The NFL has turned everything we know on its head. Rico Dowdle decided to bust out the iconic Hingle McCringleberry after scoring a critical rushing touchdown against the Packers in the third quarter on Sunday, and despite stopping at two pumps he was still flagged for Unsportsmanlike Conduct — which had a pretty big impact.
The Panthers are really putting up a fight in Lambeau, leading at halftime and reaching a one touchdown lead on this run shortly before the end of the quarter. The penalty moved back the extra point in extremely windy conditions, which led to the miss and keeping this a little closer for the Packers.
However, the NFL has decided to break with the longstanding tradition of three pumps being when you get flagged, and have reduced the pump amount needed for a flag. We know this because earlier in the day the Patriots busted out the McCringleberry and didn’t get flagged for stopping at one pump.
This needs to be codified in the rulebook.
