NFL rules expert says D.J. Moore should not have been flagged for removing helmet
In a painful twist, it turns out Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore never should have gotten a flag in their loss to the Falcons, according to NFL rules.
On Sunday, Carolina Panthers quarterback P.J. Walker made what Patrick Mahomes considers “the best throw of the year.”
P.J. Walker launched this ball about 70 air yards on the money to DJ Moore with two defenders on him. As @PatrickMahomes said, this has to be the best throw of the year. https://t.co/ozQl7HDk12
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) October 30, 2022
A last-second, 62-yard Hail Mary sailed over defenders into the outstretched arms of Panthers star wideout D.J. Moore. Understandably, Moore was pretty hyped about making what he believed to be the game-winning catch.
In his exuberant celebration, Moore ripped off his helmet. NFL officials called a flag, which kicked the extra point back 15 yards. Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro wasn’t having a day and missed the kick…then missed another game-winning opportunity in overtime.
But Pineiro aside, the blame came crashing down on Moore for pulling a Falcons against the Falcons.
Following the game, Panthers head coach Steve Wilks said, “we’ve got to make sure we’re smart enough.” While that’s overall sage advice, it turns out Moore didn’t actually break any NFL rules.
Our NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay says according to the written rule this should not have been called a penalty because Moore was not on the field when he took off his helmet. https://t.co/MgxvckwDlv
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) October 31, 2022
Panthers: D.J. Moore didn’t deserve unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after all
As challenging as it is to be an NFL referee, the mistake with the Moore celebration only sours the reputation of league officials. Difficult or not, officials made and stood by a call that made the extra point that much harder for the Panthers, which ultimately cost them the game. It’s hard not to wonder what could have been if the officials made the right call.
Although the dust is settled and NFL fans are now aware of this mistake, there’s no way to rewrite the ending of the gut-wrenching Panthers loss. As with all other controversial game-changing calls in NFL history, this one is just another tough breakdown to stomach — especially when the game practically opened with a Donte Jackson interception.
As Wilkes said, it’s important for player to be overly cautious when it comes to NFL celebrations, especially when the league has inconsistently cracked down on these moments in recent years. All it takes it the wrong set of eyes and the wrong call to lose a game as quickly as Walker and Moore seemed to win it.
Must Read. Jackson in Action: How Donte Jackson made his wildest dreams come true. light