CHARLOTTE -- Five observations on the Washington Redskins' defense after their 44-16 loss to the Carolina Panthers:
I need to start with the penalty on Chris Culliver. I’ve watched the play again; I read the rules on it several times and listened to experts. Here’s my take: By the letter of the law, it’s a penalty. This is the part of the rule the officials applied to Culliver: “forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head, or neck area with the helmet, facemask, forearm or shoulder, even if the initial contact is lower than the player’s neck, and regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grabbing him.