The Carolina Panthers won their final preseason game by routing the Buffalo Bills, 21-0. Nevertheless, it was a costly victory for Carolina as field-goal kicker Zane Gonzalez, and backup quarterback Sam Darnold fell to injury. Gonzalez tweaked his groan warming up, and Darnold folded his ankle, leaving fans wondering if this final preseason game was a win or a loss. PJ Walker may have been the real winner, as Darnold could be out for a considerable time.
Losing their field-goal kicker is the most significant loss. Carolina hasn’t had much stability at the position since Graham Gano left for New York, and even his time in Carolina wasn’t flawless. Carolina extended Gonzalez this past offseason as they finally found a little dependability at the positions last season after parting ways with Joey Slye.
Hopefully, Gonzalez’s groin injury is minor. Unfortunately, fans aren’t looking forward to jumping back into the field-goal kicker dating game again.
By Tony Dunn
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