On Further Review, Buffalo Bills Have Legitimate Beef With NFL Officials

[Scott7975]

Buffalo Bills, fans and thousands of bettors left wondering about NFL officials on Saturday.

At best, the NFL's officiating can be described as wildly inconsistent.

At worst, well, that can't be described here. But most people can figure out what we're implying.

Suffice to say the NFL was at its worst Sunday when the Buffalo Bills were stung by a particularly outrageous pass-interference penalty called on them and another committed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that wasn't called.

Both plays, it can be argued, impacted the final result: A 33-27 win by the host Bucs in overtime. Though it must be noted that the Bucs may well have won anyway and that the Bills placed themselves in such poor position in the first place by playing an awful first half.

But let's take a closer look at the two plays.

The first came with the Bills facing a third-and-2 from the Tampa Bay 7-yard line in the closing seconds of regulation. Stefon Diggs clearly was interfered with by Carlton Davis on a pass attempt that fell incomplete out of bounds.

No call.

Had it been made, the Bills would have had a first-and-goal at the 1 with 22 seconds remaining and a chance to turn a 27-24 deficit into a 31-27 win that also, worth noting because gambling is legal and encouraged by the NFL now, would have covered the point spread, in which the Bucs were favored by 3½.

Instead, the Bills were forced to kick a field goal to force overtime, where the millions of dollars bet on this contest suddenly flowed the other way, thanks to officials who suddenly stopped using the standard that had been applied moments earlier.

On third down from the Tampa 15, Bucs quarterback Tom Brady underthrew receiver Mike Evans, who was covered tightly by Levi Wallace. Not only did Wallace not interfere, but he was pulled into Evans' body when Evans intiated contact by wrapping his right arm around Wallace's shoulder and yanking as the ball fell incomplete.

So what should have been offensive pass interference and a fourth down in which the Bucs' Bradley Pinion would have been punting from near his goal line, suddenly was a first down.

Three plays later, on another third down, Brady hit Breshad Perriman with a short pass over the middle that Perriman turned into a 58-yard TD reception.

Terry McAuley, the former NFL official who now is the Sunday Night Football rules analyst, insisted that Wallace never should have been flagged.

"This is not defensive pass interference," McAuley wrote on Twitter. "The receiver creates the contact. It is especially noteworthy given what was not called late in regulation on the Buffalo 3rd & 2 play."

(There was a play earlier in which Diggs clearly had his jersey pulled from behind by Davis while the ball was in the air. But replays show that it was Diggs who made first contact on that play, so Bills Central will not argue the no-call there.)

Once again, it wasn't just the Bills and their fans who were possibly cheated, but the thousands who bet the Bills to cover, which would have happened even if the Bucs kicked a field goal to win it in overtime.

Now that the NFL has seemingly climbed into bed with every casino in the free world after dropping a franchise in Las Vegas, an argument can be made that the appearance of impropriety exists every time something like this happens.

And something like this happens in just about every game.

So the entire NFL has a problem, not just Bills fans.

Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/on-further-review-buffalo-bills-have-legitimate-beef-with-nfl-officials/ar-AARMfC7?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531

[Utah John]

The PI calls happened after a game in which the officials repeatedly shortened the yards gained by the Bills on runs or passes, by moving the ball back, sometimes more than a yard, from where the ball was when the player was tackled or stopped.

 

Ka-ching.  Thousands of betting houses cashed in.

[MAJBobby]

Has the league sent their meaningless we are sorry we messed up letter. While continuing to trot out incompetence in the officials arena every week?

[GLP]

Stop whining about officiating. This team is not good enough to win regardless of officiating.

[nedboy7]

1 minute ago, GLP said:

Stop whining about officiating. This team is not good enough to win regardless of officiating.

stop whining about how the team isn’t good.  

[Thriftygamer83]

We've all got a beef with officials.  It's been that way since the days of Jeff Triplette running a busy work investigations, as an IRS Agent, in which a woman almost killed herself due to his mismanagement, and still obtaining a promotion despite being labeled as incompetent.  While, he later gloated at his retirement part of working for the Titans.  Already mde calls for them don't see why he'd ever stopped working for them.  

[L Ron Burgundy]

3 minutes ago, GLP said:

Stop whining about officiating. This team is not good enough to win regardless of officiating.

I usually echo this.  Not this time.  Complete crap.  They got multiple calls and we didn't.   It's bs.

Edited December 14, 2021 by L Ron Burgundy

[dave mcbride]

I had my issues with the officiating and I believe it cost the Bills the game, but this is dumb conspiracy stuff (e.g., point spread arguments). Also, it wasn't third down when the PI called against Wallace happened; it was first and 10.

[Thriftygamer83]

3 minutes ago, GLP said:

Stop whining about officiating. This team is not good enough to win regardless of officiating.

We've got. right to question officials, if they impact plays, if they are managing games for point spreads, and gambling operations.  Light of fine men still see "Whitey" Bulger as an upstanding businessman even when he fixed horse races.  

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

10 minutes ago, L Ron Burgundy said:

I usually echo this.  Not this time.  Complete crap.  They got multiple calls and we didn't.   It's bs.

I know I wish there was some forum flair for being someone that usually defends the refs 😂 I think they’re awful but they’re usually awful for both teams equally over the course of a game.  This was objectively completely one sided

9 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

I had my issues with the officiating and I believe it cost the Bills the game, but this is dumb conspiracy stuff (e.g., point spread arguments). Also, it wasn't third down when the PI called against Wallace happened; it was first and 10.

Idk why it’s a conspiracy…anything that could possibly lean Tom Brady’s way they will make do so because he is a huge brand/revenue stream for the league. This has been the case for years…refs were very pro bucs all throughout last years playoffs too.  It’s not just salty bills fans complaining the Brady pats/bucs get all the calls lol

Edited December 14, 2021 by Generic_Bills_Fan

[Thriftygamer83]

1 minute ago, dave mcbride said:

I had my issues with the officiating and I believe it cost the Bills the game, but this is dumb conspiracy stuff (e.g., point spread arguments). Also, it wasn't third down when the PI called against Wallace happened; it was first and 10.

Not, really Tim Donaghuy expanded on that in simple terms on Chad Dukes along with Donald E. Westlake having expressed much, much earlier though Westlake's was much, much, more analytical, and well detailed.  For Westlake it's coded transmissions, numbered accounts, dead drops, and more methodology.  Adding on that is improper job promotions for calls (Jeff Triplette and Music City Miracle.). Guy was labeled incompetent by the IRS after he bungled an investigation so badly a woman nearly killed herself.  

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

8 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

The officials blow in every game…  unfortunately it’s just the way the league is. However, the officials didn’t cause the Bills to go 3 and out on their first offensive possession in OT though. 

I think we’re underselling the potential points one sided holding/pi calls can cost a team.  Not only are you stopping bills drives by not calling obvious bucs holds like diggs’ jersey being nearly ripped in half in the first half…you are extending bucs drives with ticky tacky calls.  Could easily be a multiple touchdown swing and idk anyone that’s beating a bucs team getting spotted 10-14 points…they were at home playing with one of the most talented rosters in the league.  Realistically how good would the bills have to play to overcome that. They cost us a sure 6 points or more in the first half with I mean laughably obvious uncalled PIs/holds

Edited December 14, 2021 by Generic_Bills_Fan

[Scott7975]

8 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

The officials blow in every game…  unfortunately it’s just the way the league is. However, the officials didn’t cause the Bills to go 3 and out on their first offensive possession in OT though. 

 

Nope but they did extend a Bucs drive that shouldnt have happened and stopped us from winning in regulation.

[Thriftygamer83]

20 minutes ago, Utah John said:

The PI calls happened after a game in which the officials repeatedly shortened the yards gained by the Bills on runs or passes, by moving the ball back, sometimes more than a yard, from where the ball was when the player was tackled or stopped.

 

Ka-ching.  Thousands of betting houses cashed in.

To much of that going on, it means officials have staked themselves, into skimming, shaving points, and engaging into means with Roger Dodge Goodell.  If Goodell doesn't go to jail when he's out I'd be surprised which is why he's been fighting to keep his job ever since.  He's a crap crooked lawyer for his Purple Gang-era confidant in Bob Kraft nd the two are good friends from childhood.... because, why not.  I mean the alliance was forged in bullets and blood shed in Detroit after all.  

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

2 minutes ago, Scott7975 said:

 

Nope but they did extend a Bucs drive that shouldnt have happened and stopped us from winning in regulation.

And cost us a couple fgs at minimum in the first half…that easily could’ve been a 21–13 game at halftime 

[Kellyhero68]

12 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

The officials blow in every game…  unfortunately it’s just the way the league is. However, the officials didn’t cause the Bills to go 3 and out on their first offensive possession in OT though. 

Yes they sure as hell did. Diggs was held on the 3rd down pass. Should of gotten flagged. 

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

24 minutes ago, Utah John said:

The PI calls happened after a game in which the officials repeatedly shortened the yards gained by the Bills on runs or passes, by moving the ball back, sometimes more than a yard, from where the ball was when the player was tackled or stopped.

 

Ka-ching.  Thousands of betting houses cashed in.

They really shafted us with a spot late in that game but we ended up picking up the first on the next play so nobody is talking about it.  I thought that fournette call of whether he picked up the first in OT was a bit of a tossup.  But given all that was going on you’d think we’d be owed some tossups lol

[Thriftygamer83]

NFL reports me for using copyrighted content, YouTube informs them I didn't, and I'll never use their footage.  What I'll be doing is taking to tasks how corruption operats in my next video.  Whomever wanted me taken down tried to supress me in a stupid move without watching the full video.  It's one thing to have Nintendo or Konami take my videos for management training... it's another for the NFL to outright not watch a fans video and then d something incredibly stupid and remove their compliant within seconds.

[1ManRaid]

18 minutes ago, GLP said:

Stop whining about officiating. This team is not good enough to win regardless of officiating.

 

That's a weird way to spell "these other teams aren't good enough to beat us without refs handing them the game".

[jlgarsh]

3 minutes ago, Thriftygamer83 said:

To much of that going on, it means officials have staked themselves, into skimming, shaving points, and engaging into means with Roger Dodge Goodell.  If Goodell doesn't go to jail when he's out I'd be surprised which is why he's been fighting to keep his job ever since.  He's a crap crooked lawyer for his Purple Gang-era confidant in Bob Kraft nd the two are good friends from childhood.... because, why not.  I mean the alliance was forged in bullets and blood shed in Detroit after all.  

Look at the 3rd and 1 with Fournette. He looked short to me, and they called it a 1st down without even measuring. At no point did the ball look like it reached the marker. At least if they measured first and got it by a chain link I'd have gotten over it, since it wasn't just given to them. 

[Dablitzkrieg]

21 minutes ago, GLP said:

Stop whining about officiating. This team is not good enough to win regardless of officiating.

Shut it

[1ManRaid]

17 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

The officials blow in every game…  unfortunately it’s just the way the league is. However, the officials didn’t cause the Bills to go 3 and out on their first offensive possession in OT though. 

 

Weird, I coulda swore Diggs getting held again thus causing us to punt qualifies as the refs causing it.

[Dablitzkrieg]

19 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

The officials blow in every game…  unfortunately it’s just the way the league is. However, the officials didn’t cause the Bills to go 3 and out on their first offensive possession in OT though. 

Obviously. But it certainly prevented 1st and goal from the 1 with 22 seconds left.  Tell me Allen doesnt score with 4 cracks 

[cgg716]

I’ll just say this, if the point spread swayed the officals, the Bills would have gotten those calls 

[nedboy7]

21 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

The officials blow in every game…  unfortunately it’s just the way the league is. However, the officials didn’t cause the Bills to go 3 and out on their first offensive possession in OT though. 

That’s your defense of the officiating not effecting the outcome of the game?  The Bills went 3 and out on the first drive.  

[Utah John]

6 minutes ago, Thriftygamer83 said:

NFL reports me for using copyrighted content, YouTube informs them I didn't, and I'll never use their footage.  What I'll be doing is taking to tasks how corruption operats in my next video.  Whomever wanted me taken down tried to supress me in a stupid move without watching the full video.  It's one thing to have Nintendo or Konami take my videos for management training... it's another for the NFL to outright not watch a fans video and then d something incredibly stupid and remove their compliant within seconds.

I've read several Donald E. Westlake books (they were all great) but I don't recall any mention of the collusion between refs that Thriftygamer talked about.  Can you list the titles that include those charges?  Even if they're books I've already read I would enjoy any excuse to read or re-read a Westlake book.  And I strongly recommend those books to anyone.

[SCBills]

22 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

The officials blow in every game…  unfortunately it’s just the way the league is. However, the officials didn’t cause the Bills to go 3 and out on their first offensive possession in OT though. 

True, but Tampa also got a great spot and inconsistent PI to aid their game winning drive.  
 

We all know it should’ve never even gotten to OT though, so I’m really not interested in playing this game.  
 

Most games where we whine about refs, sure, take some ownership… but this game was different.  The fans of 30 other teams all know it too. 

[Nextmanup]

Officiating is terrible; it's consistently bad; it impacts both teams in the games.

 

Over the course of a season, it probably more or less evens out.

 

It is there as a problem to be overcome for ALL TEAMS.

 

You KNOW it will be a problem.

 

It's up to each team to fight through the best they can.

It's ridiculous to keep making this an issue, though this board will continue to B word about this FOREVER.

 

 

[Irish Dave]

Don't forget about the TV Signal suddenly Flashing all Blue and going in and out and wonky RIGHT while they started showing the replay of the Levi Wallace Pass Interference call in OT.   They didn't want anybody to be able to watch it again.  I thought it was just my TV.  Nope.  Hmmmm.

Quote

 

 

Edited December 14, 2021 by Irish Dave

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

The thing I don’t get is….it’s Tuesday. This ***** has been happening to us for at least 15 years with Brady. Brady, Rodgers Big Ben and maybe Russel Wilson get almost every PI call imaginable for the last decade. Especially at home. It’s a free 10-14 points every game. It’s a wonder those teams ever lose at home actually. It’s never going to change. What’s the point in worrying about it or complaining? It’s going to happen every time and at this point, just accept it.

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

26 minutes ago, 1ManRaid said:

 

That's a weird way to spell "these other teams aren't good enough to beat us without refs handing them the game".

Yea I have never once this season been like wow refs really cost us this one.  Then this game happened and I remember the entire first half thinking ‘thank god this is a blowout or id be so pissed at the refs right now’ 🤣 then we started coming back and I was like ok now I’m retroactively mad at the refs.  Then diggs gets mugged in the end zone and I’m like ok that’s kind of bs but they don’t normally call stuff like that late in games…I thought they owed us but whatever.  Then Levi got called for dpi in OT and I absolutely lost it.  He did such a nice job staying in position while avoiding contact on that play 

[Greg S]

49 minutes ago, GLP said:

Stop whining about officiating. This team is not good enough to win regardless of officiating.

 

Losing to the other team is one thing but losing because of the refs on a non-call that was obvious is a joke.  The NFL is supposed to be a sport not the WWE.

[LABILLBACKER]

The NFL owes the Bills organization an apology for that Diggs debacle. They'll easily get their magic Bill v Brady SB at our expense. 

[Greg S]

15 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

The NFL owes the Bills organization an apology for that Diggs debacle. They'll easily get their magic Bill v Brady SB at our expense. 

 

Even if the Bills can't win it this year I think KC and GB will have something to say about the Bill vs Tom rematch.

[1ManRaid]

55 minutes ago, Generic_Bills_Fan said:

Yea I have never once this season been like wow refs really cost us this one.  Then this game happened and I remember the entire first half thinking ‘thank god this is a blowout or id be so pissed at the refs right now’ 🤣 then we started coming back and I was like ok now I’m retroactively mad at the refs.  Then diggs gets mugged in the end zone and I’m like ok that’s kind of bs but they don’t normally call stuff like that late in games…I thought they owed us but whatever.  Then Levi got called for dpi in OT and I absolutely lost it.  He did such a nice job staying in position while avoiding contact on that play 

 

Jags game?  Sure it wasn't our best game, but there were countless uncalled Jags penalties and other oddities in a game we only lost by 3.

[BillsFanSD]

2 hours ago, GLP said:

Stop whining about officiating. This team is not good enough to win regardless of officiating.

This team should have been set up with first and goal at the one, with four chances to win in regulation.

 

In what universe is that "not good enough to win?"

[LABILLBACKER]

28 minutes ago, Greg S said:

 

Even if the Bills can't win it this year I think KC and GB will have something to say about the Bill vs Tom rematch.

Aaron and Patricia better prepare now to get hosed. The money generated for a monster Brady V Belichick SB would be astronomical.  This is the one they've been praying for. The calls will be disguised but enough to steer the outcome. Sorry no State Farm SB this year.  Probably next.

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

1 minute ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Aaron and Patricia better prepare now to get hosed. The money generated for a monster Brady V Belichick SB would be astronomical.  This is the one they've been praying for. The calls will be disguised but enough to steer the outcome. Sorry no State Farm SB this year.  Probably next.

Yea gb got hosed last year when there was considerably less bucs hype train.  Then kc kind of got screwed in the superbowl because they completely changed the rules on their defense.  Granted bucs would’ve won that game anyway but it still left a pretty bad taste in peoples mouths I think. Then what happens week 1 of the new season…Godwin gets away with an absurd push off on the game winning play to beat Dallas.  If officials are just human  and it’s supposed to even out…where are the controversial calls costing the bucs games? 

[Big Turk]

2 hours ago, GLP said:

Stop whining about officiating. This team is not good enough to win regardless of officiating.

 

Amazing how Bills still have the 8th best odds of winning the Super Bowl. Almost like the National Media and Vegas believes in them more than their own fans. Pathetic.

1 minute ago, Generic_Bills_Fan said:

Yea gb got hosed last year when there was considerably less bucs hype train.  Then kc kind of got screwed in the superbowl because they completely changed the rules on their defense.  Granted bucs would’ve won that game anyway but it still left a pretty bad taste in peoples mouths I think. Then what happens week 1 of the new season…Godwin gets away with an absurd push off on the game winning play to beat Dallas.  If officials are just human  and it’s supposed to even out…where are the controversial calls costing the bucs games? 

 

After what the Chiefs got away with against our receivers in the AFCCG, I don't want to hear about them crying in the Super Bowl.

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

14 minutes ago, BillsFanSD said:

This team should have been set up with first and goal at the one, with four chances to win in regulation.

 

In what universe is that "not good enough to win?"

Because we had a bad first half you automatically are not allowed to win because games end at halftime around here 😂 doesn’t matter we won the second half 24-3(cmon it was really 28-3) because the bucs defense was just letting us score since they had a big lead I’ve been told.  Still waiting on their explanation for why we don’t get credit for holding the most infamous qb for running up the score with the best offensive roster in the league to only 3 points in the second half though 

Edited December 14, 2021 by Generic_Bills_Fan