According to the NFL themselves, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen made the second-most impressive catch of the 2024 campaign. But as crazy as it sounds, that grab wasn’t even Thielen’s most memorable one from that very same day.
The NFL ranked the top 100 catches of this past season, and gave Thielen’s phenomenal one-handed snag against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 13 the No. 2 spot.
In case you need a refresher, or if you just want to experience it again . . .
That play, which occurred in overtime, may have never happened if not for a botched call earlier in the contest. Remember this . . . ?
This is a Touchdown catch by Adam Thielen.
Ruled incomplete initially, but currently under review.#KeepPounding #NFL #TBvsCAR pic.twitter.com/qo6kw4g405
— Blego (@BlegoBro) December 1, 2024
Yeah, that was ruled an incompletion—even after a replay review.
Here was the explanation for call from NFL replay executive Mark Butterworth after the game:
Transcript of pool report w/ replay exec Mark Butterworth, who noted there weren’t as many cameras at this game as others. pic.twitter.com/a36R7FU3m7
— Joe Person (@josephperson) December 2, 2024
Well, had there been enough angles, Thielen’s touchdown would’ve given at least three more points to the Panthers—who ended up settling for a field goal after the “incompletion.”
Carolina ended up on the losing side, as Tampa Bay pulled out a 26-23 victory.