Bears-Panthers Upon Further Review: A Closer Look at the Referees
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 6: A detail view of a flag on the field during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears, at Soldier Field on October 6, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesHello Chicago Bears Fans! Welcome to my in-season series on the striped ones, the zebras, the arbiters-of-the-yellow-flag, that's right - the refs. Every week when the Bears end up in the loss column, Bears fans leave Soldier Field (or the living room) with the same two questions: Did we actually lose that game, or did the officials take it from us? And when we are in the win column, we will inevitably hear from opponents' fans that they were robbed by the refs. Well, were they? Upon Further Review exists to answer these questions with film, the rulebook, and a consistent grading scale: Each week I'll isolate the flags and no-calls that went against Chicago and against the opponent, grade every one as Correct, Arguable, Incorrect, or Horrible, then roll those grades into four numbers: a Calls-Against-Bears rating, a Calls-Against-Opponent rating, an overall referee performance score, and a differential that shows which sideline got the better of the crew. I'll also pull the most controversial calls from around the league so we can see what call this year will have NFL fans screaming, wait, what?" and NFL rules analysts assuring us, always has been."
Chicago beat Carolina 59-37 on Sunday in Charlotte. Official totals: Bears 12 penalties for 57 yards, Panthers 11 for 84 yards. Below are all accepted flags, in order, with the player named, the yardage, the game clock, and the score when the penalty was enforced.
CHI 0, CAR 0
- Rome Odunze (CHI), offensive holding, 10 yards - 15:00, first play from scrimmage. Swift's 17-yard run came back; ball spotted at the CHI 19.
- Dayo Odeyingbo (CHI), roughing the passer, 1 yard - 12:54. After Young's 26-yard completion to Coker at the CHI 2. Half-the-distance; first-and-goal at the 1.
- Montez Sweat (CHI), defensive offside, 0 yards - 12:44. Already at the 1; replay first-and-goal.
- Darren Waller (CAR), offensive pass interference, 9 yards - 12:29. Waller's 1-yard TD catch wiped off. First-and-goal from the 10.
CHI 0, CAR 7
- Garrett Bradbury (CHI), offensive holding, 9 yards - 10:09. Swift's 9-yard run on 3rd-and-1 nullified.
- Cairo Santos (CHI), kickoff short of landing zone - 5:52. Ball placed at the CAR 40 (no yardage in the official 57-yard total).
CHI 14, CAR 7
- Isaiah Simmons (CAR), offensive holding, 10 yards - 1:59, on the kickoff return. Carolina started at its 17.
- M. Freeling (CAR), false start, 5 yards - 1:27.
CHI 14, CAR 7
- Mitchell Evans (CAR), unnecessary roughness, 15 yards - 15:00. After Raymond's 23-yard punt return to the CHI 44; Bears started at the CAR 41 and scored two plays later (Kmet 22-yard TD).
CHI 21, CAR 14
- S. Thomas (CHI), illegal block above the waist, 10 yards - 12:40, on the kickoff return. Bears started at their 12.
- Dayo Odeyingbo (CHI), illegal use of hands, 2 yards - 9:21. Half-the-distance; first-and-goal at the 2. Carolina later scored on Young's 7-yard scramble.
- Carolina, illegal shift, 5 yards - 9:09. Wiped a 1-yard Hubbard run at the goal line.
CHI 24, CAR 21
- James Lynch (CHI), defensive offside, 5 yards - 5:16.
- Robert Hunt (CAR), offensive holding, 10 yards - 4:11. Brooks' 12-yard run came back.
CHI 24, CAR 24
- Chicago, delay of game, 5 yards - 0:38. Williams still converted and scored on a 29-yard scramble two plays later (31-24 at half).
CHI 31, CAR 31
- Colston Loveland (CHI), offensive holding, 10 yards - 4:55. Created 2nd-and-20 at the CAR 21.
- Derrick Brown (CAR), roughing the passer, 10 yards - 4:31. After Williams threw the ball away on that 2nd-and-20. Automatic first down at the CAR 11; Swift scored from the 1 three plays later (38-31).
CHI 38, CAR 31
- Cairo Santos (CHI), kickoff short of landing zone - 3:05. Again spotted at the CAR 40.
- R. Walker (CAR), false start, 5 yards - 2:33. Carolina then failed on 4th-and-3; Monangai ripped the 61-yard TD on the next snap (45-31).
CHI 45, CAR 31
- Chicago, illegal formation, 5 yards - 12:48.
- Derrick Brown (CAR), defensive offside, 0 yards - 7:21. Nullified Bobby Brown III's interception in the end zone. Williams threw a 1-yard TD to Jahdae Walker two plays later (52-31).
CHI 52, CAR 31
- Jalen Coker (CAR), offensive pass interference, 10 yards - 4:38. Wiped a 1-yard TD pass to Mitchell Evans. Carolina still scored on Coker's 8-yard catch; PAT blocked (52-37).
- T. Gipson (CAR), neutral zone infraction, 5 yards - 3:52. Gifted Chicago a first down; Swift scored from 28 yards on the next play (59-37).
In our inaugural UFR, I'm glad I'm not in a position to analyze the flags that cost us the game. In fact, it was flags against the Carolina Panthers that were pivotal - the first-ever roughing the passer" call for Caleb Williams, erasing a 2nd and 20 near the red zone, and an interception at the goal line that was erased by an offside. Both of those flags were on Carolina Panthers defensive lineman, Derrick Brown. Carolina also had two touchdowns called back for offensive pass interference (Waller in Q1, Coker/Evans in Q4). That said, while those penalties were certainly the most impactful, in my evaluation none of them were incorrect calls. Chicago's flags were more volume than impact-two landing-zone kickoffs, two holdings that were overcome, and a pair of small defensive infractions near the goal line-except Odeyingbo's first-quarter roughing, which put Carolina at the 1, and arguably Rome Odunze's holding call on the first snap of the game, which killed a first down run, and on the next play Luther Burden would fumble the football, leading to a Carolina touchdown.
Panthers called for roughing the passer for this hit to Caleb Williams pic.twitter.com/I8GD65igAT
- Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) September 13, 2026
Rule that matters: once the passer leaves the pocket and throws on the run, he loses the one-step protection. He still cannot be hit late with no attempt to avoid, stuffed, or driven through. Williams is outside the pocket, retreating, then dumps the ball toward the sideline. Brown (#95) is still coming. Contact is after the release. Williams goes down hard. Brown said he thought it was one step. Canales called it the two-step rule and tight."
From video review, it is more than one step. Both from a forcible contact perspective (forearm to Caleb's sternum) and from the differential between when the pass left Caleb's hand and when Brown made contact (close to two full steps) - this is classic RTP. I rate this call correct. Brown had plenty of time to pull up and instead he delivers a blow to the quarterback.
Upon Further Review - Week 1: Bears 59, Panthers 37
Crew: Brad Allen. Official totals: Chicago 12-57, Carolina 11-84.
Scale: Correct / Arguable / Incorrect / Horrible.
Weight is impact, not whether the flag was right: 1 housekeeping, 2 drive-changer, 3 scoring-situation / automatic first down that feeds points, 4 wiped score, wiped takeaway, or a dead drive flipped into a touchdown.
| # | Play | Grade | Wt | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Odunze holding, Q1 15:00, 0-0, 10 yds | Arguable | 2 | First-snap hold on a 17-yard Swift run. Typical Week 1 grab; no isolated replay. |
| 2 | Odeyingbo RTP, Q1 12:54, 0-0, 1 yd to the 1 | Arguable | 3 | Automatic first down at the 1 after Coker's 26-yard catch. League already has it in the fine pile. No public isolate. |
| 3 | Sweat offside, Q1 12:44, 0-0 0 yds | Correct | 1 | Neutral-zone foul at the 1. Bright line. |
| 4 | Bradbury holding, Q1 10:09, 0-7, 9 yds | Arguable | 2 | Killed 3rd-and-1. Chicago still converted the next snap. |
| 5 | Santos short of landing zone, Q1 5:52, 7-7 | Correct | 2 | Kick landed at the CAR 22. Rule is automatic: ball at the 40. |
| 6 | S. Thomas illegal block above waist, Q2 12:40, 21-14, 10 yds | Arguable | 2 | Return foul; Bears started at their 12. |
| 7 | Odeyingbo illegal use of hands, Q2 9:21, 21-14, 2 yds | Arguable | 3 | Half-the-distance at the 4. Helped set Young's 7-yard TD. |
| 8 | Lynch offside, Q2 5:16, 24-21, 5 yds | Correct | 1 | Alignment. |
| 9 | Delay of game, Q2 0:38, 24-24, 5 yds | Correct | 1 | Clock foul. Williams still hit the 29-yard TD. |
| 10 | Loveland holding, Q3 4:55, 31-31, 10 yds | Arguable | 2 | Created the 2nd-and-20 that Brown then bailed out. |
| 11 | Santos short of landing zone, Q3 3:05, 38-31 | Correct | 2 | Same automatic rule. Second one of the day. |
| 12 | Illegal formation, Q4 12:48, 45-31, 5 yds | Correct | 1 | Direct-snap look. Formation fouls are usually obvious. |
Calls against Carolina
| # | Play | Grade | Wt | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waller OPI, Q1 12:29, 0-0, 9 yds, TD wiped | Arguable | 4 | Cat Scratch and Panthers fans called it soft; no isolate. Wiping a TD is max impact either way. |
| 2 | Simmons holding on KO return, Q1 1:59, 14-7, 10 yds | Arguable | 2 | Standard return hold. |
| 3 | Freeling false start, Q1 1:27, 14-7, 5 yds | Correct | 1 | Dead-ball. |
| 4 | M. Evans unnecessary roughness after punt, Q2 15:00, 14-7, 15 yds | Arguable | 3 | 15 yards after Raymond's return put Chicago at the CAR 41; Kmet scored two plays later. League has Evans in the fine pile; act not specified. |
| 5 | Illegal shift, Q2 9:09, 21-14, 5 yds | Correct | 2 | Wiped a 1-yard run at the goal line. Shift is a formation call. |
| 6 | Hunt holding, Q2 4:11, 24-21, 10 yds | Arguable | 2 | Came back a 12-yard Brooks run. |
| 7 | Derrick Brown RTP, Q3 4:31, 31-31, 10 yds + auto 1st | Correct | 4 | See Flag of the Game" |
| 8 | R. Walker false start, Q3 2:33, 38-31, 5 yds | Correct | 1 | Dead-ball. Drive then died on 4th-and-3; Monangai went 61. |
| 9 | Derrick Brown offside, Q4 7:21, 45-31, 0 yds, INT wiped | Correct | 4 | Brown admitted it. Bobby Brown III picked Williams in the end zone. Two plays later: Walker 1-yard TD. |
| 10 | Coker OPI, Q4 4:38, 52-31, 10 yds, TD wiped | Arguable | 4 | Evans' 1-yard score off. Carolina still scored on the next throw (PAT blocked). |
| 11 | Gipson NZI, Q4 3:52, 52-37, 5 yds | Correct | 3 | Gifted a first down; Swift scored from 28 on the next play. Clock-kill situation. |
Against CAR: 6 Correct, 5 Arguable, 0 Incorrect, 0 Horrible.
Calls against the Bears: 6/12 Correct (50%), 6 Arguable, none wrong. Quality: clean but busy. Chicago's flags were mostly self-inflicted alignment, delay, and two landing-zone kicks. The two that actually fed Carolina points were Odeyingbo's RTP and hands-to-the-face - both Arguable without All-22.
Calls against the opponent: 6/11 Correct (54.5%), 5 Arguable, none wrong. Quality: same gray, worse timing. Carolina's book is full of dead-ball and alignment mistakes (false starts, offside, NZI) plus two wiped TDs and one wiped INT.
Total ref performance:12 Correct, 11 Arguable, 0 Incorrect, 0 Horrible on 23 accepted flags. No flag in the public record is egregious. Allen's crew did not gift a phantom 15-yarder that the tape clearly kills. They did live in the judgment pile (holds, OPI, RTP) and arguably were overly litigious in littering the field with laundry on Sunday.
If you count only wrong calls, the differential is 0-0. The refs did not steal this game. If you count Correct Weight-4 results, Carolina beat themselves: the wiped INT and the NZI before the 28-yarder, and the key call - the RTP against Brown, are on the Panthers. If you count Arguable Weight-4 results, the ledger leans Chicago +4 impact points (Evans UR vs Waller OPI + Coker OPI, with Odeyingbo's two red-zone flags on the other side).
Headline for the series: Brad Allen's crew was sloppy in volume, but got the key calls right for the most part. The two flags that actually decided the second half were a bang-bang RTP that the rulebook confirms and an offside Brown owned in his postgame interview.
Grading the officials in the Bears-Panthers game: Picky but Correct.
Now, let's talk about the most controversial call in the NFL over the weekend. Second quarter, Lions 7-0, about 9:34 left in the half. Detroit faced a long down (reports put it around 2nd-and-16) near its own 23. Jared Goff dropped to throw. Chase Young beat Penei Sewell, hit Goff as he wound up, and the ball came out backward, rolling toward the Lions' 12. Jonas Sanker scooped it and scored. On the field it was a backward pass / live ball and a Saints touchdown that would have tied the game pending the PAT.
Replay took the points off. The ruling became an incomplete forward pass. Detroit punted instead of lining up to kick off after a 7-7 score. The Lions later won 31-30 in overtime.
What looked like a fumble was treated as a pass because of a specific rule, Rule 3, Section 21, Article 3, Item 1: if a defender materially affects the passer after the throwing motion has started, it is a forward pass no matter where the ball lands. Throwing motion" starts when the passer begins to bring the ball up in the windup - not when the hand finishes moving forward. Mike Pereira said it on Fox: hand goes up, then he's hit, intent was to throw forward, so it's incomplete wherever it hits.
Mark Butterworth, the league's VP of instant replay, put it in the pool report: if Young had hit Goff before that motion started, it could be a backward pass and a live fumble. Because the motion had already started, contact that sent the ball backward still made it a forward pass.
While this may be correct on the rule in some technical sense, there has never been a stronger consensus that this was a nonsense, obviously wrong, call than the social media reaction to it. Everyone saw a ball travel 10-15 yards behind the line and a scoop-and-score. Suggesting that Goff's intent" to throw the ball forward is determinative is a tough pill to swallow for any objective NFL football fan. Even Dan Campbell said he thought Detroit had lost the play live and got one."
I was Week 1 2026 years old when I learned a quarterback's intention to throw the ball forward can turn this into an incompletion. I ... don't get it. pic.twitter.com/XUgaSBGRrX
- Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 13, 2026
I don't think I've ever seen 100% unanimous agreement on anything on social media as much as everyone agreeing the refs made a ridiculous call on the Chase Young-Jared Goff play. https://t.co/aQXfL0hpVQ
- Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) September 15, 2026
For Upon Further Review: this is the Week 1 NFL Call of the Week. You decide the grade and the significance of the call.
How would you grade it? And what do you think about how the officials did in the Panthers-Bears game? Let us know in the comments below!