Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow came forward to share his voice on the two controversial catches that took place during the divisional round of the playoffs. These two scenarios featured a similar type of play, with Brandin Cooks vs. the Denver Broncos and Davante Adams vs. the Chicago Bears.

On X, Joe Burrow shared a tweet highlighting that both these plays were different from each other. According to him, the referees made the right decision in both situations.

“The amount of ppl that don’t understand what a catch is in the rule book flabbergasts me. And it’s not the officials. The two plays yesterday were not difficult calls, and they got them both right,” Burrow said.

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The first instance took place during the Denver Broncos 33-30 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.

In overtime, Bills quarterback Josh Allen connected with wide receiver Brandin Cooks on a 3rd-and-10 play. However, he was pressured by cornerback Ja’Quan McMillan while trying to secure the ball in the air. The referees called it an interception when he snatched the ball out of Cook’s hand on the 50/50 ball.

Yesterday, during the Rams 20-17 overtime victory over the Chicago Bears, a similar play occurred involving wide receiver Davante Adams. He was also pressured by multiple defenders while catching a pass from Matthew Stafford. However, despite losing the ball while falling, the referees in this game did not call for an interception and instead labeled it as a complete pass.

These two incidents sparked outrage on social media, as fans blasted game officials for making polar opposite decisions on what they believe are the same type of plays. It also raised questions about how the league’s catch rule is actually implemented.Joe Burrow and the Bengals had a disastrous 2025 season

Joe Burrow and the Bengals failed to qualify for the playoffs this season. The quarterback also suffered a toe injury in Week 2 that sidelined him for almost half the season.

After a nine-game absence, Joe Burrow was activated in November and led the team to a 32-14 victory over the Ravens in his comeback game. However, they only won two of their remaining five games of the season. The Bengals finished third in the NFC North with a 6-11 record.

Joe Burrow recorded 1,809 yards and 17 TDs passing in eight games. This was his third consecutive year without a playoff appearance under coach Zac Taylor.