The Denver Broncos’ overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday should have been decided long before Ja’Quan McMillian’s interception and several questionable calls.
McMillian caught a long pass from Bills quarterback Josh Allen and took the ball away from Brandin Cooks, a move that rankled Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott. Denver then benefited from two defensive pass interference calls, leading to the game-winning field goal.
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However, none of those plays would have happened had the officials correctly discovered that the Bills were defending in their own end zone. This should have given the Broncos a game-winning safety.
“Literally, there was control in the end zone,” Denver head coach Sean Payton said after the 33-30 win. “This will be the first time the game ends with a safety.”
Buffalo also seemed to successfully control the tie, sending the game into overtime:
As for the two DPI fouls on the game-winning drive: The first one was harsh, but Joey Bosa would have been penalized for roughing the passer on the same play, which was only two yards shy of the 17-yard DPI foul. The second penalty was clear when Tre’Davious White tackled Marvin Mims before the ball even arrived.
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If the officials had caught the defense in the end zone, McMillan’s interception and two DPI penalties wouldn’t have happened — and quarterback Bo Nix wouldn’t have suffered a season-ending ankle injury on the Broncos’ game-winning drive. The officiating wasn’t perfect on Saturday, but the missed calls ended up hurting Denver more than they did Buffalo.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL News: Officials missed controls that could have given Broncos safety
