Getty Image / Rich von Biberstein
There was a moment last weekend where DJ Moore thought he had delivered a win for the Carolina Panthers.
With the team trailing the Falcons 34-28, Moore caught a 62-yard touchdown pass from PJ Walker to tie the game with 12 seconds left. All the team needed to get the win was an extra point.
PJ WALKER TO DJ MOORE, HOLY COW!pic.twitter.com/hNazMcWFwe
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 30, 2022
Then Moore removed his helmet and was flagged 15 yards, pushing back the team’s PAT attempt. Eddy Pineiro ended up missing the kick.
ironically, DJ Moore’s penalty pushed back this XP and made it a lot harder. and now it’s still a tie game pic.twitter.com/s5Qga2TjXZ
— alex (@highlghtheaven) October 30, 2022
The game went to overtime and the Panthers had another chance to get the win, but Pineiro missed a field goal from in close.
The Falcons went on to make a field goal attempt of their own to win the game 37-34.
In the aftermath of the game, a Carolina Panthers player has been fined for removing his helmet on that particular play, but it surprisingly wasn’t DJ Moore. Instead, it was tight end Stephen Sullivan who was hit with the $4583 fine.
Carolina Panthers tight end fined for removing helmet after DJ Moore’s touchdown
The NFL didn’t fine #Panthers WR D.J. Moore for removing his helmet after a late touchdown last week, but teammate Stephen Sullivan was fined $4,583 for unsportsmanlike conduct in the same sequence. pic.twitter.com/ARhVIKj4Ot
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 5, 2022
It appears the reason Sullivan was fined and Moore wasn’t is because Moore removed his helmet outside of the endzone. This is apparently a loophole in the NFL’s rules that allows a player to remove their helmet and celebrate after they’ve scored a touchdown as they long as they run beyond the end zone.
Unfortunately for Sullivan, the loophole didn’t apply to him.