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It would be all of the crooked Refs

Well, the last three weeks calls have been heavily slanted against us.. Why stop now

David Tepper, he is the root of all our problems

NFL can you lube up before you finger us next time

Some context. Even on the best defenses linebackers and secondary have similar miss tackles. Do those numbers mean anything? Seattle and Houston Looking around the league it seems like Horns missed pct is significant but not sure the others stick out

Well we have no Basis for 46 year old Brees unless you think the panthers want to call him up and Rivers it.

Terrible

This poo is schizo AF and I love it! It's like if Pepé Sylvia was a bookie!

Refs 100% rig the game. Whether it’s bias or incompetence or some combination of both. The outcome is the same. Teams, players, coaches, all get cheated and potentially lose their jobs because of the refs idiot bullshit. The NFL is complicit in this because the refs have no consequences and nothing is fixed mid game. Therefore in that sense the games are rigged. You are not seeing the better team win. Secondly the refs are indignant and don’t like being told then they are wrong and change the way they officiate off that. I don’t give a fug if someone is yelling in your face. You should have the integrity to call the game fair and justly. Enough is enough. They should be held accountable. They already stole a god damn Super Bowl from us and are about to derail the franchise with last weeks all you can eat cheapshot bullshit. Add insult to injury that it was against the poo infested gutter ball Saints winning off penalties. Priority #1 next season is destroying them in every way imaginable.

I’m not an nfl script theorist. But more of a “NFL controls momentum in key games and it works to their advantage 80% of the time theorist” and I think certain refs get certain games for certain reasons. I could be very wrong, but I think the NFL wants us and Tampa to drag out to Week 18 and I think they knew if we beat NO, it could be over this week. It’s more exciting to drag it out and let pivot back and forth.

You could be right about that. There's a chaos factor here and the money will be flowing towards the Bucs. The fact the Panthers have never won a game with Shawn Smith as the referee makes it an even more improbale scenario. Panthers haven't won a game as the favorite since early 2021.

I wonder what else they admitted to us. Maybe Smith is here to right the wrongs, about 78% of the cash is flowing on TB. People would be expecting what you’re saying. https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-privately-admitted-to-erroneous-reversal-of-catch-by-panthers#

Maybe in some situations but that call was taken up to the booth and overturned. When it goes to the "booth", they can decide whatever they want and make up the reasons why on the spot and apologize later, or so it seems.

Not a wizard it was just a very educated prediction I was confident about. I've done a lot of research on how the NFL manages games with the referees and tendencies certain referee crews have, and sports betting has a lot to do with it. The NFL 100% assigns referee crews to specific games to impact and manage the outcome. The Panthers were a heavy moneyline favorite before and for most of the Saints game. I could see based on the calls that the Panthers were not going to be winning that game. The phantom kickoff return formation penalty and some very questionable holding calls/hands to the face calls that the Panthers were being managed to keep the game close. I was hoping to be seeing a Panthers victory on Sunday but it doesn't seem to be happening that way per the ref assignment either. Looks like it'll be a comfortable Bucs win with maybe some late game feverish comeback attempt that falls short. Maybe the NFL cooks up some drama with the Dolphins beating the Bucs and a surprise Panthers win over the Seahawks setting up an improbable last week winner take all game no one saw coming but I think it's better TV viewership to have the Bucs in the playoffs over the garbage Panthers. Bucs probably win by 7 but it could be double digits if Bryce turns the ball over.

I thought you was going to say Alex Moore again and I was about to throw my phone into the ceiling fan.

I get it, I don’t think it’s rigged though. I think when you have humans making calls and decisions there will be mistakes because we are flawed. Sometimes it’s in your favor, sometimes not.

Panthers are killing their own season by trotting out lil Bryce

Wow, didn't catch that! I don't think Chuba's a power back either but he's usually good at getting that 1 or 2 yards. That was an uncharacteristic day for him.

The referee assigned to this game is Shawn Smith. This is a critical data point for betting purposes because his crew has one of the most distinct, long-term statistical biases in the NFL. "Road Team" Bias: Historically, Shawn Smith is known as the "Road Team Referee." In a league where home teams usually win ~55% of the time, home teams in Smith's games have historically won at a rate far below league average (often hovering around 40-42%). Against The Spread (ATS): The trend is even starker here. Home teams have covered the spread at a rate of roughly 37-40% in his career. The Mechanism: Analysis shows his crew tends to call a higher rate of False Start and Unnecessary Roughness penalties on the Home Team. This negates the traditional home-field advantage (crowd noise causing false starts for the visitors). Impact on This Game: This specific assignment heavily favors the Buccaneers (Road Team). If you believe the referee influences the game, Smith's presence suggests the Panthers will struggle to get "home cooking" calls and may face untimely procedural flags that stall drives. The Panthers have only had Shawn Smith officiate four home games since he became a head referee in 2018, and they are all losses. Date Opponent Result Score Nov 24, 2024 vs. Kansas City Chiefs Loss 27–30 Oct 9, 2022 vs. San Francisco 49ers Loss 15–37 Dec 12, 2021 vs. Atlanta Falcons Loss 21–29 Nov 25, 2018 vs. Seattle Seahawks Loss 27–30 Considering the how rare it is for Shawn Smith to officiate a Panthers game at all, this seems like an odd time to assign him to a Panthers game, unless the NFL wants to kill the Panthers season once and for all. The Panthers' offensive line situation creates a "perfect storm" for referee Shawn Smith's specific tendency to call False Starts on the home team. The "Carousel" Factor (Communication Vulnerability) The most damning stat for the Panthers' offensive line in 2025 is their lack of continuity. The Stat: By Week 13, the Panthers had already fielded their 10th different offensive line combination. The Impact: False starts are often "communication penalties"—they happen when a guard doesn't hear the center's snap count or a tackle anticipates the wrong cadence. A unit that hasn't played together struggles with non-verbal communication. The Shawn Smith Multiplier: Shawn Smith’s crew calls False Starts at a high rate on home teams. He will likely look for flinches on the exterior of the line. A disjointed line that is constantly rotating players (due to the injuries of starters like Cade Mays and the illness issues with Robert Hunt earlier this season) is "fresh meat" for this specific referee bias. The Specific Culprits (2025 Penalties) Ikem Ekwonu (LT): Leads the team with 4 False Start penalties this season. He is the most frequent violator on the line. Taylor Moton (RT): Has been flagged for 3 False Starts. The Trap: Smith’s crew often focuses on the tackles (the players furthest from the ball) jumping early to get an edge on speed rushers. Since Ekwonu struggles with this discipline naturally, having a referee who hunts for it is a massive disadvantage. The "Managed Outcome" Synthesis The "Bucs Cover" Script: If the desired outcome is a Buccaneers win to solidify their playoff standing, the officials simply have to apply the letter of the law. Calling strict False Starts on a confused, banged-up Panthers O-line will consistently put them in "3rd and Long" situations, killing their drives and allowing the Bucs (-3.5) to cover easily. The "Close Game" Script: If the desired outcome is "Week 18 Drama" (keeping the division tied), look for the officials to ignore the Panthers' twitchy tackles. If Ekwonu jumps a split-second early and no flag is thrown, it effectively neutralizes the Bucs' pass rush, allowing the Panthers to keep the score close. Summary of the Edge Vulnerability: Extreme. The Panthers are playing backup interior linemen (like Jake Curhan or practice squad call-ups) next to jumpy tackles. Betting Implication: This strongly reinforces the Bucs -3 or -3.5 play. The combination of a "Road Team Referee" and a "Home Team O-Line in chaos" suggests the Panthers will beat themselves with procedural penalties. Based on the collision of the hard data (Referee bias + Offensive Line injuries) and the soft narratives ("Managed Outcomes"), here is the definitive recommendation. If you have to place a single Moneyline bet to win this game straight up: The Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-165) While the "Entertainment Script" hints at a Panthers upset to keep the division messy, the structural disadvantage the Panthers face in this specific matchup is too massive to ignore. Here is why the Buccaneers are the stong moneyline play: 1. The "Shawn Smith" Road-Field Advantage This is the decisive factor. In the NFL, Home Field Advantage usually accounts for about 1.5 to 2 points of value. The Reality: Referee Shawn Smith negates that advantage entirely. His crew calls penalties in a way that historically suppresses home crowd momentum (False Starts, holding). The Result: You are essentially getting the Buccaneers on a neutral field (or even a "pseudo-home" field) against a team with a worse roster. 2. The "Drive-Killer" Synergy To win as an underdog, the Panthers need to play a clean, mistake-free game to keep drives alive. The combination of Panthers' 10th O-Line combo + Jump-prone Tackles (Ekwonu) + A Referee who hunts False Starts is a recipe for disaster. The Scenario: Expect the Panthers to face multiple "1st and 15" or "3rd and 12" situations due to procedural flags. These drive-killers will force them to punt or settle for field goals, while the Bucs' offense (led by Mayfield) stays on schedule. 3. The "TV Product" Counter-Argument You asked about the "Managed Outcome." While a Panthers win creates "chaos," the NFL also values Star Power in the playoffs. Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers are a proven national TV draw with recent playoff history. If the league has to choose between "Chaos" (Panthers) and "Ratings/Legitimacy" (Bucs), the "Script" likely leans toward ensuring the Buccaneers—the more marketable team—secure the division lead. They won't "fix" the game against the Panthers, but they won't intervene to save them from their own penalties. Final Verdict Betting on the Panthers requires you to hope for a miracle 4th-quarter collapse. Betting on the Buccaneers requires you to trust that a superior roster—aided by a favorable officiating crew—will control the game for the first 45 minutes. Take the Buccaneers Moneyline. The "Safe" money is on the Ref. The Prediction: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Win and Cover Projected Score: Buccaneers 27, Panthers 17 The Bet: Buccaneers -3 (or Moneyline -165) Confidence Level: High on the Winner; Moderate on the Spread (due to potential "garbage time" variance).

He isn't a good HC. I think he has proved that conclusively.

The missed tackle percentage is on that screen cap.

Okay, that is if there was a three way tie. I suppose I didn't consider that.

I think the NFC is significantly better but we will see how it goes. Could be a very interesting playoffs.

If only there was a way the ball could have been thrown higher. Oh well.

While it says we converted later, it 100% impacted the game. First, the clock stopped on the incompletion and we would have had another 12 yards on tha drive. We didn’t score but the play calls change. Seeing as how we lost on a last second long FG, an extra 12 yards and running the clock down another 17 seconds (or forcing NO to use a timeout) likely means at a minimum we go to OT and at best we score and win the game.