4 defining moments from the Panthers’ loss vs. Bucs in Week 10

The spike debacle

There was confusion late in the first half when the Carolina Panthers might have secured some more valuable points before the break. Teddy Bridgewater connected on a deep ball to D.J. Moore to move the chains at a critical moment. But what came next was disorganized, to put it mildly.

Bridgewater should’ve spiked the ball. This would have dismissed any challenge that came following the opposition regarding the catch, which was eventually brought back upon further review.

Simply put, it was not smart situational football.

Now, it probably wouldn’t have made a difference in the grand scheme of things. But it could have provided the Panthers with an increased sense of confidence going into the half.

Whether the referees were preventing Bridgewater from getting off the snap is up for debate. However, the fact of the matter is situations like this need to be handled better by the signal-caller and the coaching staff in his ear at the time.

This mistake also cost Moore a 100-yard game, who looked like his old self after being virtually anonymous at the Chiefs. The wideout only had four catches from seven targets, but he made them count with 94 receiving yards and a touchdown.