Week 15: Panthers 38, Giants 35

The details

Graham Gano didn’t even have to watch his game-winning field goal go through the uprights.

He said he knew as soon as he hit it that he had won the game.

“They said, ‘It’s a good hit, you hit it solid.’ I was like, ‘Where’d it go?’ I hit it on line and then I started shaking hands.”

Gano’s 43-yard field goal as time expired gave the Panthers the 38-35 victory over a New York Giants team that clawed back from 28 points down in the second half.

Gano said he even considered the possibility of the game-winning kick during the second half, despite the fact that the Panthers had never given up a lead of 21 points or more after three quarters in team history.

“I said to myself, stay focused in the game because it might come down to a kick, even though we were up by a lot, “ Gano said. Jonathan Jones

They said it

“We knew they were that type of sneaky team that won’t go away. ... We did a terrible job with finishing this game out, and we’ve just got to create better habits here moving forward.” – Panthers quarterback Cam Newton

“Sometimes lower.” – Giants coach Tom Coughlin on if these kind of endings are stomach-punchers

The weirdness

For a guy who rides imaginary horses coming out of the tunnel and talks of going to his “dark place” against opposing receivers, it’s telling that Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman was the cooler head who prevailed in his highly anticipated matchup with New York Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr.

But that was the case when Beckham turned 82,000-seat MetLife Stadium into his own personal MMA ring.

Beckham is a gifted talent who in two seasons has compiled a lifetime of one-handed, highlight-reel catches.

But against the NFL’s best cover corner, Beckham used his right hand Sunday to take swings at Norman (and nickel back Cortland Finnegan) during the Panthers’ 38-35 victory.

Beckham’s most egregious act came in the third quarter, when he peeled back toward the pile at the end of a Shane Vereen run and launched himself at Norman, making helmet-to-helmet contact.

Norman retaliated and both players were flagged for unnecessary roughness. But Norman said Beckham should have been tossed from the game and hopes the NFL comes down hard on Beckham.

“He came back and was hunting. It was just malicious in every way,” Norman said. “When they put it on the film and they go back and review it, I hope the league office takes a look at it and see what they can do. Because players like that don’t need to be in the game.”

Finnegan, who picked up a personal foul in the first half in response to Beckham swinging, said a defensive player would have been ejected for similar actions.

“Did you see the punches thrown? That’s enough said,” Finnegan said. “The NFL has gotta step in right there and do that.”

The NFL did step in, suspending Beckham for the Giants’ next game and fining Norman more than $26,000.

Hot takes

Joseph Person: From the earliest moments of the game, it was clear the golden-haired Beckham was not going to play nice. But Beckham might have gotten too emotional: He beat Norman deep on the opening drive but dropped a sure touchdown pass from Eli Manning.

Beckham dropped another Manning pass and went into halftime without a first-half reception for the first time in his career.

“I don’t know how many balls he dropped. I don’t know how much focus he lost in himself,” Norman said. “But it goes to show what kind of player he is, what kind of game he has.”

Scott Fowler: The Odell Beckham-Josh Norman thing just went on and on and on, and I thought the officials erred early in the game by letting too much go.

The Carolina Panthers’ 38-35 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday won’t be one either player will enjoy looking back upon. Beckham took one of the cheapest shots I’ve ever seen at Norman and also dropped what would have been a sure 52-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.

For his part, Norman allowed a 14-yard TD pass to Beckham deep in the fourth quarter and drew two personal fouls (compared to Beckham’s three).

I thought both coaches should have pulled their player out for a series and let them cool off. Ron Rivera said he would have taken Norman out for awhile, but only if Tom Coughlin had taken Beckham off.

The whole thing between Norman and Beckham resembled a game of “chicken.” Or, as Cam Newton said later: “You got a field full of alpha males, they’re not going to be playing ‘Patty cake, Patty cake’ out there.”

This story was originally published January 8, 2016 at 3:00 AM with the headline "Week 15: Panthers 38, Giants 35."