Senior VP of Officiating Weighs in on Controversial End to Panthers-Packers Game

Carolina got the short end of the stick on Christmas Eve.

The Panthers nearly pulled off an incredible fourth quarter comeback on Christmas Eve but a couple of things didn't go their way late in critical moments. 

With the game tied up at 30, Jordan Love took a deep shot down the field to Romeo Doubs along the sideline, picking up a gain of 36. The Panthers' sideline was convinced right away that he never had control of the football, immediately pleading their case that it was an incompletion. Carolina challenged the call but they went with the call on the field, unable to find confirmation.

Moments later, Green Bay kicked a field goal to take a three-point lead with 19 seconds left. Bryce Young completed a pair of 22-yard passes to DJ Chark and Adam Thielen, giving Carolina a chance to kick a game-tying field goal as time expired. Unfortunately, they were unable to get the ball clocked in time and the game came to an end. Interim head coach Chris Tabor was heated because he felt like the Packers were preventing Carolina from snapping the ball. One Packer defender was wrapping up Adam Thielen following the catch, not allowing him to hand the ball to the official which should have been flagged for delay of game.

Following the game, PFWA Pool Reporter Joe Person of The Athletic had a chance to interview NFL Senior Vice President of Officiating Walt Anderson, who provided an explanation of both the Doubs catch and the final play of the game.

Question: Two plays, the first one being the Carolina challenge on the Green Bay catch by 87 along the Carolina sideline. Looking at that just on the FOX replays, the ball ended up on the ground, on the turf next to 87. For what it’s worth, Dean Blandino said it should have been overturned. What did you guys see on the replay review?

Anderson: “The ruling on the field, obviously, is where we start. It was a catch and the receiver maintained control throughout the process as he was going to the ground. We actually did see the ball touch the ground, but we also saw that he had control of the ball in his left hand. The left hand never came off the ball and there were no available shots that show that he actually lost control of the ball in his left hand even though the ball touched the ground. The ball is allowed to touch the ground as long as there’s not evidence that he lost control and we didn’t think it was clear and obvious that he did. And since the ruling on the field was a catch, we stayed with the ruling on the field.”

Question: And, did you see at the end of the play that the ball being out of his control on the ground, and if so, how did you kind of come to grips with that?

Anderson: “You mean eventually, right after the process?

Question: No, I mean kind of as he was completing the catch, the ball was out of his control next to him.”

Anderson: “We did not see a view that showed that he lost control of the ball in his left hand until he was actually maybe beginning to get up. At that point, the process was over.”

Question: Okay, thank you. And then secondly, on the final play of the game, Walt, there’s the completed catch, Carolina coming down to try to spike the ball and stop the clock. Why did that play not go up to you guys in New York for review?

Anderson: “There are two parts of the replay rule that are in effect at the end of the game in this situation. Replay can stop the game and restore time only if there are two or more seconds to be added to the game. But, as part of the same rule, we can assist the on field officials. What the officials were doing was they were getting together. What they ruled was that the ball was snapped with one on the clock, but by the time the ball hit the ground, they had zero. And they asked us if we could confirm that and we did confirm that to them, that in fact the clock actually went to zero just as it was leaving the quarterback’s hand, so it was clearly at zero when it hit the ground. And we could confirm that to the crew.”

Question: So, you guys did look at that because that was not communicated on the field here at the stadium?

Anderson: “Yes, because that’s in the replay assistance rule. And so, as the officials were having their conference, they were communicating with us telling us, ‘Here’s what we’re ruling on the field. We’re ruling that the ball was snapped with one but it went to zero before it hit the ground.’ And we could confirm that indeed that was what had occurred.”

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