Carolina Panthers Had Multiple Chances at Game-Winning Kick vs. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans suffered a heartbreaking last-second 15-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday ... three times.
Trailing the Texans 13-12 with 6:23 left in the game, the Panthers defense forced a Houston punt that went to the Carolina nine-yard line. Faced with 86 yards in front of them, the Panthers offense just needed a field goal for the win, and there was plenty of time.
Rookie quarterback Bryce Young lined up the offense and marched down the field, and not only put his team in a position to win but left no time on the clock for a possible Texans answer.
By the time the two-minute warning arrived, the Panthers were already at the Texans 30, and fearing the worst, Houston coach DeMeco Ryans started burning his timeouts. It didn't matter.
Panthers kicker Eddy Peneiro
USA Today
The Panthers got to the Houston 18 facing a 3rd and 9. Young carried to the right setting up the field goal on the right hash for his kicker, Eddy Pineiro, with 22 seconds left. Houston was out of timeouts, and when the game clock ticked down to just three seconds remaining, Carolina called their second timeout to line up for the game-winning kick.
But it wasn't going to be as easy as it could've been.
On 4th and 11 from the Houston 20, Pineiro kicked the 37-yarder to win the game, and missed wide right ... but ... Texans corner Tavierre Thomas jumped offsides and bulldozed Texans holder Johnny Hekker and was called for unnecessary roughness, a 10-yard penalty (half the distance to the goal line), and an automatic first down.
On 1st and Goal from the Houston 10, Pineiro made the kick, this time from just 27 yards out for the win ... but ... Thomas was flagged once again for being offsides. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty moved the ball five yards closer (half the distance to the goal line).
On 1st and Goal from the Houston five-yard line, Pineiro made the 23-yarder for the win. It was a rare occasion when a kicker attempted the game-winning kick three times.
“I have seen it before when teams try to play with a kicker’s mind,” Texans holder Johnny Hekker said. “Hey, it’s hard to hit one game-winner, much less three. Kudos to him. He’s mentally tough, and he is a guy that works super hard. He has the ability to put every kick behind him and focus on that next kick.”
Thomas didn't intentionally draw the penalties to "ice" the kicker.
“My coach told me to sell out and not let it go through the uprights,” Thomas said. “I didn’t try to hit the dude the first time. He was just right there and I fell over him. We were trying to get the kicker a little frazzled or whatever so he would miss the kick.”
