You wouldn't have been able to tell Charlie Smyth was new to football by how calmly he delivered the game winning kick to give the New Orleans Saints their second consecutive victory. Smyth was so comfortable he turned and taunted the Panthers bench before the kick even went through the uprights.
After the game, Smyth told reporters he's "not really control of his body" after the kick. He said "I think I might have looked at their sideline. I probably shouldn't have done that but division opponent. It's a big rivalry or whatever." When told he did, in fact, look at Carolina's sideline, Smyth came clean. "I know I did," he replied with a laugh.
Biggest moment of his NFL career, and Smyth already understands the dynamic of a divisional game. Why turn towards your bench when you can watch the reaction of the opposition seeing their hopes of first place go down the drain?
Charlie Smyth
Charlie Smyth has justified the Saints decision to choose him as Blake Grupe's replacement ever since coming into the lineup, and Sunday's game winner was the exclamation point. Ironically, it was on the same day as Grupe knocking down a 60 yard field goal, the longest of his career. Playing meaningful football really does change a person.
Smyth does have Grupe doesn't have, a game winning kick. Smyth accomplished that in only his third career game. His ability to rise to the occasion shouldn't be glossed over. You can practice distance and trajectories to understand a kicker's range. You can turn up the volume on the speakers at replicate hectic environments. What you can't replicate is the pressure within the moment.
Smyth nailed that kick like he's been here before, and with his background being in soccer, he quite literally has not been here before. Being able to make field goals in pressure moments is drastically different than making kicks in the first quarter. Smyth did it like it was nothing on his first opportunity. He's checked that box now. We know he has the leg, and now we know he has the poise. The one thing that's left is for him to show he has the consistency.