NFL officiating hits new low with ghastly flag vs. Xavier Woods for Ceedee Lamb hit

The way that this league officiates its games has to change, because somehow it gets worse every year.

Tim Weaver | 3 Hours Ago

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 15: Xavier Woods #25 of the Carolina Panthers reacts after a tackle against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium on December 15, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. / (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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Carolina Panthers

When Carolina Panthers safety Xavier Woods laid out Chris Olave earlier this season it was a clear case of a defenseless receiver taking a high hit. Woods was flagged for the penalty and also earned a hefty fine for his trouble, as is appropriate.

The NFL's desire to protect receivers from hits like that is a noble one, but sometimes they go far too far and wind up spoiling the nature of the game. That dynamic just hit a new low when the refs calling the Cowboys-Panthers game flagged Woods for the most atrocious weak personal foul call we have ever witnessed in an NFL game.

Watch Cowboys star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb make a catch on a slant, only to get popped a split second later by Woods.

Xavier Woods blasts CeeDee Lamb

What has happened to the game that I love?

This is a completely legal shoulder to shoulder hit by Xavier Woods#KeepPounding #NFL #DALvsCAR pic.twitter.com/MIJofjcXIb
— Blego (@BlegoBro) December 15, 2024

As any idiot can see, this was a clean shoulder to shoulder hit. Just because Lamb's helmet snapped back from the contact doesn't mean it was a foul. This was point blank just an aggressively awful call that even Mike Pereira on the Fox broadcast couldn't find room in his heart to agree with.

Fortunately, ball does not lie - and the Cowboys weren't able to take advantage of the 15 yards they picked up on the penalty. After a turnover Bryce Young found Jalen Coker for an 83-yard touchdown, and just like that the Panthers are right back in the game.

Dallas leads Carolina 10-7 going into halftime.