'Fatal blow': Untimely sack leads to long field goal miss

[Sir Purr]

Rhule wasn't left with many good choices on fourth-and-17 from the New Orleans 47, especially considering he had one timeout left. Punting may have pinned the Saints deep, but it wouldn't have left much time for the offense had the defense gotten a stop. But frankly, the Panthers hadn't stopped the Saints all day.


"We don't have a lot of those (offensive play) calls we feel good about," Rhule said. "(W)e felt (Slye) would have a chance. Our odds with fourth-and-17, we felt like, were less than that. Obviously, it was not ideal."


So Rhule turned to Slye, the kicker who had been on the reserve/COVID-19 list all week while self-isolating. Slye stayed ready by kicking on an empty field with his swing coach, taking special precautions to stay socially distanced. He also worked out at a local gym at 1:00 a.m. so that no one else would be around.


"I was just trying to stay as prepped as I could for this week," Slye said.


Slye rejoined the team Friday and didn't miss a beat while hitting a 43-yard field goal in the first quarter and three extra points.


But then there was the 65-yard miss. While Slye was frustrated because he thinks could've hit it, he understood it wasn't a gimmie.


"From that deep and the ball that I hit, this is probably the one miss in my career if I ever have any — hopefully, I don't have any more — but this is one of the ones I'm OK with living with," Slye said.


As the Panthers continue to build their team, Sunday should be a situation everyone will be able to learn from. That sack was the difference between a more makeable field goal versus needing to hit one at a length no kicker has ever hit from previously. And that can be the difference between winning and losing.


"We left a couple plays out there today, a couple big plays," Bridgewater said. "If you leave too many plays against a team like that, you get beat."