The Buccaneers were on the wrong end of a bad call on Sunday against the Titans, losing what should have been a fumble return for a touchdown because an official blew the whistle before the fumble recovery. Bucs coach Bruce Arians is understandably not happy about that.
Arians said the NFL should fire underperforming officials just like everyone else is fired for underperforming. But Arians doubts it will ever happen, especially after the league and its officials just came to a new labor agreement.
“Everybody except one guy saw the ball out, blew a quick whistle,” Arians said. “My biggest thing is referees aren’t held accountable. Coaches get fired, General Managers get fired, players get cut. Referees aren’t accountable. And it’s a shame. It’s been there 40 years and now we’ve got a new agreement and it’ll be that way for 40 more years.”
Arians believes the 2-5 Buccaneers would be viewed very differently if the apparent touchdown late in the fourth quarter hadn’t been waved off.
“If we had those last three minutes and some change with a three-point lead and win the game, I think everybody is writing different stories, talking different things,” Arians said.
Arians is right about that: His team got a raw deal.