Smooth Operators: Panthers’ Specialists Building Confidence as a Unit | Eastern NC Now

Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of The Riot Report. The author of this post is Steven Taranto.


    When the kicking unit takes to the field and it's time to put the ball through the uprights, the success or failure to score is always attributed to the kicker as the most prominent of a team's specialists. A kicker is expected to be cool under pressure, consistent in his delivery, and ultimately to score field goals and extra points whatever the distance. Lost in that, however, is that a successful kicking game is a process that takes three specific steps that all must be done correctly: The snap, the hold, and the kick.

    In 2020, the Panthers' kicking unit did not have the sort of season that could be called satisfactory. Second year kicker Joey Slye's numbers might not have been helped by multiple attempts at breaking the NFL record but by going 29-36 on field goals (80.6%) and 33-36 on extra points (91.7%) he failed to fully grasp the chance to secure his spot as the Panthers' long-term kicker. Of particular concern was his record from beyond 50 yards, where his 1-6 record included a missed would-be-game-winning 54-yard attempt against the Vikings.

    To address his weaknesses and continue to justify his job as the Panthers' kicker, Slye has been doing his due diligence this offseason and he is now seeing a sports psychologist as he tries to become stronger mentally and approach his kicks with a clearer mind. However, while Slye tries to control what he can control, the Panthers are working to make sure that the other parts of the kicking operation are also putting him in the best possible position to be successful.

    [ ... ]

    Read the full article HERE on The Riot Report.