The Carolina Panthers gave up two points on one of the rarest scoring plays that the NFL has in its rules.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the beneficiary in a big Week 7 game on Sunday between NFC South rivals.
The Panthers had just gotten on the board with their first touchdown, a 50-yard pass over the top from Bryce Young to Darren Waller.
They couldn’t get the extra point, though. Ryan Fitzgerald had his PAT blocked. That’s when the Bucs found their way to two points.
How Panthers Gave Bucs 2 Points On Return
In the NFL, point-after attempts are live plays, whether an extra point or a 2-point conversion. They don’t get the whistle blown dead if the conversion or kick isn’t made, which is different than college football.
That opens the door for these plays to feature returns.
If the defense returns the ball just a little bit, it doesn’t matter. There’s still a kickoff that follows no matter what.
But if the defense goes all the way back to the end zone, it’s worth two points.
It’s two points whether the return happened on a kick or a conversion attempt, too.
In this case, it was Zyon McCollum doing the run-back for the Bucs:
Something you NEVER see: A blocked PAT turns into Zyon McCollum’s 2-pointer. https://t.co/p268pVNAky
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 25, 2026
A Rules Question
The big question here is why it’s two points for the defense to return a play that would’ve been just one point for the offense.
That’s simply the way the NFL has decided to write the rules.
It’s certainly frustrating for the team that gives up the two points, but it’s a great boost for the team that scores them.
It ends up feeling like the momentum is with the team that just gave up the touchdown.
In this case, the Buccaneers certainly did maintain the momentum. They received the ensuing kickoff and put together a great offensive drive that ended with a Bucky Irving rushing touchdown.
The Bucs held a crazy 26-6 lead still in the first half, in part because of that 2-point return.
How Panthers Gave Up 2 Points on Buccaneers’ Blocked Extra Point Return