It’s far too late for DJ Moore and the Carolina Panthers. But maybe what had happened to them two weeks ago won’t happen again.
CBS lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones dove into the league’s gray unsportsmanlike conduct rules—specifically the “application and consistency” of judgment pertaining to on-field helmet removal. He compared two instances of high-profile players removing their hard hats, one in which the player was penalized and one in which the player wasn’t.
The first, as you may very well know, came in Week 8—when Moore celebrated his improbable 62-yard touchdown reception that tied the Panthers up with the Atlanta Falcons late in a hotly contested NFC South battle.
Wow… DJ MOORE!
Dude had a drop on 4th down that seemingly cost his team that game.
The #Panthers got the ball back, and Moore just made the game-tying* catch.
Sports are cool.
*He got a personal foul for taking his helmet off and they missed the PAT.pic.twitter.com/N5oKkKopYl
— Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) October 30, 2022
The fifth-year wide receiver was subsequently flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, which turned Carolina’s 33-yard extra point try into a 48-yard one. Kicker Eddy Piñeiro would miss the kick (and then another on a 33-yard field goal attempt in overtime) and the Panthers eventually went on to lose.
A week later, Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey took off his helmet (as he was still on the field) while celebrating a game-clinching play over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
@footballzebras @NFLonCBS @gmfb @DeanBlandino So I thought it was a penalty to take your helmet off on the field of play? Jalen Ramsey? pic.twitter.com/TbEt7oRsCA
— Dan Morin (@DanMorin207) November 7, 2022
He was not flagged.
So, as a result, Jones reports that the NFL has told officials to use their noggins when it comes to helmets.
“As written, the rule, which was established in the late 1990s and has since been slightly tweaked, leaves something to be desired in these two instances,” Jones writes. “Officials have been instructed — and they were reminded in the past two weeks – to use a ‘heavy dose of common sense’ when applying the rules, drawing from a quote from Hall of Fame official Art McNally.”
Again, nothing will change that painful result for Carolina now. But, hey, at least we’re getting closer to some logic.
Perhaps when a player makes a miraculous to play to tie a game that’ll decide first place in their division, maybe let them act like a player who made a miraculous play to tie a game that’ll decide first place in their division.
