CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Perhaps it was a sign things are starting to turn in favor of the Carolina Panthers.
Coach Ron Rivera had won only three of 16 career replay challenges heading into Sunday’s 19-17 victory the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He appeared set to lose another when he challenged what appeared to be an apparent incomplete pass by Josh McCown early in the fourth quarter.
Instead, the officials reversed the call and ruled that McCown lost the ball before his arm began coming forward, and that the quarterback basically batted the ball downfield about 20 yards.
The Panthers (5-8-1) didn’t get the return for a touchdown that strong safety Roman Harper lobbied for after forcing the fumble that cornerback Bené Benwikere recovered.
But they did get the ball at the Tampa Bay 27, and it led to a 45-yard field goal that gave them what turned out to be a much-needed 19-10 cushion.
Rivera didn’t take credit for throwing the red flag that for the most part since 2011 would have gotten better use dusting furniture. That all went to “the guys upstairs.”
“They kept yelling ‘empty hand, empty hand,’" Rivera said of his assistant coaches in the booth. “So that meant one of our guys knocked it loose, and when his hand moved forward, he had nothing in there except hitting the ball with his hand, knocking it forward.”
Harper never had a doubt Carolina would win the challenge.
“I didn’t have to lobby,” he said, reminding the replay on the big screen supported his argument. “I knew what happened and I was just trying to be emphatic about picking the ball up and just make sure we take advantage of the little things, the opportunities we do have.”
The turnover occurred in large part because defensive coordinator Sean McDermott picked up the pressure with timely blitz packages in the second half.
McCown was an efficient 6-of-10 passing for 68 yards and a touchdown in the first half. He had a passer rating of 113.8.
He was 7-of-18 for 96 yards in the second half. He was sacked twice and finished with a passer rating of 60.7.
Arguably the biggest play of the game came on the third play of the second half, when defensive ends Charles Johnson and Mario Addison teamed to sack McCown, who fumbled and gave Carolina possession at the Tampa Bay 4.
Two plays later, Jerricho Cotchery caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Derek Anderson to make it 16-10.
“We did some nice things on the defensive side,” Rivera said. “Some of the pressures Sean McDermott used in terms of coverage that [secondary coach] Steve Wilks and Sean and those guys talked about were excellent.
“We gave ourselves opportunities by playing the way we did on the defensive side.”
The pressure also led to an interception by middle linebacker Luke Kuechly with 14 seconds left and the outcome still in doubt. It continued a seven-game trend in which the defense played well.
“I finally got one,” Kuechly said of his interception. “I’ve been trying to run around and get one for a while.”
Rivera could say the same thing about challenges.
