"This league is a joke": Dave Portnoy tears into NFL referees for calling pass interference on Cardinals during Week 2 clash vs. Panthers

Dave Portnoy was not happy with a call made by the officials during the Week 2 showdown between the Cardinals and the Panthers. In the fourth quarter, defensive end Josh Sweat made a sack on quarterback Bryce Young while he tried to make a pass.

However, the officials decided to flag him for roughing the passer and called for a pass interference. This irked Portnoy, who took to social media to call out the officials of the game.

"These refs, this league is a joke. It's week 2, it's a joke. Put skirts on these guys, it's a joke. And I have Carolina. But how is this a pass interference? Give me a break. It's football." "He hits him basically simultaneously, puts his hands down. Young is a little guy. This league is joke. Put skirts on them. Get the pom poms out. What a joke!!"

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Despite this, the Arizona Cardinals managed to secure a 27-22 victory over the Panthers. They took an early lead after Zaven Collins scored a three-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the first quarter. Chad Ryland followed up with a 29-yard field goal to make it 10-0. Ryan Fitzgerald minimised the deficit to seven points for the Panthers with a field goal of his own.

Jonathan Gannon's team extended its lead to 20-3 before halftime after Ryland scored another field goal in the second quarter. This was followed up by an 11-yard touchdown pass from Kyler Murray to Michael Wilson.

In the second half, Bryce Young finally found his offensive momentum with the Panthers. He scored three passing touchdowns to give his team a fighting chance. Unfortunately, it was not enough for them to make a comeback at State Farm Stadium.

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Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon opens up about Week 2 victory against the Panthers

In the post-game press conference, the Cardinals coach expressed his gratitude to the home crowd for their support on Sunday night.

He also discussed how the Panthers nearly made a comeback in the second half, but praised the team's pass-rushing game for keeping their opponents in check.

"We had some guys step into roles and battle, you know, cause we got knicked up a little bit. Truthfully, the home crowd got back into it which was, that was huge. And I thought our rush came alive there in the last series, you know. We got to clean up some penalties too. I feel like that took some wind off our sails at times. ... High leverage drive, high leverage snaps, games on the line, and the defense got it done. So that was good to see."

The Cardinals next take on the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 21. The game will be broadcast on FOX at 4:25 pm ET.

Edited by Priyam Hazarika