Undefeated Panthers win on last-second field goal after squandering 28-point lead

It looked like an easy win for the Carolina Panthers to get to 14-0.

Then the fourth quarter happened.

The New York Giants took the Panthers to the wire in a game that looked destined for a blowout before Graham Gano’s last-second, 43-yard field goal to win the game.

Carolina’s 38-35 thriller at MetLife Stadium on Sunday was a game filled with drama.

Cam Newton continued his MVP-like season by passing five touchdowns for the third time this season, which is tied for second-most in league history. He finished with 340 passing yards and five touchdowns with a 116.9 passer rating.

Before the last-second drama, the story of the game had been the back-and-forth between Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Panthers cornerback Josh Norman. They were flagged a combined five times.

But Beckham got the better of Norman with less than 2 minutes to play. He caught a touchdown pass from Eli Manning to tie the game at 35-all after the Giants trailed 35-7 in the third quarter.

Graham Gano’s 43-yard field goal with five seconds left won the game for Carolina.

Three who mattered

Cam Newton: With one more five-touchdown game, Newton will tie 2004 Peyton Manning for most all-time in one season with four.

Ted Ginn Jr.: He had two touchdown catches and now has 10 on the season. He has 15 in his career in Carolina and just six in his other seven years in the NFL.

Odell Beckham Jr.: His attempts to get inside the Carolina defense’s heads backfired on him. He had two drops and zero catches in the first half for the first time in his two-year career.

Observations

The absence of Jonathan Stewart was apparent. Yes, the Panthers rushed for more than 100 yards, but the running game didn’t have the juice it has had this season without Stewart in the backfield. It was no more evident than in the fourth quarter when Cameron Artis-Payne and Newton fumbled on a zone-read.

Jason Pierre-Paul, playing with a clubbed hand after a fireworks incident this summer left him without two digits, got his first sack of the season in the second quarter. But his hand also caused him to miss a tackle on Newton during his 46-yard scamper that eventually led to a touchdown.

Beckham and Newton both had on festive cleats before the game. Beckham had green and red Nike cleats that lit up red on the side. They also had little present boxes on the laces. Newton had on green and red Under Armour cleats.

Newton took a big shot in the second quarter from Cullen Jenkins and left the field grabbing at his chest. His pass should have been intercepted and returned for a touchdown, but Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie dropped the pick-six.

Carolina has to figure out its field-goal protection. The blocked kick in the fourth quarter was the fourth on field goals this season and fifth on all kicks.

Worth mentioning

Rivera won a second-quarter challenge on a Rashad Jennings fumble. Charles Tillman and Shaq Thompson caused the fumble and gave the Panthers the ball at the Giants’ 46. Rivera is 14-of-31 on challenges all-time and eight-for-12 this season.

The Panthers rushed for 100-plus yards for the 25th straight game. It was the longest active streak in the NFL at the end of the game – Seattle has 24 straight – and is the sixth-longest streak in the NFL since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.

They said it

“I knew he was going to make it.” – Panthers long snapper J.J. Jansen on Graham Gano’s winning kick

“It’s the most disappointed 14-0 locker room I’ve been a part of.” – Panthers safety Roman Harper.

“If he wants to be Michael Jackson and dance all over the place and not be a football player ... I hope I pulled back his mask.” – Norman, on Beckham.