NFL senior V.P. of officiating administration feels league should not have penalized D.J. Moore for controversial helmet removal celebration

D.J. Moore made an improbable 62-yard touchdown catch to all but seal a come-from-behind victory over the Atlanta Falcons last week. However, the Carolina Panthers wide receiver was flagged for taking his helmet off in celebration.

NFL Senior Vice President of officiating Perry Fewell admitted that he felt like the penalty was not warranted against the wide receiver. He did note, however, that there were other infractions.

The flag made the ensuing extra point 15 yards further back and kicker Eddy Pineiro missed, leaving the game tied at 34. In overtime, Pineiro missed a second kick that would have won the game, this time a 33-yard chip shot. The Panthers went on to lose and fell to last place in the NFC South. A win would have placed them in first. The penalty loomed large and many blamed the Panthers' wideout for committing it and pushing the extra point to a much more challenging distance.

Others felt that since Moore was off the field when he removed his helmet, it shouldn't have been flagged.

Instead, there were other players who did remove their helmets on the field, like tight end Steven Sullivan. Sullivan, for example, removed his helmet in celebration while on the field, whereas the wide receiver who caught the pass was out of the back of the end zone.

Fewell admitted that the penalty was applied in the correct instance, but that it wasn't necessarily Moore's fault. Either way, a penalty would have been called and pushed the kick back.

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Why DJ Moore wasn't at fault in the Panthers' loss

According to FootballZebras, Fewell had to be pressed on the issue but ultimately admitted that Moore's part of the celebration wasn't illegal:

“He was not in the field of play initially when he took the helmet off —— that is correct.”

Carolina Panthers v Atlanta Falcons

He added that two players were in violation of the rule, but the wideout wasn't one of them:

"We see #84 and #73 and, unfortunately at times game officials announce the wrong number when we have multiple violations. So [Moore] was not in the field of play when he initially took the helmet off. But there were multiple players in the field of play when they took their helmets off.”

The penalty should have been called, but the wide receiver who scored should not have been penalized.