The officials aren’t the reason the Panthers are losing right now. Alvin Kamara is.
But the Panthers have a rightful beef with officials.
A missed neutral zone infraction non-call led to a sack on third down, the Panthers had to punt instead of getting a first down, and Kamara made them pay.
With the rookie running back’s second touchdown of the day — a 20-yard eruption which ended in the first row of the stands — the Saints are up 28-14 midway through the third quarter.
And they’re doing it in a basic way. The Saints have rushed for 133 yards already, and Kamara has 91 yards from scrimmage and two scores.
They’re also showing some weaknesses in the Panthers’ second-ranked defense, breaking tackles and causing confusion we’re not used to seeing.