Kasay Again the Panthers’ Offense

NEW ORLEANS —  No matter that Carolina’s offense was less than effective against the Saints. The Panthers are 2-0 on the strength of John Kasay’s kicking leg.

“Our approach is we don’t care if we have to settle for three, as long as we can win the game,” said Carolina Coach Dom Capers.

And win the Panthers did, defeating New Orleans, 22-20, on Kasay’s fifth field goal, a 23-yarder with 2:09 left.

“So many games in the NFL come down to the fourth quarter,” Panther quarterback Kerry Collins said. “We didn’t play as well as we could have, but we found a way to get it done. We showed we could win in a close game.”

Winning the close ones has been difficult for the Saints (0-2).

“We knew we had to win this game,” New Orleans offensive lineman William Roaf said. “We understand about digging holes. We know we can’t give games away, and we gave this one away.”

In a game that was close from the first quarter, Carolina trailed four times and gained only 54 yards in the first half, but used strong special-teams play and defense to overcome the Saints.

The outcome was decided on the fifth field goal by Kasay, who also kicked five field goals in last week’s 29-6 victory over Atlanta.

On the Panthers’ final scoring drive, Collins passed for three consecutive first downs, then was knocked out of the game with a sprained left knee when Saint linebacker Winfred Tubbs rolled over his leg.

“I felt something pop in there, but it’s just a minor strain,” Collins said. “I’ll be fine.”

Tshimanga Biakabutuka then ran four times to take Carolina to the one-yard line. On second-and-goal, backup quarterback Steve Beuerlein was tackled for a nine-yard loss by Renaldo Turnbull, forcing Kasay to kick his final field goal for a 22-20 lead.

“That final drive was ugly. We made a lot of mistakes and had a lot of penalties, but in the end we got the field goal to win, and that was what counted,” said tight end Wesley Walls. “It makes a big difference in your viewpoint.”

The Panthers took a 16-14 lead on the first series of the second half when Kasay made his third field goal, a 29-yarder. He kicked his fourth, and his second 51-yarder of the game, to start the fourth quarter and give Carolina a 19-17 advantage.

Collins was under constant pressure and was sacked three times, but he managed to complete 13 of 21 passes for 171 yards with one interception.

“It doesn’t do any good to talk about what we did right or how close it was,” said Saint quarterback Jim Everett, who completed 22 of 32 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns. “We had a chance to win it in the end and didn’t. We just didn’t do it when we had to. That’s what hurts.”