It didn’t take long for the Detroit Lions’ Monday night victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to spiral into a full-blown NFL conspiracy theory.
Following a heated loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last week — a game marred by controversial officiating — Lions head coach Dan Campbell made headlines when he accused the league of interfering with calls from New York. The moment came after a touchdown was overturned on a questionable illegal motion penalty — a call that, by rule, isn’t even reviewable.
Now, some fans are convinced the NFL tried to “make it up” to Detroit during their primetime clash with the Bucs.
According to @_MLFootball on X (formerly Twitter), several plays during the Lions-Bucs matchup raised serious eyebrows. In one key moment, Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield appeared to be tripped, but no flag was thrown. Other questionable no-calls also seemed to lean in Detroit’s favor, fueling speculation that the league was compensating for its earlier blunder.
“Remember boys, Roger told us not to help the Bucs,” one viral post joked — echoing what’s quickly become a rallying cry among frustrated Tampa Bay fans.
While there’s no real proof of any behind-the-scenes interference, the debate is raging across social media. Some say it’s all coincidence, others swear it’s part of the NFL’s effort to shape storylines and keep certain teams in the spotlight.
Either way, Monday night’s game has fans talking — not about the scoreboard, but about the mystery behind the whistle.
Conspiracy Clouds MNF: Lions Accused of Benefiting from NFL’s Hidden Agenda
