DJ Moore costs Panthers with dumb penalty after huge TD catch

Carolina Panthers wide receiver DJ Moore made one of the best plays of the season late in his team’s game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, but he immediately followed it up with a boneheaded decision.

The Panthers were trailing 34-28 with 8 seconds left when Moore caught a 62-yard bomb from PJ Walker for a touchdown. After he made the play, Moore immediately removed his helmet. That resulted in an automatic unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. You can see the play and penalty below:

PJ WALKER JUST DID THAT. HAIL MARY TO DJ MOORE. pic.twitter.com/dDYwoZhaGG

— NFL (@NFL) October 30, 2022

The penalty moved the extra point back to the 30-yard line from the 15. That made it a 48-yard attempt for Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro, and he missed it wide left. There is no guarantee that Pineiro would have made the kick from the 15, but it would have been much easier of an attempt.

The miss sent the game to overtime. Atlanta won the coin toss and then the Panthers intercepted a Marcus Mariota pass to set themselves up deep in Falcons territory. Pineiro then had an opportunity for a 32-yard field goal, and he missed that wide left as well.

Pineiro would not get another chance. The Falcons drove the ball to the Carolina 23 on their ensuing drive. Younghoe Koo converted a 41-yard field goal for the win.

It is certainly possible that Pineiro would have missed the extra point in regulation even without Moore’s penalty, especially since he shanked a 32-yard chip shot in OT. Moore will still be kicking himself, and rightfully so.