NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans Saints kicker Charlie Smyth let his emotions get the best of him after sealing the team's 20-17 Week 15 win against the Carolina Panthers with a 47-yard field goal on Sunday.
As soon as the kick left his foot, Smyth turned and raised his hands toward the Panthers bench. Carolina had gifted Smyth 15 yards and a shorter field goal after drawing an unnecessary roughness penalty for hitting Saints quarterback Tyler Shough at the end of his slide.
While Smyth sheepishly admitted after the game that he probably shouldn't have done that, he had to admit how ecstatic he felt. For Smyth, Shough and other young Saints players, it was clear that momentum was building.
The Saints (4-10) had just won back-to-back games for the first time all season.
"Awesome game of resiliency. ... I think it's a good example of not every game's going to be perfect. There's going to be highs and lows and for our guys to stick together, that's a beautiful formula for a comeback win like that," Saints coach Kellen Moore said.
In the postgame locker room, Smyth and Shough both received game balls, with Smyth mobbed by his teammates to chants of, "Charlie, Charlie."
"I suppose the outside world would say there's a lot of pressure on you, but I like to think I embrace those moments," Smyth said.
So how did the Saints set up their game-winning field goal?
It had seemed improbable midway through the fourth quarter, but New Orleans executed two quick drives down the field in the game's waning minutes to give its kicker a fighting chance.
The Saints, trailing 17-10, had a chance to tie the game on fourth-and-1 with 6:59 remaining. But Shough took a shot as he scrambled for the first down and lost the ball. The Panthers got the ball back on downs and the rookie quarterback headed to the injury tent.
Shough came out of the injury tent a few minutes later and flipped the script, riding the momentum of the big defensive stop that had just occurred.
Holding his helmet in one hand and dapping up his teammates with another, Shough moved quickly toward the field to get back in the huddle. The only concern he had was whether his injury was going to hinder this throwing motion.
"I just wanted to make sure I could throw," Shough said. "Once I did that, that was good. And then ... the adrenaline kicks in really. You don't feel it until you're off the field."
The Saints were without running back Alvin Kamara, who missed the game with a knee injury. Kamara's replacement, Devin Neal, had left the game with a hamstring injury, and wide receiver Devaughn Vele, who had led the offense in the first half, was out with a shoulder injury.
That left Shough with Chris Olave, who had only one catch through three quarters, and a slew of backups.
"Vele was having a huge game until he went down. We still was in the game though. It was 17-10. ... I had a tough drop on that second down in the red zone but just had to bounce back, make some plays," Olave said. "Somebody had to make a play. I'm glad he kept coming to me."
Charlie Smyth splits the uprights on a 47-yard field goal to win the game with 2 seconds left to play for the Saints.
First Shough hit Kevin Austin Jr., who had no catches this season coming into this game, for an 11-yard gain. Then he found Olave for three straight completions to set the Saints up at the Panthers' 16-yard line.
A completion to Mason Tipton was wiped away due to a penalty, putting the Saints in a second-and-15 situation at the Panthers' 21-yard line. Shough then hit tight end Juwan Johnson for nine yards and went to Olave once more for a 12-yard touchdown.
"We had two plays but for zone and man and we got the exact thing we wanted, that one-on-one matchup to the boundary, so we just had to make a play at the end of the day," Olave said. "It was kind of inside leverage but he still threw the ball. He trusted me to win and he threw a great ball, great placement and we made a play."
Within just 2:08, the Saints tied the score and clung to their chance at a win.
The Saints defense was able to get the Panthers off the field once more, giving New Orleans an even more improbable situation to win the game outright. Shough got the ball back at the Saints' 9-yard line with 57 seconds and one timeout.
Running back Audric Estime, who was signed off the practice squad in November, got his shot with Neal sidelined, rushing for 19 yards and then catching a nine-yard pass. Shough connected with Olave for a 15-yard gain and then spiked the ball at the Panthers' 48-yard line with 12 seconds left and the idea that Smyth would be attempting a very long field goal.
But, the Saints had one more trick up their sleeve, calling a quarterback draw with 12 seconds left. Shough was hit at the end of his slide, and admitted later that he "sold it a little bit" after he flopped to the ground while a penalty flag came in, moving the Saints up 15 yards.
"I know we didn't have any timeouts," Shough said. "So I mean it definitely hurt but I was good."
He added with a smile: "I don't know how to say any of this, but it was a great effort."
Shough briefly ran into the injury tent as backup QB Spencer Rattler went in for one play, but was back out in time to watch Smyth sail the 47-yarder through.
Shough said the Saints walked off the field tired but confident after the two successful drives. "It was just a really, really good effort by all the guys because I mean you get tired down at the end ... but you train for those moments," Shough said.
The Saints have three games remaining to build even more momentum toward the 2026 season.
But for now, the QB said he feels like the Saints are just hitting their stride.
"We're just having fun. I think at the same time we know we're building, we're building something here, that we all want to be here forever. We're here to stay," Shough said.