The NFL playoffs begin this weekend with six games making up the wild card round. The exciting matchups should be the focus, but many fans are choosing to focus on the referee choices after a controversial Week 18.
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Some of these fans particularly chose to highlight Brad Allen, whose crew made several questionable calls during an NFC South battle between the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This included a no-call after a Buccaneers linebacker ripped the helmet off the head of a Panthers tight end. It also included a pass interference call against the Panthers after Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton tripped himself.
According to a graphic from the NFL, Allen's crew will be in charge of Sunday afternoon's game between the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars (1 p.m. ET on CBS).
Wild card weekend referees: pic.twitter.com/L9dc9O9F5d
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 5, 2026
"How on earth is Brad Allen getting a game after that awful performance in the Panthers/Bucs game," one fan asked after seeing the referee lineups. A Jaguars fan responded by saying that the NFL wants the Bills to win and "Brad Allen is the best at rigging games."
Allen's crew sparked criticism most recently, but it was not the only one under the spotlight on Monday. Many NFL fans highlighted the other referee selections and how they might affect their favorite team on the opening weekend of the playoffs.
"Alan Eck grew up in Pennsylvania... not (suspect) at all," one 49ers supporter posted after seeing that Eck's crew will call Sunday afternoon's game between the 49ers and Eagles (4:30 p.m. ET on Fox).
#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/NCUlrNeVIy
— Rodney Roy 🇺🇲 (@RodneyRoy) January 5, 2026
Other fans chose to focus on referee Ron Torbert, whose crew will call Sunday night's game between the Chargers and Patriots (8 p.m. ET on NBC). One particular person said that this selection meant that the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wants the Patriots' season to end in the wild card round.
Of course, some fans did not highlight any particular choices. They just voiced the opinion that every referee "gambles on games" and that these games are "all rigged."
Is there any truth to these claims from the NFL fans? It all depends on who you ask, but there will be plenty of opinions shared regardless how the wild card round proceeds.
