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NFL Fans Ripped Officials for Several Brutal Calls in Crucial Panthers-Bucs Game

NFL fans couldn't believe some of the calls—and lack thereof—made by the officiating crew in Panthers-Buccaneers.

Tim Capurso

Panthers coach Dave Canales took exception to a third quarter pass interference call against Carolina.
Panthers coach Dave Canales took exception to a third quarter pass interference call against Carolina. / Screengrab Twitter @JustinPenik via ABC/ESPN broadcast
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In a pivotal NFC South clash between the Panthers and Buccaneers, it wasn’t the football that took centerstage, but some bad weather and even worse officiating. And some of the calls—or in some cases, the lack of a call—made by the officials left NFL fans baffled.

In the third quarter alone, there were four questionable sequences by the crew working the game.

Referees call Panthers pass incomplete, then change ruling to backwards pass that went out of bounds

On a first-and-10 from the Buccaneers' 34-yard line, Panthers quarterback Bryce Young threw what appeared to be a backwards pass to running back Rico Dowdle, who dropped the pass. Because the pass was backwards, the ball should have remained live, giving Dowdle the chance to advance the ball. Instead, the referees blew the play dead, ruling it an incomplete pass. Then, the officials changed the call to a “backwards pass that went out of bounds,” even though the ball ended up in the hands of Dowdle and never appeared to come close to going out of bounds.

The referees' ruling cost the Panthers yards, as Dowdle should have been allowed to run downfield, given it was a fumble and a live ball. The call hurt even more when Panthers kicker Ryan Fitzgerald missed a 54-yard field goal.

Offensive pass interference on Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan

On the next Panthers' possession, Young, on a third-and-2, found McMillan downfield for a 32-yard gain, which was negated after the officials flagged the Carolina rookie for offensive pass interference, a call that both McMillan and the ESPN broadcast booth took exception to.

Plus, earlier on the play, Buccaneers linebacker SirVocea Dennis ripped off the helmet of Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble, which should have been an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Dennis and an automatic first down for the Panthers, per the NFL's rulebook.

Defensive pass interference against the Panthers

Later in the quarter, Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield was looking for tight end Cade Otton downfield when Otton and Panthers defensive back Nick Scott became tangled up, resulting in contact. The officiating crew flagged Scott for pass interference, but replays appeared to show the two players simply tripping over each other's feet, an argument Canales attempted to make to officials after the play to no avail. The Buccaneers went on to extend their lead via a field goal.

NFL fans, pundits and even former players couldn't believe some of the calls made by the officiating crew.

The Buccaneers went on to defeat the Panthers 16-14, keeping alive Tampa Bay's chances of winning the NFC South title, which they can clinch with a Falcons loss on Sunday. Should Atlanta win, Carolina will win the division via a tiebreaker.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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