Moore, Piñeiro blame themselves for Panthers wild OT loss

ATLANTA (AP) — D.J. Moore sat on the bench alone after the game was over, still trying to process what had happened to the Carolina Panthers.

“What would’ve happened if I didn’t take my helmet off?” Moore said after the Panthers’ 37-34 overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. “I went back to what happened. That’s about it.”

Moore’s rash decision to take off his helmet after catching a spectacular 62-yard touchdown with 12 seconds left in regulation resulted in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. That forced the Panthers to try the extra point from 48 yards.

Sure enough, Eddy Piñeiro missed the kick, barely left of the goal post, and Carolina's chance at a thrilling victory was dashed.

It got even worse with 5:59 to go in overtime when Piñeiro missed a 32-yard field-goal attempt that would’ve won it. The ball sailed even farther left than his earlier PAT try.

Piñeiro blamed himself for poor mechanics on the second kick.

“I just came across it,” Piñeiro said. “My hips came across it. I should’ve kept my hips forward and I just kind came across the ball.”

Then he blamed himself for losing the game.

“I’ve just got to make the kick,” he said. “There’s no excuses. I’ve got to face this. It’s on me. They fought hard. I put this on myself.”

Younghoe Koo won the game in overtime with a 41-yard field goal, and the Panthers (2-6) failed to build upon their 21-3 win a week earlier over Tom Brady and Tampa Bay, a surprising result in the debut of interim coach Steve Wilks.

At least Carolina can be credited with keeping the pressure on Atlanta most of the game. The Panthers scored 21 points in the fourth quarter as D’Onta Foreman had two rushing touchdowns in the final period — he finished with a career-best three scores