Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales certainly isn't looking to pin Sunday's painful loss on the officials.
But that might not be the case for his team's fans, who saw Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson receive quite a gift that ultimately tilted the outcome of the Week 3 matchup. With the Panthers up 18-13 at the 2:29 mark of the fourth quarter, linebacker Bobby Okereke was called for roughing the passer on this second-and-15 play from Carolina's 29-yard line . . .
Was this the right call?
— Ryan Paganetti (@RyanPaganetti) September 27, 2026
We need another angle because this may determine the outcome of the game. I don’t see it here. pic.twitter.com/NyuzbQyins
Deshaun Watson takes a shot to the head pic.twitter.com/mJ5XKrLmmf
— McNeil (@REFLOG18) September 27, 2026
Watson's throw ended up in the hands of cornerback Akayleb
Evans for an interception, which would've put the Panthers on the doorstep of a win. Instead, the foul wiped out the takeaway and kept the drive alive for the eventual game-winning touchdown connection between Watson and tight end Harold Fannin Jr.
Canales was asked what he saw from the controversial play.
"I saw him get hit in the head by somebody's hands," he told reporters after the game. "I don't know who that was, but we can't do that. We go lower on the quarterback when the ball's in the air. You have to make that decision right at the end to either put your hands on the quarterback or not. And we made the wrong decision in that case and extended the drive and then he was able to create a little extra time on the scramble play—which is something he can do well."
As they did in Week 1 against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears, the Panthers defense got burned by a mobile quarterback. Watson, like Canales stated, was able to keep plays alive with his legs—with the most important scramble coming on that late score to Fannin.
HAROLD FANNIN JR. WITH HIS 2ND TD OF THE GAME!!@CARvsCLE on FOX/FOX One
— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2026
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/AKkcxf3Iqi
The Panthers, following the consequential drive, did get two more chances to at least tie the game. But they came up short, turning the ball over on downs and then throwing a pick to safety Ronnie Hickman.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers HC Dave Canales reacts to controversial game-tilting call in loss to Browns
