Followers in Tampa Bay are upset, and understandably so. After a brutal loss to the Detroit Lons in Week 7, their probability had the proper probability to get again on monitor when dealing with the hapless New Orleans Saints. It gave the impression to be going their method when, after a pick-six, they gave the impression to be in agency management.
Issues took a flip for the higher close to the tip of the primary half, because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers compelled one other turnover, this time a fumble, which they recovered ultimately zone. However that’s when a brutally dangerous job by the referees altered the sport completely, resulting in immediate backlash from the fan base.
Buccaneers Followers and Announcers Revolt In opposition to the Referees
Stripping the ball from Rashid Shaheed, it was Antoine Winfield Jr. who instantly got here away with the ball, earlier than speeding down the sideline so as to add the second defensive landing of the half for the Buccaneers.
As they turned to celebrating, they have been immediately reduce quick by a slightly puzzling sequence of occasions. The factors, studying 13 on the scoreboard, have been taken again right down to seven, because the play was declared lifeless after the fumble.
WHAT?!?! Refs blew a whistle (that nobody heard) so this landing from the Bucs protection is named again… pic.twitter.com/eWaQPbxjWF
— Price the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) October 26, 2025
The reason from the referee crew acknowledged that that they had blown a whistle signalling the play lifeless. Consequently, Tampa Bay was given again the ball close to midfield. Nevertheless, the transfer turned doubly pricey, as quarterback Baker Mayfield fumbled and gave it proper again to the Saints, resulting in their first factors of the night time.
From what ought to have been 13-0 at a minimal for the Bucs, the scoreboard flipped on its head to learn 7-3 going into the halftime break. Followers have been understandably aghast, because the asserting crew additionally put the blame squarely on the officers.
Buccaneers simply misplaced a fumble restoration for a TD for an inadvertent whistle. That’s much more egregious than the Giants dropping a restoration on the tush push fumble. Play continued. No person stopped. Horrendous name. Only a horrible day for officiating.
— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) October 26, 2025
As one fan wrote, “The Buccaneers simply acquired hosed out of a defensive landing, that’s so insanely unfair…! Wowza,” the sentiment was unanimous all throughout social media. On subsequent replays, no whistle could possibly be heard, making the decision much more egregious.
One fan complained, “Bucs simply acquired screwed out of a transparent landing the place no whistle was blown.” Others, too, pointed to listening to no whistle. “Refs simply f**ked the Bucs out a td cuz of a whistle they stated they blew however by no means did lmao. Can they make robotic refs or one thing this s*it’s insufferable.”
We acquired completely robbed in broad daylight @NFLOfficiating
— Jeremy (@TheLifeofJeremy) October 26, 2025
For a Buccaneers staff that has had a number of questionable calls go in opposition to them all through the season, the fan base was clearly pissed off on the refereeing. “Are you kidding me? Who blew a whistle? What is that this officiating? How is that not a fumble restoration TD that is unacceptable from the refs. Refs screwing over the Bucs once more.”
