the most postgame fire came in overtime. Josh Allen launched a deep ball to Brandin Cooks that looked, at first glance, like a game-changing completion.
But Ja’Quan McMillian had other ideas. The Denver defensive back wrestled with Cooks all the way to the turf, ultimately coming away with what was ruled an interception.
That call effectively sealed the game for the Broncos - and sent McDermott into the postgame presser ready to speak his mind.
“It’s hard for me to understand why it was ruled the way it was ruled,” McDermott said, visibly frustrated. “I’m saying it because I’m standing up for Buffalo, damn it.
I’m standing up for us. That’s not how it should go down.”
That wasn’t just a coach venting. That was a leader defending his team in a moment when everything - the game, the season, maybe even his job - felt like it was hanging in the balance.
And let’s be clear: McDermott had reason to be upset. The play was one of those bang-bang moments that could have gone either way.
Was it simultaneous possession? Did McMillian truly have control before hitting the ground?
Those are the kinds of questions that keep coaches up at night - especially when the answer costs you a season-defining win.
Meanwhile, the loss hit Josh Allen hard. According to reports, the star quarterback was in tears after the game - and it’s not hard to understand why.
The Bills have had their backs against the wall for weeks, clawing to stay relevant in a crowded and chaotic AFC. This was supposed to be a statement game.
Instead, it became another chapter in a growing book of heartbreaks.
Allen’s personal record in overtime games now sits at 0-7, a stat that feels almost cruel given his talent and the stakes in so many of those contests. But in the NFL, numbers like that tend to stick - and they often come back to haunt a team’s coaching staff.
That’s where the conversation turns next. Fair or not, when a team with Super Bowl aspirations keeps falling short, the pressure lands squarely on the head coach.
McDermott’s been a stabilizing force in Buffalo for years, helping transform the franchise from perennial also-ran to contender. But this season has tested that foundation.
And with the Bills once again on the outside looking in, questions about his future are only going to get louder.
For now, McDermott is standing firm - and standing up for his team. Whether that’s enough to carry him into next season remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: the frustration in Buffalo is real, and time is running out to turn things around.