Panthers veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen isn’t over the team’s narrow 33-30 loss to the Packers — nor the officiating that came with it.
With the game tied late in the fourth quarter, Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love heaved up a pass down the near sideline for receiver Romeo Doubs, who reeled in what was ruled a 36-yard catch.
But the Panthers believed the play that kept the Packers’ game-winning drive should have been ruled incomplete because Carolina thought the ball was being juggled going to the ground.
After a challenge, the play stood, and Green Bay marched down the field and scored what proved to be the game-winning field goal by Anders Carlson.
Thielen, 33, speaking with reporters after the game, suggested that those calls are typical for the Packers, whom he clashed against many times during his nine years as a member of the Vikings.
“I thought they had some questionable calls in the game, but usually that’s what you get when you play the Packers. I played the Packers a lot of times. That’s usually what you get,” Thielen told reporters.
The receiver went on to describe what he saw the play and the replay.
“Yeah, I saw the whole play. I saw a catch and then ball moving,” Thielen said about the play. “As he goes to the ground, the ball moves. Controls it again, hits the ground, and loses it again. In my opinion, the ball moved twice. Two different times. There wasn’t enough time to control the ball.
“You know they say, control and then a football move. There was no football move. And then he rolls out of bounds. So, you can slow mo it… in full speed that’s no catch.”
NFL vice president of officiating Walt Andeson defended the call after the game, per The Athletic.
“The ruling on the field, obviously, is where we start. It was a catch and the receiver maintained control throughout the process as he was going to the ground,” Anderson said. “We actually did see the ball touch the ground, but we also saw that he had control of the ball in his left hand.
“The left hand never came off the ball and there were no available shots that show that he actually lost control of the ball in his left hand even though the ball touched the ground.
But the Panthers got the ball back, and looking to tie or win the game, rookie quarterback Bryce Young completed two passes to get the Panthers to the Packers’ 31-yard line with 13 seconds left.
Rushing to beat the clock, Young spiked the ball with one second left, but the officials ruled that the spike occurred after the game clock hit zero.
If they stopped the clock in time, the Panthers would have been able to attempt a game-tying 48-yard field goal.
But instead, the game ended with the Carolina back on the losing end after breaking their six-game losing streak in a 9-7 win against the Falcons in Week 15.
Panthers interim head coach after the game said he “absolutely” believed the team got the spike off in time, per the Charlotte Observer.
As for Thielen, the two-time Pro Bowler had six receptions for 94 yards on Sunday against Green Bay.
This season, he has tallied 964 yards with four touchdowns.