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Luke Kuechly avoids penalty on questionable hit vs. Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins appealed for a flag, but to no avail.

James Dator
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.

Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly caught a break in the end zone when he committed a clear penalty on a last-second throw. No, we're not talking about the controversial end to Monday Night Football, but rather the end of the first half between Carolina and Miami.

Wide receiver Rishard Matthews attempted to haul in a touchdown catch when he was met with a helmet-to-helmet hit from Kuechly. Initially the referees threw a flag for hitting a defenseless receiver, but they picked it up and announced there was no penalty, and that was met with an expected chorus of boos from the Miami crowd.

It's the second straight week Kuechly has been the subject of a controversial end zone call. Against the New England Patriots, he held onto tight end Rob Gronkowski, prompting debate throughout the week whether he should have been flagged for pass interference.

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The situation against Miami was slightly different and could result in referees watching the second-year linebacker more closely in the future.

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