Odd Sweater Pattern

Hello everybody!

I hope everybody had a great weekend. I'm working on a sweater that has some interesting instructions. I'm pretty sure one of them is just a typo, or at least not clearly written, but this part kind of perplexes me; I was wondering if any of you could give me any insight as to why the pattern was written this way.

I'm working on this pattern from Berroco:

working the front panels of the cardigan, it asks you to put some stitches on a holder for the front button bands and then knit those in a rib pattern AFTER you've knitted the body of the panel: Next Row (RS): K36(40-46-52-56-60), sl remaining 7 sts onto holder for frontband. Beg with a p row, work even in St st until piece measures 4? from beg, end on WS. Mark end of last row for side slit. Work even until piece measures 18 1/2? from beg, end on WS. ...

...FINISHING Left Frontband: With RS facing, sl 7 sts from holder onto smaller needles. Join yarn and inc 1 st, work in ribbing to end ? 8 sts. Work even in ribbing as established until frontband, when slightly stretched, reaches to beg of neck shaping, end on WS, dec 1 st at end of last row ?

7 sts. Sl sts back onto holder. Sew inside edge of frontband to front edge of sweater. Mark placement of 7 buttons evenly spaced along frontband, the first opposite 1st buttonhole worked in ribbing of right front and the last 2 1/2? below sts on holder.

Now for my question. Why is it that they want you to knit the front bands separately from the body of the panel? My first inclination would be to just continue knitting those 7 stitches in the rib pattern. Is there a structural reason for this? Thanks for your help!

Allaya