What was once a sore spot for the Panthers has all of a sudden become an area of strength - the kicking game.
Joey Slye struggled in training camp which carried over to the preseason. Carolina brought in Ryan Santoso and beat out Slye for the starting job, however, Santoso lost his job after just one game. It was essentially a one-game tryout for Santoso due to the way the trade with the Giants worked out. Had Santoso appeared in two games, the Panthers would officially lose the conditional 7th round pick they sent to the New York Giants to acquire him. They recouped the pick by signing Zane Gonzalez off of the Lions' practice squad and waiving Santoso.
Gonzalez has been nearly automatic since taking over the kicking duties. This week, he was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after converting on all four of his field goal attempts last Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Gonzalez has made 16 straight field goals and is 19/21 on the season.
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