The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to stun the Dallas Cowboys into a defeat. However, there was a moment in the game that became a minor hurdle for the Bucs. Turns out, they could have avoided it entirely.

“We’re going to have a foul called on No. 94 on the defensive team for illegal hands to the face,” NFL officiating and rules analyst Walt Anderson explained in a weekly officiating video, as per Troy Vincent, Sr. “The only action relative to any hands is really by the offensive player here. So this is the type of play that the Competition Committee has instructed officiating that if objective information in terms of just asking the officials, ‘Are we sure we have the right number of the player here?’ that we can end up assisting with this. Because it’s clearly not a foul by No. 94. If there is illegal use of hands, it’s obviously by No. 52 of the offense.”

The foul was called on Buccaneers’ defensive lineman, Calijah Kancey, for illegal hands to the face. According to Anderson, a foul was really committed by the Cowboys guard Tyler Booker on Kancey’s face.

This was in the second quarter of the game with the clock around the three-minute mark. The Cowboys were on 1st-and-10 at their 13-yard line with the score at 7-7 when the foul occurred.

In the broadcast, Kancey seemed annoyed at getting the flag, even speaking to a referee. However, the call on the field stayed.

But what does the official NFL rulebook say about this offense? As per the NFL rulebook, under Rule 12 (Player Conduct), Section 1 (Blocking, Use of Hands and Arms), Article 7, “It is a foul if a defensive player thrusts his hands or arms forward above the frame of an opponent to forcibly contact him on the head or neck in a direct or prolonged manner.”

This is called an illegal use of hands, with the above-mentioned foul falling under this article. The penalty for the same includes a loss of five yards and an automatic first down to the offensive team. This is exactly what happened after the foul was given to Kancey.

The Cowboys got the first down at their 18-yard line. But the Cowboys were not able to take advantage of the penalty given to them, as Dak Prescott threw three incomplete passes, ultimately forcing the Cowboys to punt.

The call didn’t have a major effect on the outcome. The then-winless Buccaneers won 24-16, rallying behind rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels.

The NFL admitted to a costly mistake earlier in the season

The Rams could have won the Denver Broncos game had it not been for a crucial officiating call. With 1:09 remaining in the fourth quarter, Rams corner Josh Wallace intercepted a pass Bo Nix intended for wide receiver Pat Bryant. But Wallace was flagged for pass interference, giving the Broncos a new set of downs. They turned it into a game-winning touchdown.

The NFL did admit its costly mistake to the Rams’ head coach, Sean McVay, who confirmed the same in a press conference later on.

Even Bryant admitted to taking advantage of the situation.

“It was a little pass interference. I did sell it just enough to get the flag,” Bryant said. “It’s something that a lot of people do in this league; I kinda used it to my advantage.”

Wallace only said that the moment was frustrating. But had the play been looked into much closer, maybe the Rams would have earned the win. The Rams got possession after the Broncos’ score, but Matthew Stafford threw a costly interception that ended all hope.

Unfortunately, these admissions by the league don’t change the reality for the teams. The Buccaneers are still 1-5, and the Rams are 2-4.