Ja'Quan McMillian INT or Brandin Cooks Catch? What NFL Experts Say About Controversial Play

The debate over Ja'Quan McMillian's critical interception in overtime is unlikely to subside anytime soon.

The Denver Broncos cornerback wrested the ball away from the Buffalo Bills' Brandin Cooks as they were headed to the ground. Had the pass been completed, Buffalo would've moved into the red zone and been in position for a game-winning field goal.

Broncos' Overtime INT on Josh

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Instead, Denver came away victorious 33-30.

Former NFL referee Gene Steratore, who's a rules analyst for CBS Sports, said in the moment he thought an interception was the right call.

Steratore subsequently explained his opinion in more detail.

"The interception is a wild play, with a lot going on," he said. "Seeing it full speed, I thought it was an interception and would've ruled it that way if I was on the field. My perspective on it is that Cooks lost the ball as soon as his body hit the ground. In my opinion, if there was no defender near him and he lost the ball when he hit the ground, the ruling would've been incomplete."

The retired ref followed up again to say the fact Cooks' appeared to lose possession when he hit the ground made the result an interception:

Not surprisingly, Bills coach Sean McDermott disagreed.

"That play is not even close. That's a catch all the way," he said. "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 handed it, in particular, the way that they did. I think the players and the fans deserve an explanation, you know?"

McDermott added that Bills fans and players "deserve more" in terms of an official explanation and breakdown.

Offensive tackle Dion Dawkins made his thoughts clear as well:

Cooks was more reflective. He told reporters he thought he caught the ball but said it's important to avoid situations where an officiating decision can have such a big impact.

Referee Carl Cheffers said in the pool report that Cooks failed to maintain possession as he went to the ground. McMillian was the one who "completed the process of the catch."

Others thought that was the clear ruling as well:

Losing a playoff game in overtime is always a tough outcome to take, and the controversy over McMillian's interception will have added to the Bills' disappointment. The Buffalo News' Jay Skurski wrote how "that was as crushed a locker room as I've ever been around."

With quarterback Josh Allen at the helm, Buffalo figures to be right back in the playoff hunt, and the team has all offseason to get over the emotional blow of Saturday's exit.

But the weight of seven straight playoff trips without a Super Bowl appearance could begin to weigh heavily.