NFL Rules Expert Thinks Refs Got Crucial OPI Call Wrong in Bucs-Panthers

Walt Anderson seemed to believe Panthers' Tetairoa McMillan shouldn't have been penalized for pass interference.

Panthers star wideout Tetairoa McMillan was called for offensive pass interference on a crucial play in his team's 16-14 loss to the Bucs in Week 18. / Screengrab on Twitter/ @Schultz_Report

The Panthers didn't seem to get a very friendly whistle during Week 18's loss to the Buccaneers, one that spelled huge consequences in this season's tight battle for the NFC South.

In Saturday's 16-14 loss, Carolina was on the receiving side of a few unfavorable calls, including an offensive pass interference penalty on star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in the third quarter that negated a huge gain.

Many fans believed the OPI call was too soft, and NFL officiating expert Walt Anderson seemed to agree during an appearance on NFL GameDay on Sunday. Anderson was asked point blank whether he thought the refs got the call on McMillan right, and he appeared to admit a hint of wrongdoing.

“It’s really, really close. ... It looks like [McMillan's] knocking the arm off, which would not be pass interference," Anderson said.

He elaborated: "I'm sure that for the official who was downfield and from his angle, I'm sure it looked like and the effect was that it was a push to the head."

NFL officiating expert Walt Anderson explains the controversial Tetairoa McMillan offensive pass interference call last night pic.twitter.com/CApI28wEG6

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 4, 2026

Anderson made the argument that if McMillan only made contact to the Bucs defender's arm, and not his head or his body, then no penalty should have been called.

"The key on offensive pass interference is, the receiver can push off within a yard, but once he gets more than one yard downfield, he can't go to the body. Now what I'm sure the official ended up seeing is, you can see right there the right hand comes across the knock the left arm off, but did the hand get to the head or the body?" continued Anderson.

Here's what the NFL rulebook states on pass interference:

"It is pass interference by either team when any act by a player more than one yard beyond the line of scrimmage significantly hinders an eligible player’s opportunity to catch the ball.

Acts that are pass interference include, but are not limited to: Initiating contact with an opponent by shoving or pushing off, thus creating separation."

The rulebook notably doesn't specify what body parts an offensive player can or can't touch when trying to shake off a defender, though it's possible Anderson possesses a more nuanced understanding of the rules.

In any case, the Bucs ended up taking home a very important win in Week 18 to keep their NFC South title quest alive. If the Saints win against the Falcons on Sunday afternoon, Tampa Bay will be crowned division champs; if not, the Panthers will take the division for the first time in a decade, and hopefully Saturday's ugly OPI controversy will be just water under the bridge.

---

More NFL on Sports Illustrated

feed