Panthers
Panthers K Ryan Fitzgerald has converted four game-winning field goals this season as a rookie. Fitzgerald thinks playing in high-pressure situations since his college days at Florida State has been very helpful for him.
“When I look at my WHOOP (fitness tracker) after games, it’s not the case. But it feels like it during the game. I feel calm and relaxed,” Fitzgerald said, via Joseph Person of The Athletic. “I think it’s just being in those moments, playing at a high level in college. It’s a different level here, for sure, but just being in those moments more and more, it’s good to have that adrenaline and those nerves. I think that’s when people perform their best is when you have that adrenaline. So just learning to channel that is what helps.”
Carolina S Nick Scott has noticed the amount of confidence Fitzgerald has in himself.
“He’s cold-hearted. I like him a lot,” Scott said. “He’s a young dude, smaller build and kind of carries this innocent demeanor. But he’s a killer, man. He’s got some of the best self-talk that I’ve ever heard. His confidence is through the roof.”
When asked about Fitzgerald’s self-talk, Scott recalled moments in practice where the kicker reassured himself he’d make the kicks during games.
“Just hearing him talking, he was like, ‘Ah, it doesn’t matter. I make the ones in the game.’ I was like, ‘Oh, OK, that’s my guy right there. And he’s not wrong,’” Scott said. “When you have a young guy that’s already talking like that, but being serious and meaning it, I’m with him — wrong, right or indifferent. Whether that thing goes through the goal posts on game day or not, I know he’s gonna get the next one. And he’s thinking the same thing.”
Panthers
Panthers HC Dave Canales gave credit to the Seahawks’ defense and said that they showed them multiple different looks that kept Carolina’s offense off guard.
“Gotta give a lot of credit to the Seahawks,” Canales said, via Panthers Wire. “They did a great job just staying on top, making us have to play underneath the coverage and hit some of the check-downs. They rallied up and tackled. I thought we had some opportunities in space that we didn’t make many yards on that. And just a lot of credit for them, a lot of credit to the Seahawks for mixing some things up and making some looks challenging.”
Saints
The Saints are 5-3 since pivoting to rookie Tyler Shough as their starting quarterback. New Orleans HC Kellen Moore reflected on bringing Shough along, pointing out that several great quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, and Drew Brees also didn’t open their careers as outright starters.
“We talked about that as far as Tyler’s plan and knowing that there’s a lot of quarterbacks who don’t start right away—there’s a lot of really good ones historically,” Moore said, Albert Breer of SI. “And you can find a lot of quotes and references about what Aaron [Rodgers] was able to do as a scout team QB in Green Bay and Philip [Rivers] didn’t start right away, and Drew [Brees] didn’t start right away in San Diego, and on and on. And, so, he’s done a really good job of getting better, finding ways to improve, and then once he’s gotten on the field, I think he’s been really resilient, and I think that’s the thing that was obviously attractive—his resiliency through his college journey. And you see it every week during the game.”
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