Panthers escape apparent New Orleans TD

New Orleans almost just scored a defensive touchdown on a strange play -- and a bad one by Panther quarterback Matt Moore.

On a third-and-10 play from the Carolina 9, Moore rolled right, running fast. Then he slipped and landed on his backside with the ball still held up in his right hand. Defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove dove on Moore, hitting his body and the ball almost simultaneously.

Moore fumbled, Hargrove crawled into the end zone and onto the ball and the referee signaled "Touchdown."

But the Panthers' John Fox challenged. And the referee overturned the play, saying Moore had been touched by Hargrove and was thus down just before Moore lost the fumble.

Instead, Carolina got to punt the ball away, still leading 7-0.