With 7:06 left in overtime of the Sunday game between the Bills and the Buccaneers, Tom Brady threw a deep pass to Mike Evans, and though the pass was incomplete, cornerback Levi Wallace was flagged for pass interference. That gave the Buccaneers 19 free yards, moving from the Tampa Bay 16-yard line to the Tampa Bay 35-yard line, and set up Brady’s game-winning touchdown pass to Breshad Perriman three plays later.
The flag seemed highly suspicious, as Evans pulled off a veteran move — he saw that Wallace wasn’t turning his head to the ball, so he pulled Wallace to him, drawing the flag.
Former NFL referee and current NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay came to a similar conclusion.
This is not defensive pass interference. The receiver creates the contact. It is especially noteworthy given what was not called late in regulation on the Buffalo 3rd & 2 play. https://t.co/jQpWye03IO
— Terry McAulay (@SNFRules) December 13, 2021
What is the third-and-2 play McAulay was referring to? That came with 28 seconds left in regulation, when Bills quarterback Josh Allen tried to connect with receiver Stefon Diggs to the left side of the end zone. This was also incomplete, and while this was not flagged, it looked very much as if cornerback Carlton Davis got away with one.
This looks like the definition of pass interference. pic.twitter.com/ScwHdOVVpw
— National Football Post (@FootballPost) December 13, 2021
The Bills had come back from a 24-3 first-half deficit to tie the game at 27, but they should have had another opportunity from the Buccaneers’ one-yard line, and it’s highly questionable as to whether the Buccaneers should have been allotted those extra 19 yards in overtime.
There’s no way to know if the touchdown pass to Perriman still would have happened…
ARE YOU KIDDING ME, @B_Perriman11?!!!
đź“ş: #BUFvsTB on CBS pic.twitter.com/t7ajzi5ctd
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) December 13, 2021
…not only because the play call may have been different were the Bucs backed up, but also because the Bills should have been given one more chance to punch the ball in, winning the game outright in regulation.
Once again, a close and thrilling game is marred by poor officiating, and if you wanted to throw a conspiracy theory that the NFL very much wants Brady and the Bucs to work their way up the NFC’s playoff standings, you’d get a lot of buyers in Buffalo. Given the body of work performed by NFL officials this season, we’ll just leave you with Hanlon’s Razor:
“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”