Rookie kicker Ryan Fitzgerald played a key role in the Carolina Panthers’ 16-13 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field. Fitzgerald made a 49-yard field goal with one second remaining, marking his second game-winning kick in the past month.
Long snapper JJ Jansen described Fitzgerald’s confidence during the tense final moments. “He looked me in the eye and he goes, ‘Looks like it might be a day for a game-winner,'” Jansen said.
Fitzgerald has become known for his calm demeanor since winning the starting job in training camp. As reporters gathered around him after the victory, Fitzgerald commented, “I’ve never had this many people want to talk to me.”
Quarterback Bryce Young noted that Fitzgerald’s composure under pressure is not new to the team. “Learned nothing,” Young said when asked what they’ve figured out about Fitzgerald so far. “That’s who he is, that’s who we know he is. Throughout training camp, everything, he was great. And then, you know, he has that ice in the veins. This is not the first time he’s done that, hit a game-winning kick.
“Rookie coming in, not scared of the moment, not afraid of the bright lights, that’s the guy he is. That wasn’t something new learned today.”
Special teams coordinator Tracy Smith worked with head coach Dave Canales before the game to adjust their usual approach due to weather conditions. They decided to take possession first after winning the coin toss so they could have the wind at their backs in the fourth quarter.
“Yeah, I’ve got to give a lot of props to Tracy Smith,” Canales said. “He and I were talking before the game, and he was like, if we take the ball, we can set ourselves up to have the ball with the wind to our backs to finish the game to give us an opportunity, and it played out just like that.
“It was unbelievable, but it took all of us doing right to make it happen, so it was a little bit of a change from what we normally do. We’d normally defer in that situation, but the wind was a factor in that decision.”
Jansen added that kicking into or against strong winds significantly impacted their strategy: “I mean, the PAT we hit from 48 in the third quarter was unmakeable,” Jansen said. He explained that going with the wind made longer attempts more feasible and estimated they could have tried kicks up to 60 yards.
Jansen praised Fitzgerald’s temperament: “He is extremely confident,” Jansen said. “To use words like cold-blooded or ice in his veins. He’s got that temperament…there is confidence…especially for big kicks…and there’s a determination.” He noted Fitzgerald’s quiet approach as a sign of genuine self-assurance.
“So we prepared for it. We planned for it,” Jansen said about their late-game approach with favorable wind conditions and how Fitzgerald performed well during pregame warmups facing those winds.
Fitzgerald credited his teammates for putting him in position for another crucial kick: “Yeah, just, I mean, so proud of these guys,” he began. “Giving me a 49-yarder and offense driving the ball down the field, and the crucial interception we had on defense, and just a great team.”
Reflecting on his growing experience as an NFL kicker under challenging circumstances on Sunday night—and previously against Dallas—Fitzgerald added: “It’s fun. It’s fun. It’s really fun when they go in…I think there is a sort of comfort level in the fact that I’ve done it before…I’m still learning new experiences…tough environment on the road this week…tough conditions…There’s a lot of firsts for me…and I’ve still got to keep getting better and as I get used to these conditions keep getting better at my game.”
