Saints block a field goal, but the Panthers keep the ball

The Saints block the field goal attempt. But the ball goes beyond the neutral zone. Once that happens, and if the Saints touch the ball, the Panthers can recover the ball for a possession.

And that’s exactly what happened. The Saints muffed (touched) the ball. The Panthers could then recover for a new series, and they did.

This is just like the Leon Lett play, except the ball didn’t go further downfield. But, the ball did cross the neutral zone during a scrimmage kick.

Here’s a way to think about it: a field goal kick is simply a punt that can score points. All other scrimmage kick (punt) rules are in effect when a team tries a field goal.

Nice job by the Brad Allen crew for being on the ball and making a proper ruling.