Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
By Ross Jackson
New Orleans Saints kicker Charlie Smyth is in line for his third career start in Week 15.
On Monday, head coach Kellen Moore confirmed that Smyth will indeed be the team’s starting kicker against the Carolina Panthers.
“Charlie’s playing good,” Moore said in his day-after press conference. “I think it’s going to be a great game for him to kind of evaluate and get to take a growth opportunity here, both in a kickoff and obviously a field goal situation. And to respond really well.”
Smyth knocked through his first career regular season field goal in the team’s Week 13 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The 56-yarder was the third-longest debut field goal in NFL history.
In Week 14 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he missed from 48 yards out. But don’t expect the Saints, who displayed perhaps too much patience with their former kicker, to pull the rug out from under Smyth after just one miss.
Smyth made his second field goal attempt from 30 yards away and hit all three of his extra points.
The young boot has shown a lot of promise. How he continues to build in that success will be a can’t-miss storyline in the closing weeks.
It will be interesting to see how the Saints approach the final three weeks of the season. Smyth will be out of elevations after his home debut against the Panthers. It would make sense for New Orleans to then get a look at veteran kicker Cade York, who is currently also on the practice squad.
However, should Smyth have a strong game against Carolina, it may force the Saints to simply add him to the active roster and roll ahead with him as their go-to guy.
