NFL Refs Leave Everyone Confused After Making Call That Clearly Didn’t Happen During Crucial Bucs-Panthers Game [VIDEOS]

Saturday’s Panthers-Buccaneers game set the stage for one of the most confusing calls you’ll see all season.

The very first NFL game of the new year has prompted more of the same: questionable calls and widespread complaints.

Heck, fans thought one recent game was rigged before a ball was even kicked.

Anyhoo, an NFC South title is up for grabs in this game, so the stakes are high. And, the way fans saw it, the refs definitely aren’t up to the task.

Rico Dowdle heard a whistle after Bryce Young flipped a pass that he mishandled. Replays showed it was a backward throw. The refs offered a reason for their whistle shortly after.

They said it was a “backwards pass out of bounds,” although the ball never went out of bounds, resulting in lost yardage.

Check it out below:

this ball is clearly a backward pass from bryce young, as soon as dowdle picked it up refs blew the play dead.
later says the ball went out of bounds, panthers lose 6 yards.
bullshit controlling ass refs at it again & to blatantly lie and say it went out of bounds got me. pic.twitter.com/JDYUj0scLG

— unbiasedmedia (@unbiasedpicks) January 3, 2026

Needless to say, everyone was puzzled.

“Who NFL wants in the playoffs Baker Mayfield will win no matter what keep watching! These games been fixed for years,” someone wrote in the comments.

Who NFL wants in the playoffs Baker Mayfield will win no matter what keep watching! These games been fixed for years.

— Chris Jones (@ChrisJo43886530) January 3, 2026

“This is actually insane,” said another.

This is actually insane

— A 🦅 (@KamiAaronX) January 3, 2026

And here’s another one…

This was called “a backwards pass out of bounds”

Correct call? pic.twitter.com/TK0Pdpcl82

— Barstool Gambling (@stoolgambling) January 3, 2026

“They don’t let him advance the fumble, then just make it so he was tackled right where he picks it up lmao, also then the OPI, and there were like 3-4 more bad calls the first half. It’s f***in atrocious,” a comment read.

They don’t let him advance the fumble, then just make it so he was tackled right where he picks it up lmao, also then the OPI, and there were like 3-4 more bad calls the first half. It’s fuckin atrocious

— Coffee (@Coffeetpics) January 3, 2026

“It’s very obvious they want the Bucs to win lmao,” someone observed.

It’s very obvious they want the Bucs to win lmao

— Coffee (@Coffeetpics) January 3, 2026

The NFL will have a hard time explaining this one.