The Carolina Panthers shot themselves in the foot too many times against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They were also not exactly helped by the officiating on a crucial call that played a significant role in the eventual outcome.
Adam Thielen thought he'd brought in a sensational touchdown catch from quarterback Bryce Young. The referees had other ideas, ruling it incomplete despite getting his knee in bounds and appearing to have control upon grounding.
The call was egregiously upheld upon further review. Thielen seemed to have control of the football after tipping it initially. The only time it appeared to move was when he hit his head on the goalpost after the play was over.
NFL replay crew didn't have enough cameras at Carolina Panthers game
In a game decided by the finest of margins, this was unacceptable. The reasoning behind it from NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth was even worse, which centered on not having enough TV cameras at the game to get a view from all angles.
"For us to overturn, we need clear and obvious video evidence to change the ruling on the field. As we looked at available views, there was an initial bobble while the receiver was in the air. He then did get control which is the first part of the catch process. He did get a knee inbounds and as he is going to the ground, the third act would be surviving the ground. On one of the angles – and there were not a lot of available angles, and we didn't have a shot to overturn it – as he is rolling over, you can see at least one hand come off the ball."Mark Butterworth via Panthers.com
The NFL is a billion-dollar business. Stakes are high and consequences are severe almost weekly. To not have sufficient cameras at a game - especially in the end zone - to cover every conceivable angle is a disgrace. It also prevented the Panthers from gaining a commanding advantage over their NFC South rivals.
Thielen wasn't looking for excuses after the game. He thought it was a catch with good reason. The Pro Bowl pass-catcher also acknowledged that he didn't do enough to take the decision out of the officials' hands.
"I think it's a catch because I knew my left hand was locked on it the whole time. I knew I was obviously in, but at the same time, we should have caught the first time. So I can't put it in the refs' hands and obviously New York's either."Adam Thielen via Panthers.com
These things tend to even themselves out throughout the season. That's no comfort to fans, who felt the Panthers were extremely hard done by once again by officiating incompetence.
The Panthers still had several chances to put this game out of sight. Red-zone issues, missed kicks, and Ejiro Evero's defense faltering down the stretch were all at fault. But had the refs seen things a little differently with Thielen's exceptional grab that wasn't, it would have been a huge pendulum swing.
Carolina can take heart from another encouraging performance before eventually falling just short. This team needs to learn how to win close games, that much is glaringly obvious. Until then, stacking solid outings and watching Young flourish are the best-case scenarios.
And who knows, maybe they'll get some better luck on the officiating front down the stretch.