Carolina needs OT after 23-7 lead slips
MONDAY’S NFL
PANTHERS 29, COLTS 26, OT
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Graham Gano kicked a 52yard field goal in overtime to lift the Carolina Panthers to a 29-26 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on a raindrenched Monday night, allowing them to remain the NFC’s only unbeaten team.
It was Carolina’s 11th consecutive regular-season victory dating back to last season.
The Panthers didn’t make it easy on themselves.
Carolina blew a 17-point fourth quarter lead as Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes in the final 7:11 of regulation and led another field-goal drive at the end of regulation.
The teams traded field goals in overtime, with Gano tying the score on a 42-yarder with 7:50 to go. On the Colts’ ensuing possession, Carolina safety Roman Harper deflected Luck’s pass over the middle to Coby Fleener and linebacker Luke Kuechly — who had dropped an earlier interception that would have sealed the game at the end of regulation — came up with the ball at the Colts 39.
Four plays later Gano, who had missed an extra point earlier in the game, hit the game-winner.
“I had a lot of confidence in Graham,” Panthers Coach Ron Rivera said. “A kid like him is just fearless.”
Cam Newton was 16 of 35 for 248 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also ran for 41 yards.
Carolina had a chance to win the game on its first possession of overtime but Ted Ginn Jr. dropped what would have been 56-yard touchdown pass. But tight end Greg Olsen extended the drive with a one-handed catch to help set up Gano’s tying field goal.
Luck was limited to 40 yards passing and two interceptions through the first three quarters.
He threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson and an 8-yard TD strike to Fleener to bring the Colts to within the 23-20.
The Panthers, with the No. 1 running game in the league, couldn’t pick up a first down to put the game away and were forced to punt the ball away.
Luck drove the Colts back down the field, completing a fourth-and-10 pass to Griff Whalen to keep the drive alive. On a third-and-4 from the 6, Luck fired into the end zone and Kuechly nearly came down with an interception but the ball fell out of his hands on a wet field with two seconds left.
Adam Vinatieri hit the third of his four field goals as time expired to send the game into overtime. He then gave the Colts a 26-23 lead on a 50-yarder with 12:04 left in the extra period.
The Panthers’ defense put the clamps on Luck early, intercepting the Colts quarterback twice during a downpour to take a 10-0 lead.
Newton threw an interception and also fumbled on the Colts 3, but rallied late in the third quarter. Newton threw touchdown passes to Greg Olsen and Philly Brown to give the Panthers a 23-6 lead.