November 18, 2013: The officials pick up a pass interference flag on the last play, and the Panthers beat the Patriots 24-20

On November 18, 2013, in Charlotte, Tom Brady threw into the end zone from the Carolina 18 with 3 seconds left. Luke Kuechly had both arms around Rob Gronkowski, and rookie safety Robert Lester intercepted the pass. A flag was thrown, then picked up. The Panthers won 24-20, their sixth win in a row.

Carolina had the league’s top-ranked defense. Cam Newton threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Brandon LaFell, and the Panthers led 10-3 at halftime. Brady tied it with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Gronkowski. Newton then led an 81-yard drive and found Greg Olsen for a 17-10 lead.

Stevan Ridley’s 1-yard run tied it 17-17, and Stephen Gostkowski’s 26-yard field goal put New England up 20-17 with 6:32 left. Newton took Carolina 83 yards in 13 plays and hit Ted Ginn Jr. on a short pass that ended in the end zone. The Panthers led 24-20 with 59 seconds left.

New England started at its own 20. Brady’s first three passes fell incomplete. On fourth-and-10, he found Gronkowski for 23 yards, and a pass interference call on Melvin White helped keep the drive going. Aaron Dobson caught a 7-yard pass and stepped out of bounds at the 18 with 3 seconds left.

Referee Clete Blakeman said the ball was intercepted at about the same time as the contact, so Gronkowski could not have caught it. If the flag had stood, the Patriots would have had an untimed down from the 1. “It wasn’t a great throw. No excuses,” Brady said.

Carolina won its next two games, finished 12-4, won the NFC South and earned a first-round bye. Kuechly was named Defensive Player of the Year. New England also finished 12-4 and reached the AFC Championship Game. This season, the Panthers host Denver and the Patriots host Green Bay on November 8.