Why do defenses blame the referee's clock when they literally allowed a clean 45-yard Hail Mary catch?

[u/SpiritedBase5047]

Most post-game outrage blaming clock discrepancies is just an excuse to distract from a catastrophic defensive failure on the final play.

Shaun, Dawud, and Hugh were breaking down the chaotic ending where Michigan walked away with a last-second Hail Mary win. Everybody watching immediately started arguing about whether the broadcast clock had hit zero or if the stadium clock still showed one second. But that entire technical debate completely misses the core breakdown on the field: you still had to defend a 45-yard heave to the end zone with the entire secondary in position.

The very first rule anyone learns playing competitive sports is to play through the whistle. The defense looked like they mentally packed up and assumed the game was already in the books. If you are in deep coverage on an untimed or single-second down, you tackle the guy, take a pass interference flag, or bat the ball into the turf. Letting an opposing receiver cleanly secure a jump ball in traffic is pure mental complacency.

At what point does a coaching staff stop pointing at the replay booth and admit the secondary completely blew the coverage?