Refs Aren’t Giving Bucs A Break
August 9th, 2022
Not friends of the Bucs.
There is a general conception that star quarterbacks get calls, preferential treatment from the zebras.
And name a bigger star than Tom Brady. You can’t because there isn’t any. But the theory that non-basketball association referees protect star players apparently hasn’t played out with Brady or the Bucs.
Bryan Knowles, typing in the Football Outsiders 2022 Almanac, states there is no evidence, at least last year, that the Bucs got any benefit of the doubt.
Think Brady is getting extra respect from the refs? We aren’t seeing it in more flags for his opponents. Tampa Bay tied for last in the league in how often the opponent drew a penalty, and the Bucs were also dead last with just 635 opposition penalty yards.
If anything, per Knowles’ research, the Bucs are getting the shaft. You mean to tell Joe that as many times as the Bucs put the ball in the air the Bucs’ are “dead last” in drawing penalties?
With so many defensive backs grabbing and holding, and the Bucs’ opponents are so flag-free (relatively), it’s almost like someone in New York is telling the zebras to keep their flags in their pockets — for teams playing the Bucs.
(For background, three years ago Mike Evans led the NFL in drawing pass interference calls and refs picked on Carlton Davis.)
That is wild to Joe that a team leading the NFL in pass attempts (731) had so few penalties called on its opponents.
August 9th, 2022 at 9:07 am
Does that effect the Vegas betting odds? hum….
August 9th, 2022 at 9:07 am
perhaps a general consensus?
August 9th, 2022 at 9:16 am
Watching brady get busted open last year and getting flagged himself for the reaction was all the proof you need to know refs were not gunna call it straight
August 9th, 2022 at 9:23 am
I’ve been saying it for years. I’m tired of playing the refs as well as the other teams. These stats nearly confirm it without reviewing the tapes. After reading this it’s hard to believe the Bucs are dead last in this category with being such a prolific passing offensive team the last several years. Whether you liked Jameis or not he put up big yard numbers every year through the air. And to lose often as we did by such close scores only screams to me that the other teams are not getting flagged when playing the Bucs.
August 9th, 2022 at 10:15 am
PAPAREX, Nail on the head, I forgot how much the Bucs got jobed in that first half.
August 9th, 2022 at 10:18 am
Arians new job should be to review game film after every game and send clips of all the plays the refs blew to Roger the Dodger and whoever the boss of all the refs is, with expert commentary.
August 9th, 2022 at 10:25 am
It’s not just the Bucs I think they’re all bias on the whole area. Even the Rays & the Lightning because the area has dealt with losing for so long that they just have their favorites & they’ve just been accustomed to certain cities/teams winning & losing. That’s why Boston & their fans have gotten so spoiled with everything because they’ve just gotten to the point now to where they just expect it all the time now & when something doesn’t go their way they all whine. That’s why nobody really likes them either. That city is destroying sports.
August 9th, 2022 at 11:13 am
As stated in the Morning Cup, Bucs have been getting the shaft penalty wise since their inception. These stats just prove what we already knew. And it kills the haters that the Bucs are so relevant.
August 9th, 2022 at 11:24 am
This was a HUGE source of frustration last year! Without question, one of the most noticeable differences in our Super Bowl title defense was the massive disparity in how the game was called for/against Tampa Bay.
I was at the first NO game we lost, and that game was entirely lost because of the refs. Even the NO fans I was sitting next to couldn’t say or believe what was happening. 2 of Tom’s interceptions in that game came off of a blatant PI/holding penalty. 1 of our picks, by Antoine in the endzone no less, was negated off of a roughing the passer call where Will Gholston had his helmet ripped off his head by the facemask, and while he was blinded by that bumped (BUMPED) into the QB (who didn’t even fall over).
On NO game winning drive they called Cockrell for a PI/Hold on a play where the QB was scrambling to the opposite side of the field and the receiver in question wasn’t even running a route any longer. This was 3 and like 14, they were off the field and our defense held.
Sigh, the whole season was riddled with crap like this! It isn’t discussed by the national media, and maybe it’s an unwritten rule in the NFL to call the defending champs so unevenly. We know the NFL LOVES parity, and that damn sure is one way to help ensure it. My only hope is that LA has to suffer this crap this year.
Upside is this. Imagine if we get to play this season and the zebras call the games for the Bucs just at a league average rate! That would easily be the difference between at least one or two more wins!
August 9th, 2022 at 12:06 pm
Hey Joe! What were the stats for 2020?
It’s been this way since the Bucs inception. We’re not a major market plus we have three NFL teams in the same state. NFL plans their strategy at the beginning of the season to promote the story lines that they want so they get the end result that they desire for the super bowl. Anyone find it interesting that we played our super bowl in our own stadium, and the Rams did as well?
August 9th, 2022 at 12:09 pm
Look how the games were called for Atlanta when they got their new stadium. Look at how Jerome bettis became the retiring star in the super bowl against the Seattle Seahawks. Remember when the Seahawks were beaten the tar out of them and how suddenly the calls changed after halftime? Is it an interesting that the NFL owners have vested interests in the betting sites?
August 9th, 2022 at 2:04 pm
It’s really getting to the point to where refs/umpires are destroying the games in sports. Football, basketball, hockey & baseball. It just takes the enjoyment out of it for the fans when you know some “garbage” is gonna end up happening at some point.
August 9th, 2022 at 2:06 pm
BRING BACK THE REPLACEMENT REFS! Then get some for the NHL, NBA & some replacement umpires for the MLB, too!
August 9th, 2022 at 2:08 pm
I’m sure pretty soon they’ll end up calling a penalty on the Bucs for snapping the ball, too!
August 9th, 2022 at 2:29 pm
@Greg I totally agree! The first game against the Saints we actually had success moving the ball. Brady threw for over 400 yards and 3 Tds. On, The first pick Tyler Johnson was getting held and the DB was able to get the pick. The Saints secondary are very physical. We need to fight back and play through the ball. The first game was lost by penalties. Godwin was killing Gardner in the slot. I think Gage will really help us. The biggest issue remains our OL, no matter how the org and media are spinning it. The interior is a liability. Mason at RG is more than fine, though.
What’s been really bothering me is that the team has basically crowned Hainsey at C. He really has no real competition. The guy challenging Levrett is jut as inexperienced as him. We need a real vet to challenge him. Sure, he works hard, but that has no bearing on whether he can get the job done on the field consistently. The fact that Stinnie hasn’t been able to lock down the LG position says a lot. The Hainsey propaganda most stop.
By the way, Brady will not make the final decision on who plays on the line. Goodwin has said he will decide who plays.
August 9th, 2022 at 2:53 pm
I read the stats on passing penalties…Brady one of the worst. Ryan the best
August 9th, 2022 at 5:46 pm
LOL.
DUHHHHHHH
Bucs have been getting the shaft for their entire existence. They went a little easy on us in 2020 b/c it was Brady’s first year, but last year it was right back to the normal Bucs playing against 2 opponents every week BS.
I mean- Rams playoff game anyone? Hello? Brady gets hit under chin and is bleeding and HE gets flagged? Stafford kicks Suh in his balls and Suh gets the flag? Those 2 moments drastically changed the first half of that game.
Meanwhile the refs have been making it up to New Orleans for about 2 years straight now.
August 9th, 2022 at 7:53 pm
This report is true and was painfully obvious, especially in the playoffs.
August 11th, 2022 at 7:13 am
As someone else asked, show the penalties for 2020. Vegas giveth & taketh away.