Pat McAfee, Ryan Clark, NFL Legends Allege Fraud in Panthers-Buccaneers Game Over Controversial Officiating: ‘Totally Unacceptable’

The Carolina Panthers suffered a disappointing 16-14 loss on the road at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday. This loss created a hurdle for their chances of qualifying for the playoffs, as their postseason hopes now depend on the Atlanta Falcons beating the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

However, those responsible for the Panthers vs Buccaneers matchup have received a lot of criticism on social media for allegedly being biased in the decision-making process. One such example occurred in the third quarter. Quarterback Bryce Young made a pass to WR Taitairo McMillan on third down.

WR connected to the passer. However, the officials replayed the play due to offensive pass interference in what appeared to be minimal contact with a Bucs player.

Former NFL players like Pat McAfee, Chad Johnson and Ryan Clark were not happy with the call. They took to social media to criticize officials for the controversial management of the match.

“The reviewer**… grammar parser.. also** not great,” McAfee tweeted.

“This is a bad punishment. We can’t call it that. OPI’s invitation is completely unacceptable to Tate MacMillan,” Clark wrote.

Chad Johnson was flabbergasted by the decision the referees made.

“Are you going to see the refs or am I tripping?”

Retired linebacker Darius Butler and former two-time All-Pro Cris Carter was also surprised by the OPI call on Tetairoa McMillan.

“Terrible call TMac! This crew has been terrible for TB,” Butler said.

“This is the worst pass interference call I’ve seen in the NFL this season. It’s terrible,” Carter tweeted.

This wasn’t the only case that resulted in game administrators receiving a lot of backlash online. In the third quarter, Panthers TE Tommy Tremble had his helmet ripped off by Bucs linebacker SirVocea Dennis. However, officials did not refer to this as a punishment.

Quarterback Bryce Young finished the game completing 24 of 35 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.

Read also: Who does this guy think is the ‘most stylish INT thrower’: NFL fans troll Baker Mayfield’s pre-game appearance in Panthers vs. Bucs Week 18

Read also: ‘Coaching malpractice’ and ‘fire him now’: NFL fans rip Dave Canales over costly flea-flicker game as Panther loses 14-16 vs. Buccaneers

Panthers coach Dave Canales speaks candidly about controversial officiating during their loss to the Bucs

In the post-match press conference, Dave Canales was asked to share his honest opinions on some of the controversial decisions made by the referees during the game.

The Panthers coach said he did not want to delve into the explanations officials provided for the decision. Canales also took responsibility, noting that they did not play well enough to secure a win.

“I did. I don’t really want to get into that, because we didn’t play well enough offensively,” Canales said. “We didn’t keep our game going. Bad day on third down. … Some missed opportunities there. So, it’s really got to be on us.”

The Panthers are in second place in the NFC South behind the Buccaneers with an 8-9 record and a two-game losing streak.