Can you kick? Panthers scramble after Zane Gonzalez’s pre-game injury

Special teams, a unit not to be overlooked.

Just ask the Carolina Panthers, who entered Week 15’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills in a peculiar position.

During warmups, former Arizona Cardinals and current Panthers kicker Zane Gonzalez went down with a leg injury, needing assistance off the field. He was later ruled out by the team.

For a team that already needed about just about every break to fall their way for a Week 15 upset, that certainly does them no favors.

With Gonzalez unable to kick, the Panthers have had to weigh their options on the fly.

The results are about what you would expect.

A multitude of Panthers attempting to kick the ball is pretty hilarious pic.twitter.com/Qof9RWHiHT

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) December 19, 2021

It could be a group effort from a kicking perspective, with punter Lachlan Edwards, quarterback P.J. Walker, linebacker Frankie Luvu, wide receiver Brandon Zylstra and running back Reggie Bonnafon all practicing kicks at some point pregame.

It’s a rough start to Sunday for the Panthers, who at 5-8 are still in the hunt to make the playoffs as a Wild Card team in the NFC.

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