CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Where were you and what were you doing when Panthers kicker Graham Gano made his game-winning, 63-yard field goal against the Giants on Sunday?
Head in your hands on the couch, afraid to look? Setting your beer down in your favorite sports bar?
Most of the Panthers’ players and coaches had the same vantage point when Gano’s kick beat the Giants 33-31 — lined up along the sideline hoping the veteran would end the crazy, back-and-forth game.
But there were still some great reactions: Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey tossed an NFL-issued tablet. Quarterback Cam Newton was forced to abandon his usual tradition during pressure kicks because of the bedlam that ensued. Head coach Ron Rivera ho-hummed it, per usual.
Panthers’ players — and their head coach — share their perspectives on Gano’s field goal, which tied for the second-longest in NFL history.
If the kick looked familiar, there’s a reason why: Gano tried the same kick, from the same spot, going the same direction at the end of a 19-17 loss to Atlanta in a Week 11 matchup in 2014. Falcons defensive lineman Ra’Shede Hageman blocked Gano’s 63-yarder that day as time expired.
Long snapper J.J. Jansen: We were on that left hash, on that 45-yard line, a 63-yarder to win it, and it got blocked four years ago. The only thing that was different was it was a Panther logo and not an NFL logo. Same direction, everything.
Graham Gano (who says he made a 75-yarder while training in Denver after the Redskins cut him in 2012): I try not to back it up too much (in practice) because realistically you’re not gonna get those a lot. I think the last time we had a 63-yarder was here versus Atlanta, left hash, same thing. … They tipped it at the line. It missed it by an inch. I felt like I hit that one well, too.
Jansen: About a minute and a half left, I just turned to (holder) Mike (Palardy) and said, ‘What do you think Graham’s range is?’ Because usually what happens is the coaches come running up and it just brings up all this energy. And Mike goes, ‘I think 65.’ And I walk over to (special teams coordinator) Chase (Blackburn) with a minute and a half left and I say, ‘Graham’s range is about 65 if you need it.’ And he’s kind of like, ‘What are you talking about it? We’ve got the lead.’ …
I just had the sense that this was gonna happen. They scored again like three plays later. The cool part is we didn’t really have to talk about all that. I looked at Mike with about a minute left, we had the ball, and said, ‘You just remind him to put a good swing on it.’ He just kind of nodded. I guess the last thing Mike said to him was, ‘Just put a good swing on it.’
Safety Mike Adams: I actually asked the (special teams assistant coach Heath Farwell) where would the yard-line be. And he said he’s already in range. I said, ‘What? OK, we’re in range already.’ I was hoping we’d get 10 more yards, but we was good at 63.
Trailing 31-30, the Panthers had driven to the Giants’ 45 when a Newton incompletion (intended for Jarius Wright) stopped the clock with 6 seconds left. Both teams were out of timeouts, so the Giants didn’t have an opportunity to try to ice Gano.
Jansen: We’re out of timeouts, they’re out of timeouts, so you kind of know (the situation). As the play clock was running down, which it was running down fast — which I haven’t figured out why because everything was in rhythm — you kind of know we’ve got to get it off. Because 68 (yards) — that would have been good from 68. But if you know it’s 68, I don’t know if you can replicate it.
Gano: I knew it was 60-plus because I could see the Panther in the middle of the field, but I didn’t know how far it was. In that moment, I look up and we don’t have a lot of time left on the (play) clock. We had three seconds by the time I finished my steps. I’m looking at Mike like, go, go, go. But even in that moment, just try to stay calm and just trust the swing.
Michael Palardy: When I got down I saw Graham shake his head at me like, hey, play clock’s running. But not once did that ever make him lose track of what he’s doing. J.J. doesn’t see that (clock). But I see that. He sees that. For him to have that type of confidence even when the clock’s running down — hey, look, we’ve got to go, we’ve got to hurry up — I think is (impressive).
There was a slight wind blowing on the hot, muggy day. Gano says it was blowing left to right, Jansen says the Panthers had it at their backs. In either event, the snap-hold-kick operation was sound. And so was the blocking.
Jansen: Great hold and he made a great kick, but you need eight guys protecting. It’s a really hard kick to protect because of all of the time Graham needs, the lower trajectory that Graham needs — everyone had to be on it.
Gano: I have a hard time seeing over our linemen. But it felt good. It was good operation on the kick. And it’s crazy. I hear all the blocking in front of me and the crowd is roaring. It’s kind of just mixed up in one thing, and then you hear the thud and hope you hit it well.
Palardy: I looked at it just for the pure enjoyment for myself. Had I not looked at it, I still would have known it was good. I could just tell by the way the ball came out of my hands. I could tell by the way he struck it, it was good. Not once did I ever go out thinking, hey, 63 yards, ahhhh, I don’t know if he’s got this. Graham’s leg strength is unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Christian McCaffrey: I had the Surface in my hand going over a play with (running backs) coach (Jim Skipper). Didn’t even realize, didn’t put 2-and-2 together, it was a game-winning field goal. Saw it go in, saw everybody jumping around. So I threw it and joined them.
Cam Newton: I get right where the snapper is, I take a knee and just wait. And as soon as he kicked it, I didn’t do something I always do because a melee just broke out. I usually try to touch every single person that’s out there, but everybody rushed out there. So I just went to Graham. …
I’m happy we’ve got a kicker like that. A wise man once told me a great quarterback is only as good as his kicker.
Jarius Wright: I was about even with him (on the sideline). Off the foot I knew it had the distance. But I couldn’t see exactly where it was on the field goal posts. Graham’s a great kicker. I play with him all the time on Madden and I hit 54-, 55-yarders all the time. So I didn’t expect anything else from the guy.
While Gano’s teammates rushed the field, referee Jerome Boger turned on his mic and asked the clock operator to put one second back on the field, meaning the Panthers had to survive an Odell Beckham Jr. runback and a few laterals on the ensuing kickoff.
Gano: I heard some of the guys grabbing me. I think Chase was one of the first ones. He said, ‘Hey, we’ve still got a second. You’ve got to kick off.’ So that was fun. And then you’ve got Odell Beckham back there. He always makes the game exciting. It was just a surreal moment.
Ron Rivera: Piece of cake. Piece of cake.
(Top photo of Graham Gano, Mike Palardy, J.J. Jansen: Jim Dedmon/USA Today)
