Is officiating to blame for the Bills’ playoff loss to the Broncos, and the subsquent firing of Sean McDermott?

In 1975, the owner of the Buffalo Bills lambasted an NFL referee, insisting he “should be fired and never allowed to work another game” for delivering “a rotten call that cost us a chance for the Super Bowl.”

Ralph Wilson Jr. was the man behind those fiery words.

By contrast, Terry Pegula – who has owned the Bills since 2014 – refrained from such unbridled outrage following his side’s defeat at the hands of the officials during Saturday’s divisional playoff loss away to Denver. Many observers, however, longed for him to unleash a tirade of similar intensity. In a dramatic postscript, the Bills have now moved on from head coach Sean McDermott, with ESPN insider Adam Schefter reporting the dismissal on X mere hours after the defeat.

The officials’ hasty management of a Denver Broncos interception in overtime – which the Bills maintained was a completed catch at the Broncos’ 20-yard line, well within field-goal range for a potential victory – dominated discussions across the divisional round.

It vied for attention only with Caleb Williams’ astonishing touchdown throw for the Chicago Bears, which forced extra time against the Los Angeles Rams but ultimately could not secure the win.

The Bills part ways with McDermott: A seismic shift after years of near-misses

Bills head coach Sean McDermott was resolute in his conviction that the officials had bungled the decisive ruling.

“Not even close,” McDermott declared.

He voiced exasperation not merely with the outcome, but with the entire procedure – and bafflement over the involvement of league-office officials in the matter.

By emphasising the refereeing lapse after his team squandered the ball five times, including four from MVP quarterback Josh Allen, McDermott appeared desperate for any momentum. After all, his Bills had etched their name into NFL history as the first side to reach the divisional round for six straight seasons without ever contesting a Super Bowl.

Were this McDermott’s third campaign, with the franchise on an upward trajectory, it might be simpler to brush aside the umpiring complaints. We do not indulge in alibis here; focus on what you can influence. Yet when your star playmaker features on a roster like the one detailed below, scrutiny of the officials – and broader leadership questions – becomes all the more compelling.

The speculation has now crystallised into action: Buffalo has fired McDermott after nine seasons, a move confirmed by multiple sources including Schefter’s report. This comes despite a commendable regular-season ledger of 98-50 under his watch, but an 8-8 playoff mark that left the franchise perpetually stalled just short of true contention. With Allen turning 30 this spring, the Bills evidently concluded that fresh leadership was essential to salvage his prime years and finally breach the postseason barrier.

Towards the tail end of the regular season, executives had canvassed the likelihood of McDermott – alongside John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin – returning for another tilt. The prevailing sentiment was that at least one would be shown the door, especially in a year absent the usual Kansas City stranglehold from Patrick Mahomes and his Chiefs.

Harbaugh and Tomlin have already been jettisoned. McDermott, who at least notched a wild-card triumph this time around, now joins them on the unemployment line.

What does this mean for the Bills going forward? It signals a high-stakes reset, thrusting the franchise into the fray for its 10th head-coaching vacancy this cycle. The opportunity is clear: Pairing Allen – hailed by some as the league’s premier all-around talent – with innovative coaching could unlock the Super Bowl potential that has eluded Buffalo for decades. Yet challenges loom large, including the risk of coordinator attrition; offensive mind Joe Brady, who is drawing interest from Miami and elsewhere for HC positions, could bolt for a top job elsewhere, complicating the transition.

Critics point to deeper roster flaws, too: General manager Brandon Beane remains in place, drawing ire for failing to adequately surround Allen with elite receivers or a more reliable defence – issues that exacerbated the four-turnover debacle. One NFC executive previously flagged the underutilisation of tight end Dalton Kincaid (under 40 per cent of snaps), a head-scratcher that underscores the need for offensive evolution to ease Allen’s load. Even in defeat, Allen posted a stellar 9.6 EPA – tops among divisional-round quarterbacks – while the Bills edged out on offence (+4.7 EPA) over defence (-5.4). Such metrics highlight his heroism amid the chaos, but also the urgency of systemic tweaks.

The subtleties fade against the backdrop of repeated heartbreak. Allen holds a winning playoff record (8-7) yet has never cleared the AFC Championship in eight campaigns. He aligns with a rare cadre of quarterbacks earning four or more Pro Bowl honours in their first eight seasons sans a Super Bowl sniff: Lamar Jackson, Andrew Luck, Philip Rivers, Michael Vick, Peyton Manning, Warren Moon and Fran Tarkenton.

Manning conquered in Year 9, hoisting the Lombardi before three more finals (one victory). Tarkenton arrived at the big dance in Year 13, his first of three (all losses). The others – save Jackson, now entering Year 9 – fell short, though none matched the MVP pedigree shared by Manning, Tarkenton, Jackson and Allen. With Allen’s contention window narrowing, this firing buys time but demands precision in the hire.

Early buzz centres on proven tacticians who could complement Allen’s dynamism. Kevin Stefanski, a two-time Coach of the Year, stands out for wringing success from modest quarterback rooms and balanced attacks – ideal for bolstering Buffalo’s ground game while unleashing Allen’s arm. Mike McCarthy, architect of Aaron Rodgers’ four MVPs, brings playoff pedigree (if waning in Dallas) and a steady hand for high-stakes moments. For a bolder swing, Klint Kubiak’s inventive schemes in Seattle – transforming a middling offence into contender shape – could inject youth and creativity into the Bills’ arsenal. Whichever path Pegula charts, the mandate is unambiguous: Convert Allen’s brilliance into banners, or risk squandering a generational gift.

As for McDermott, his critique of the officials was forthright by contemporary benchmarks, yet pales against the annals of yesteryear, when owners invested their very souls in weekly outcomes, unbuffered by the billions padding their fortunes.

2. Echoes from the past: When owners once raged without restraint

The Bills were battling for a postseason place in December 1975 when head linesman Jerry Bergman prematurely halted the action, invalidating a fumble by Miami Dolphins ball-carrier Mercury Morris. Bergman subsequently issued a 15-yard penalty to Bills defender Pat Toomay for striking him with an elbow after the whistle.

Miami tallied points just two plays on. The match concluded. Buffalo slipped from playoff contention.

“I will not again send my team out to play a game that he’s working,” Wilson fumed.

Tumult gripped proceedings on Saturday in Denver after Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian pried the ball loose from Bills wideout Brandin Cooks as the duo crashed to the turf in overtime. Cooks had clutched the ball and taken a hit from McMillian during the descent, but the rules stipulate that a receiver must manage a third footfall, execute a typical gridiron action or hold firm on landing to seal the catch. Officials concluded Cooks managed none of that, with the ball coming adrift to McMillian upon impact.

“The decision stood firm,” noted an executive from an NFC side. “Yet the officials conveyed a sense of casual dismissal, especially since it was obvious no thorough check had occurred.”

The NFL upheld Bergman’s 1975 judgement as spot-on. Referee Carl Cheffers’ unit delivered accurately on Saturday.

So, wherein lies the flaw?

With the fixture extending into extra time, the league postponed the start of Saturday night’s San Francisco-Seattle encounter by a full 20 minutes. A handful of executives speculated that the officials had pressed on briskly through the tail end of the Buffalo-Denver showdown to meet the adjusted timeline. Regardless, the swift handling of a match-deciding incident – devoid of any rationale – resembled fast-forwarding past a thriller’s climax. The overall impression was dismal.

“McDermott has every right to protest – they need to provide some context,” the first executive maintained.

League replay staff are duty-bound to validate every turnover and points tally before play resumes. They likewise launch all examinations during overtime (as coaches hold no challenge rights). Over the approximate 80 seconds following the action, CBS displayed decelerated replays across four viewpoints. That duration appeared sufficient for replay personnel to endorse the turnover, so why delay the clarification until the final whistle?

An unwelcome pool report loomed regardless of how the officials parsed this moment.

Facing scrutiny in 1975, the NFL rolled out a system allowing one designated pool reporter to consult referees for breakdowns of disputed calls as required. (In a notable inaugural example, Vito Stellino from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette gained unique entry to referee Jim Tunney after side judge Don Orr positioned Oilers receiver Mike Renfro out of play against Pittsburgh in the 1979 AFC Championship Game – a call that ushered the Steelers into their fourth straight Super Bowl.)

Cheffers stepped into the pool-report glare on Saturday, akin to Tunney in bygone days, even though neither was the official who issued the on-field determination.

Such is the NFL’s enduring pattern, where the league appears to overlook avenues for profiting from candour – otherwise, these finer points would have been addressed eras ago.

What clarity could Cheffers bring to bear on an episode playing out 36 yards downfield? Scarcely any, as his role as referee confines him to a post behind the line of scrimmage, overseeing the quarterback’s protection before, during and beyond the throw – guarding against strikes that are elevated, grounded, delayed or excessively forceful from defenders.

The onus lay with the league’s replay team to dissect the play – and it is they who ought to have stepped forward with the details.