Todd Bowles Sends Message to Referees After Antoine Winfield Jr.’s “Robbed” Touchdown

Even after the win, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles made it clear he wasn’t pleased with everything that transpired during Sunday’s 23-3 win over the New Orleans Saints.

As Pro Football Network noted, his anger was directed towards the officials. 

After the game, Bowles didn’t mince words when asked about a second-quarter play that wiped away what appeared to be a defensive touchdown by Antoine Winfield Jr.

“I’m still pissed off over some of it,” Bowles told reporters. “That’s tough sledding. He did a hell of a job today getting the ball out, and we’ve got to do something. We’ll discuss that with the league and go from there.” 

The play in question saw Winfield make a textbook strip of Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, scoop the loose ball, and sprint into the end zone for a touchdown.

But before the All-Pro safety could celebrate, officials blew the play dead, ruling that Shaheed was down by contact, a decision Bowles says was later explained to him as an “erroneous whistle.”

“As soon as he hit him, he stripped him,” Bowles said. “So I got no answers for that.”

While the fumble counted and the Bucs still retained possession of the ball, the early whistle erased what would’ve been a momentum-shifting defensive touchdown. 

Bowles Voices Frustration Over Controversial Ruling

The controversial sequence unfolded midway through the second quarter with Tampa Bay holding a 7-0 lead. 

On a short pass over the middle, Shaheed was wrapped up by Winfield, who cleanly jarred the ball loose before the receiver hit the turf.

The fumble bounced forward, and Winfield scooped it up in stride, returning it 40 yards for a touchdown. 

Instead, an official’s quick whistle stopped the play and by NFL rule, any play blown dead cannot be reviewed or overturned, even when the whistle is determined to have been in error. 

Bowles made it clear he intends to follow up with the league office about the officiating crew’s explanation. “He said it was an erroneous whistle,” Bowles reiterated. “We’ll talk to the league about that.” 

Bucs Defense Dominates 

Even with the missed call, the Buccaneers’ defense made sure the outcome was never in doubt. 

Tampa Bay held the Saints to just three points while also forcing four turnovers, including a pick six.

It was a dominant defensive performance from Bowles’ squad. 

A big part of that success came from Winfield who continued his stellar play this season as he finished with six tackles, one forced fumble, and a pass breakup. 

Quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Bucs’ offense did just enough to complement the unbelievable defensive performance.

For Bowles, the message was clear: while officiating errors happen, his team isn’t letting them become excuses. “We can’t control the whistle,” Bowles said. “We just have to keep playing football.”

Their dominant defensive effort lifted Tampa Bay to a 6-2 record and a two game lead in the NFC South.

The Buccaneers now enter their bye week sitting as the current No. 3 seed in the NFC. 

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