The New Orleans Saints blocked a field goal attempt by Panthers kicker Ryan Fitzgerald on Sunday. But the Panthers managed to regain possession of the ball on the play and achieve a new series of opportunities.
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This is how it happened.
Saints defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd blocked the 48-yard attempt as New Orleans held a 10-7 lead midway through the second quarter. The block sent the ball into the backfield, where it bounced off the helmet of Panthers lineman Ikem Ekwonu, up the field and beyond the line of scrimmage.
There, Saints defensive tackle Cam Jordan tagged him first, but couldn’t corral him. At that moment the ball was live. And Panthers guard Damien Lewis jumped on him to regain possession for the Panthers. And a blocked kick by the Saints had almost turned into a disaster.
This was explained by Fox rules analyst Mike Pereira.
“That contact behind the line… you really ignore it,” Mike Pereira said. “It was when the ball went beyond the line and then was touched, that allowed Carolina to get the ball back.”
Fortunately for the Saints, Carolina did not take advantage. Four plays later, a botched handoff from quarterback Bryce Young to receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. on a final play resulted in a Panthers fumble that the Saints recovered.
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But the NFL, which rarely fails to surprise, presented another first for many viewers of Sunday’s game.