Instant analysis from the Carolina Panthers’ exhibition finale, a 17-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers:
1. Graham Gano fails to nail down the kicking competition.
When rookie Harrison Butker took all of the first-half placements and kickoffs – drilling one of the kickoffs well through the end zone – it looked like incumbent Graham Gano was going to get the night off.
But then Ron Rivera sent Gano out in the third quarter for a 51-yarder and he promptly doinked it off the right upright, which is becoming an all-too frequent occurrence.
I thought Gano had the edge entering the game because of his experience, but I’m not sure how confident Panthers coach Ron Rivera can be in Gano at this point.