Super Bowl 50: Graham Gano the X-factor for Carolina Panthers?
By Kelvin Hunt
Super Bowl 50 could be a game where the kickers are noticeable important.
The only time football fans pay attention to kickers is when they miss a kick, or send a kickoff flying out-of-bounds which costs their team significant field position. If a kicker makes a 52 yard field goal, well that’s what he gets paid to do. If he misses the same exact field goal, he is terrible according to most football fans. It’s a thankless job.
Graham Gano, 2008 Lou Groza award winner, has been playing an important part in the success of the Panthers, even if it goes unnoticed most of the time.
The former Florida State Seminole kicker has made 30 of 36 field goals this season with the longest being 52 yards. He has two game winning field goals, and broke the Panthers team record for points (146) previously held by Panthers great John Kasey. He also had the most touchbacks in the NFL this season at 69.
Advanced statistics have proven that it’s really difficult for any team in the NFL to consistently drive 75 yards and score touchdowns. It becomes even more difficult when facing a defense like the Carolina Panthers or Denver Broncos. The Panthers defense is giving up 5.57 (5th) plays per drive to opponents, and giving up 26.54 yards per drive (3rd). In short, it’s unlikely that Denver will score touchdowns consistently in the Super Bowl, and will more than likely settle for field goals.
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Super Bowl 50 will likely be a defensive struggle as both the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos feature excellent defenses. Points will be at a premium and field position will be of most importance. The ability of Gano to consistently make teams start at their own 25 yard line is valuable to the Panthers defense.
The Panther offense is averaging 2.57 (1st) points per drive this season They are facing a stout defense, but we can expect the Panthers to put some points on the board in this Super Bowl. The ability to get two or three first downs and get in field goal range is really important in these type of games. That’s where Gano can become a huge weapon because of his powerful leg. His career long is a 59 yard field goal in 2011, and he’s capable of making them from 70 yards under the right circumstances per the video below:
We should mention that Gano did miss three extra point opportunities this year. Of course, extra points are much longer due to the new rule that was implemented, but they surely are not automatic anymore.
If Gano is able to make Denver start at their own 25 yard line, that gives the Panthers defense an opportunity to get stops and give the offense good field position. That would be great for a kicker with a leg like Gano who has been fairly consistent from 50+ yard field goals.
We think Gano could be the X-factor for the Panthers in Super Bowl 50.