Controversial officiating mistake costs Panthers in second half vs Bucs

The Panthers got jilted by the referees on a crucial call.

Jan 3, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) hands off the ball to running back Rico Dowdle (5) in the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

It's difficult to blame referees for a loss in the NFL, but they can be held accountable for individual mess-ups that cost teams. The Carolina Panthers were just subject to a really egregious one.

Trailing 13-7 but with the ball to start the half, it was imperative that Carolina score. This was underscored by the Panthers going for it on fourth down in their own half.

It worked, and the Panthers were driving until a horrid officiating mistake turned the tide.

This officiating crew is having a tough day.

— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) January 3, 2026

Bryce Young floated a screen pass over the pass rush to Rico Dowdle, but it hit the ground. To the naked eye, it looked like a backwards pass, ergo a fumble. Dowdle grabbed it, but the whistle was blown, so he couldn't run.

If he had been able to move forward, the Panthers would've gained yardage. Instead, it was blown dead. That was the first mistake by the referees. Blowing it dead cost the Panthers a chance to progress.

But then they compounded the mistake. The refs ruled that the play was indeed a backwards pass and a fumble. They inexplicably said it went out of bounds, when that wasn't the case. The Panthers lost six yards as a result.

That made it 2nd and 16, and after an incompletion and a short completion on third down, the Panthers kicked a long field goal in bad conditions. It missed badly, costing them three points.

So wait.

Dowdle picked the ball up to run thinking it was a backwards pass. Officials whistled it incomplete. Then changed it to a backwards pass and downed it where Dowdle picked it up to run with it?????

Drag them @danorlovsky7. To hell with not being too hard on the crew.

— Kyle, a Madson (@KyleAMadson) January 3, 2026

But the referees were mostly to blame. That set the drive backwards and changed everything, and it cost the Panthers field position. Whether they would've scored is impossible to know, but they would've had a much easier kick and could've continued their drive.

The Panthers' defense held strong, but in a tight game where very little is working on the offensive end, that could loom large. The Panthers are struggling, and the refs aren't why they're down by six points.

But they certainly are a big reason they failed to come up with points on that drive, and why they're still down six instead of down three or even leading by this point. The Panthers will need to ensure this doesn't come back to bite them.

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