There was a lot of bad play in the Bucs’ egregious, 35-7 loss to the 49ers. A majority of it came from the Bucs, and while it’s no excuse for the way they lost, the refs were pretty bad as well.

Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs got stiffed with a call on literally the first play of the game when safety Keanu Neal blitzed from the left side coming in untouched and sacked Brock Purdy for a big loss. It was an emphatic play that could’ve set the tone, but Neal was penalized for roughing the passer for tackling Purdy too high where his helmet just grazed the side of the quarterback. It was a ticky-tack call that didn’t go Tampa Bay’s way.

On the other side, the Bucs didn’t get calls as Tom Brady was smacked in the head of a defensive lineman early on and later had another defender’s hand on his throat. And in the second quarter with the Bucs looking to get their first touchdown of the game, Brady threw a ball in the corner of the end zone looking for Chris Godwin but he was nowhere to be found as he was pushed by a defender off the line of scrimmage before he could break his route, and yet no flag was thrown. The Bucs went for it on fourth down and failed to convert it.

Once again – the Bucs played poorly, but they also didn’t get any help from the officials, whose calls seemed to favor the 49ers.

The Penalty That Ended The Bucs’ Chances For A Comeback

The worst of them all, though, put a dagger into the game and coincidentally happened after Tampa Bay’s turnover on downs. With 28 seconds to go in the second quarter and San Francisco on Tampa’s 37, outside linebacker Anthony Nelson intercepted a pass from Purdy that would’ve ended their drive and kept the Bucs only down three touchdowns but getting the ball after the half.

Bucs CB Carlton Davis III – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

That was all negated, though, as cornerback Carlton Davis III was called for a holding penalty on wide receiver Jauan Jennings. After the television replay, it seemed like Jennings fell after Davis had his hands on him and it was well within five yards of the line of scrimmage, so Davis wasn’t doing anything wrong.

Objectively, it was a bad call by the refs. It was flat out soft on a crucial play. No penalty should have been thrown on a play that seemed pretty easy to figure out.

It was obviously a huge blow to the Bucs as they thought they just made a key play. It hurt even more after the next snap when Purdy hit a wide open Brandon Aiyuk with 15 seconds left before halftime for a 32-yard touchdown. This put the 49ers up 28-0 over the Bucs and the game was over and done.

Later in the evening after the game, Davis took to social media and said that the penalty was the worst that’s ever been called on him and it’s disrespectful to the game.

Frustrations have understandably boiled over for the Bucs, as they have not met expectations with a 6-7 record. Davis signed a big three-year, $45 million contract this offseason. He’s a very good corner in coverage but the Bucs were hoping for more interceptions this year, which is the one thing that’s kept him from winning more personal accolades. Davis does not have an interception this season despite having multiple opportunities.

The Bucs are going to need their best corner to step up down the stretch if they want to win the division and make the playoffs for a third season in a row.