Buffalo Bills running back James Cook has refused to blame the referees for his team’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. During a guest appearance on Sleeper’s “Kickin It With Dee” podcast, Cook was questioned about the players’ perspectives on officiating decisions affecting NFL games. He was quick to dismiss any excuses.
‘That’s My Answer’: Bills RB James Cook Takes A Stand While Addressing AFC Loss
“At the end of the day, as a man, you’ve got to come in there ready to go. F–k that ref s–t,” Cook said Thursday on the podcast. “You got to come in that b—h ready to go, ready to play.
“Don’t give a ref nothing to call. That’s my answer, bro,” he added. A rather controversial ruling left the Bills short of a fourth down in the fourth quarter of a one-point game, while the Chiefs secured an entry to the Super Bowl on Sunday night
Fans have called out certain decisions in the AFC title game on Sunday; some of the crucial calls include Chiefs’ Xavier Worthy making a catch simultaneously with Cole Bishop in the red zone and Josh Allen’s attempted sneak.
Both Bills head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane pushed back against the ruling after Bills were eliminated from the playoffs.
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“The look we had in the stadium … I thought he had it,” McDermott said Sunday. “Just short of the line was actually the first down, what it looked like to me, when it was sitting next to me with the marker. Just inside that white stripe was the first down. It looked like he got to it. That’s all I can say.”
Beane said he still believes Josh Allen converted on 4th down and nothing has changed his mind even after speaking with the league.”It’s frustrating. There’s only so much I can say. We’ve worked with the league to try to get clarity, and I’ll give them credit. They’ve taken our calls, they’ve sent videos, and things like that,” Beane said Thursday.
He continued, “I feel like he got that. I still feel like he got that. I felt like that in the moment, and nothing has changed my mind on that.”
Beane also addressed a failed Bills challenge in the first half. “They’ve given how they see it, and that’s their job… those are just like plays we didn’t make in the game, too. So by no means are we saying that’s why we lost the game,” Beane added.
