You never know quite what you’ll see when there’s a fumble in the NFL.
While it usually ends with a player from one side jumping on the ball and ending the play, sometimes they try to pick it up and hilarity ensues.
Late in the first half of Monday night’s game between the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers, we saw the latter.
Facing third-and-six, Panthers quarterback Bryce Young rolled out and looked to make something happen, but was sacked. To make things worse, Young fumbled the ball. Saints linebacker Pete Werner rushed in to try and pick it up and run with it, seeing an open field in front of him, but after a couple of steps, Werner fumbled the ball off his foot and sent it careening further back.
Luckily for the Saints, they still managed to recover and went into halftime still holding a 6-3 lead. Had Carolina kept possession, even way back at the 40 where it was ultimately recovered, they would have been able to try a game-tying field goal as the half expired.
Bryce Young is sacked and fumbles while in field goal range, and the Saints recover the ball 20+ yards behind the line of scrimmage. #MNF pic.twitter.com/Xd7gPn77nV
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) September 19, 2023
While Young should have hung onto the ball, he’s a rookie and mistakes will happen sometimes.
All this play was missing was Chris Berman giving a couple of his signature “WHOOP” calls as the ball was bouncing down the field.
Social media had plenty to say about the fumble.
That should've been a fumble return TD how did that saints defender not manage to scoop it up
— notable head coach haver (@wrongopinionman) September 19, 2023
That was a really weird fumble #Saints
— Ryne McCallum (@skibolightning) September 19, 2023
That was the most Saints fumble recovery ever.
— Paul 🦈 (@paulrockyhorror) September 19, 2023
That fumble recovery is the largest gain for the Saints tonight, no?
— Kyle Campbell (@KMCampbell7) September 19, 2023
