NFL Admits Error on Key Tetairoa McMillan Catch in Panthers’ Loss to Saints
The NFL has privately acknowledged what many Panthers fans were already shouting at their screens on Sunday: Tetairoa McMillan did catch that ball.
In the closing minutes of Carolina’s 20-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints, rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan appeared to come up with a crucial 12-yard reception that would’ve set the Panthers up with a fresh set of downs and the game tied at 17. With 2:17 left on the clock, the play was initially ruled a catch. But after a Saints challenge and an official review, the call was overturned-ruling that McMillan hadn’t completed the process of the catch.
Now, according to a report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the league has admitted to the Panthers that the replay officials got it wrong.
Let’s break it down: McMillan got both hands on the ball and had a knee down-typically enough to satisfy the requirements of a completed catch. The ball never moved once secured, but as McMillan’s left hand came off, the ball made contact with the ground. Officials ruled that was enough to overturn the call, despite the ball appearing to remain under control throughout the process.
The league’s quiet admission won’t show up in the box score, but it adds another layer of frustration for Carolina, especially considering this isn’t the first time they’ve been on the wrong end of a controversial review. Just last season, a would-be touchdown catch by Adam Thielen against the Buccaneers in Week 13 was also ruled incomplete after a questionable review. That one, too, drew the ire of fans and analysts alike.
Fortunately for Carolina, this particular misstep didn’t derail the drive entirely. On the very next play, Bryce Young took matters into his own hands-literally-scrambling for 11 yards to convert the first down and keep the Panthers’ hopes alive. Still, the missed call loomed large in a game decided by just three points.
For McMillan, a promising rookie trying to carve out a role in the Panthers’ offense, it’s a tough break. Plays like these are momentum-swingers-not just in games, but in careers. And for a team that’s been clawing for consistency all season, having a clean catch wiped off the board by an officiating error is a bitter pill to swallow.
The Panthers will move on, but the league’s admission underscores a broader issue: in a game decided by inches, the margin for error by officials needs to be razor-thin. In this case, it wasn’t.