The Buccaneers were facing fourth-and-four early in the fourth quarter on Monday night as they trailed the Lions 21-9. Baker Mayfield escaped pressure and hit Cade Otton coming across the middle. Otton turned, lunged and the ball hit the field right at the 41 when it popped out and was recovered by a Tampa Bay offensive lineman.
The call on the field was a first down and fumble, and the ball was spotted at the 41 which gave the Buccaneers a fresh set of downs. ESPN announcers Joe Bucks and Troy Aikman did not agree with the call and by the time the play was sorted out, they would not be alone.
Detroit coach Dan Campbell threw the red challenge flag because the Lions thought that Otton did not complete the process of the catch. The officials reviewed the play and decided that he did and announced that the challenge was unsuccessful.
Then things got weird, as Buck explained that referee John Hussey had been called back to the monitor to check the spot of the ball.
"After a second look, it is determined that the receiver was actually short of the line to gain," explained Hussey to a joyous home crowd. "It will be Detroit ball. First down. Also we are going to give Detroit back their challenge and timeout. "
After review the refs rule that Cade Otton was short of the 1st down marker. Successful challenge for the Lions pic.twitter.com/rr7WNudBxf
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) October 21, 2025
So Otton made the catch, didn't fumble the ball and the Lions lost the initial review, but it ended up going against the Buccaneers after "a second look," which sounds more like a Late Night with Seth Meyers segment than anything we've ever heard during an NFL replay review.
Observers were not pleased.
They are just totally making up the rules as they go along now. What a shitshow
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) October 21, 2025
Where is the NFL virtual spot to show the audience with the Hawkeye camera
— Chris Myers (@The_ChrisMyers) October 21, 2025
on this huge officiating call on Bucs 4th down try vs the Lions?#bucs #lions #nfl #MondayNightFootball
Never seen a more obvious "the league called it in"
— Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) October 21, 2025
The NFL continues to just kind of make things up as they go along with replay and fans generally do not like it, so expect more tinkering with the rules this offseason. Eventually, they'll figure out the perfect system, right?
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Fans Questioned Review Process That Overturned Already Upheld Call in Bucs-Lions.
