Mike Nugent Misses Chip Shot Field Goal as Panthers and Bengals End in a Tie

Mike Nugent had a chance to win a game in overtime at the very end, after both teams had exchanged lengthy field goal drives. He missed badly, and we have our first tie of the 2014 season.

Ties will be more common with the new overtime rules, and this game is an example. Both offenses moved methodically and ate up the entire overtime period. Both coaches played for field goals. Because of the rules that allow a response, that left Cincinnati with just over two minutes left in true sudden death.

The horrible miss, by the way, saved Ron Rivera. He elected to kick a tying field goal on 4th and short (about a yard and a half) with 2:19. I’ll go into it in more detail tomorrow, but my immediate gut reaction is that this was a very costly decision that (half) worked out. Coaches are still coming to grips with the new rules.

It be one thing to kick for the tie with no time left (or with 6+ minutes left in OT) and another when you have three things that can happen, and two of them are bad (missed field goal, Cincinnati gets a field goal drive to win).

[GIFs via @mshamburger1]