Sunday turned out to be a big day for the sporting world defining what counts as a lewd celebration.
The line between a permissible touchdown celebration and a flag for taunting/unsportsmanlike conduct in the NFL is, admittedly, a moving target.
But on Sunday, Panthers running back Rico Dowdle learned the hard way that you can’t believe everything that you see on television. Late in the third quarter, Dowdle found the end zone for his second touchdown of the day.
To celebrate, Dowdle held up two fingers to his linemen, who quickly circled him as he put his hands on his hips. Dowdle’s teammates stared fascinated as he thrust his hips once, then again, before jogging back to the sidelines.
Rico Dowdle scores his second TD of the day!
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 2, 2025
📺:FOX pic.twitter.com/itkv81R0md
The celebration was a reference to a Key & Peele comedy sketch, in which a football player can be flagged for three pelvic thrusts, but no less—two pumps are supposed to be allowed, it’s the third pump that gets you in trouble.
But the referees calling Sunday’s game between the Panthers and Packers either hadn’t seen the sketch, or simply disagree with its premise, as two thrusts was plenty enough for Dowdle to draw the flag.
As it turns out, the penalty was quite costly for the Panthers. Dowdle’s touchdown extended Carolina’s lead to 13–6 with the extra point pending, with the chance to push that lead to eight. Instead, the kick was pushed back 15 yards due to the penalty, and kicker Ryan Fitzgerald was not able to put his attempt through the uprights.
Should the Packers come back and beat the Panthers, it’s possible Dowdle will be sorely regretting his decision to test the limits of two pumps.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rico Dowdle Costs Panthers a Point With His ‘Two Pumps’ TD Celebration.
