Another season, another night of Tom Brady heroics.
Yes, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers emerged with a 31-29 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the first game of the 2021 NFL season, but it’s a key catch late in the game-winning drive that fans are buzzing about on Friday morning.
Should Chris Godwin have been whistled for offensive pass interference on a catch made that set up the game-winning field goal?
Take a look at the video below and see for yourself. I don’t think it’s THAT obvious, and that’s probably why officials kept the yellow hankie in their pockets. The replay kind of made it little more questionable:
Chris Godwin toootally redeemed himself! #GoBucs
(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/YpVsdSSy6d
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 10, 2021
This was not called offensive pass interference on Chris Godwin, which set up the game winning FG for the Bucs #DALvsTB pic.twitter.com/QNZwp3Ay85
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) September 10, 2021
Did Godwin push off? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/MR2WNhxseE
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) September 10, 2021
Mike Pereira also thought it was a borderline call:
Well, it was a fun game to watch. However it was pretty sloppy. Five turnovers, 24 total penalties, and a potential offensive pass interference penalty which in my mind could have gone either way. Back to work for me. I’ll be in the studios tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday.
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) September 10, 2021
Godwin had this to say:
Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis says shove not flagged for OPI was “toss up."
"We can’t put it in the refs’ hands," JD said. "I can’t call it like that. That’s what the refs saw, no call.”
Chris Godwin: “I think it was a little hand-fighting on both parts.”pic.twitter.com/xxzu7culCP
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) September 10, 2021
One certainty: he made up for this gaffe earlier in the fourth:
Chris Godwin fumbles at the goal line as the Bucs are trying to put the game away. Whoops! pic.twitter.com/dVWn6jRRuu
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) September 10, 2021
I think it’s too close to call there in such a tight moment.
