Cam Newton thought he finally got a call. Until he didn’t.
The Panthers were just driven out of field goal range with a chance to add to their lead, when Newton was flagged for taunting Washington’s Trent Murphy.
Of course, the fact that Murphy had hit him helmet-to-helmet as Newton was sliding might have angered the Panthers quarterback a bit, causing him to flip the ball in Murphy’s direction before making a first-down signal.
That Newton was taunting was obvious. But he and everybody else seemed to be surprised when Murphy wasn’t penalized, and Panthers coach Ron Rivera continued to chew on officials after the play. Since the opener, the Panthers have been trying to get people’s attention about the hits to the head Newton is taking, to no apparent avail.
Washington responded with an 89-yard touchdown drive, with Robert Kelley plowing in for the score, before a missed extra point which left the score 13-9. It was an odd momentum swing, as the Panthers had been the aggressors all night prior to the flag.
