Fans are used to the fanfare of pregame festivities ahead of Panthers games at Bank of America Stadium; a rousing version of the national anthem, perhaps a military flyover, players will sometimes even play catch with fans in the front rows if they’re so inclined before Christian McCaffrey or Luke Kuechly runs out of the tunnel with fire and smoke surrounding them.
But this weekend against the Giants, Ron Rivera and the team will be doing something that hasn’t happened since December of 2010 – instead of the expected strains of Luuuuuukes echoing through Bank of America Stadium or Cam Newton doing his signature Superman pose as the smoke clears, it will be names that are a little less familiar being introduced – names like Ben Jacobs and Jared Norris and Cameron Artis-Payne – this year, the special teams unit is getting some love.
Not just on Sunday either – between special teams ace Colin Jones being named a team captain, Graham Gano and Michael Palardy both getting lucrative extensions, one could even call 2018 the Year of the Special Teamer here in Carolina.
And it’s well deserved.
“When we talked about naming a special teams captain, several of the guys came to me – starters on offense and defense – and said they [thought] that would be a good idea – so I agreed with them,” Rivera said about naming Jones a captain on special teams, the first time the team has has a special teams captain since Jordan Senn in 2012. “We don’t want to pay lip service to them, we want to make [it clear that] they’re just as important – they’re a third of the game for us and we’ve got to make sure they’re acknowledged.”
S Colin Jones
A third of the game that has already made a huge difference for the Panthers in 2018; the Panthers won by one score in Week 1 – a touchdown drive that began on a short field after a long punt return by Damiere Byrd. The Panthers are allowing the eighth fewest points in the league, and much of that comes from merely how far opponents have had to go thus far – Panthers’ opponents have started at an average of their own 23.6 yard line – good for the second-best in the league.
When you consider that opponents have only been allowed two kickoff returns; the rest have been touchbacks – Graham Gano has the most in the NFL since 2013 – much of that poor field position can be attributed to the punt coverage unit.
“I think the age of the special teams ace is moving on with the way kickoffs are now,” said Rivera. “Probably the most important special teams that you have more than anything else is your punt team; you’ve got to be able to protect and not allow a punt to get blocked but at the same time, you’ve got to get down there and cover and make a play. That’s probably where the need for a true ace is.”
While the specialists have become fan favorites among Panthers fans, long snapper JJ Jansen says the opportunity for guys like Jacobs, Norris, Colin Jones and David Mayo to run out of the tunnel is what he’s really looking forward to – most folks don’t realize just how hard their job is on a game to game basis.
“I’m way more excited for the core special teams guys,” said Jansen, who actually was a member of the team that ran out of the tunnel in 2010 under John Fox. “I play a role; I’m snapping on punts and field goals, but those guys are in the trenches and they’re playing on offense and defense – so their role is really hard from the standpoint that they’re asked to know everything on offense or defense and then go out at an even higher level on special teams. So it’s a very easy spot to get overlooked so I’m very excited for them.”
“If a guy like Jared Norris is in on 25 special teams plays and he plays really well on 24, that may look like two tackles and a bunch of blocks – but other than tackles, you won’t even notice that he’s done anything impactful, whereas a wide receiver might have a quiet game where he catches seven balls for 80 yards – you don’t notice it but then you look at the box score and you’re like, ‘Oh, he had seven catches, he must have had a good game.’ You don’t have that on special teams – I don’t think that it’s overlooked, it’s just harder to notice all of the things that are going on because there’s just not a statistic associated with it.”
“Fourth down plays are really important because you only have one shot at them.”
LB Jared Norris & Ben Jacobs
While Jones and Mayo have started games over their careers in Carolina, Jacobs and Norris – both reserve linebackers – haven’t played 70 snaps between the two of them over their careers and Norris actually has only seen the field on special teams; the undrafted free agent out of Utah hurt his toe in practice on Friday and is questionable for the game, but he positively lit up when asked about the opportunity to run out of the tunnel.
“I think about myself – I may never play on defense or something like that in the league,” said Norris. “But it’s special in that moment. You get to run out of the tunnel and have your name called in the NFL – it’s going to be awesome.”
If he isn’t able to go this week – which Rivera said would be a “bummer” – the team will introduce their special teamers again on Thanksgiving weekend against the Seattle Seahawks.
The locker room has been abuzz all week with rumors of entrance shenanigans; what else would be expected from a group that has produced Creedbombing – the 2015 Jacobs tradition of surprising people with Creed lyrics sung into their face – or a recent photo shoot of Jansen, Gano and Palardy in Step-Brothers-esque sweaters? With media pushing the issue, each player directed reporters around the locker room – Colin Jones said he’ll rely on Norris to have some theatrics, Jacobs says he’ll be running out of the tunnel “like Luke Kuechly” – and apparently, Michael Palardy is spreading rumors of a JJ Jansen backflip coming out of the tunnels, but Jansen shut that rumor down fairly quickly with a grin.
“There are a couple of liars on this team and you have to look out for them.”
We’ll have to wait until Sunday to see.
