D.J. Moore hauled in what he believed was the game-winning touchdown catch against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday and celebrated by taking his helmet off and screwing at the Falcons crowd. Unfortunately, Moore was penalized for excessive celebration.
Moore’s penalty pushed the extra point attempt further back 15 yards after his touchdown. Then, kicker Eddy Piñeiro missed the 48-yard attempt, causing the game to go into overtime.
The Panthers eventually lost 37–34.
NBC rules analyst and longtime referee Terry McAulay, who worked in the NFL from 1998 through 2017, thinks it was a bad call. McAulay told NBC’s Tony Dungy that the penalty should not have been called on the receiver because he was off the field when he removed his helmet:
We’ll see if the NFL addresses this potential blunder.
