Gano's Field Goals Lift Panthers To Win Over Colts

Cam Newton tries to distract Graham Gano in practice sometimes, by walking over to the veteran kicker and whispering in his ear, "Just a little bit of pressure."

Gano answered that pressure on a rainy Monday night. He connected on two overtime field goals, including a 52-yarder that lifted the undefeated Carolina Panthers to a 29-26 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

Carolina (7-0) earned its 11th consecutive regular-season win and took a two-game lead over the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South.

Gano, who missed an extra point in the fourth quarter, came through when the Panthers needed him most. After Adam Vinatieri kicked a 50-yard field goal for Indianapolis in OT, Gano was good from 42 yards and then from 52 after Roman Harper deflected an Andrew Luck pass over the middle and Luke Kuechly came up with an interception.

"I had the ball back a yard from where it was supposed to go," Gano said of the setup. "I looked up and saw [long snapper] J.J. [Jansen] waving at me as he was waiting to snap the ball. I thought, 'Oh, we've got to scoot it up!' I looked up, and the play clock was at 10."

Gano made it anyway.

"Never a doubt," Newton joked of Carolina's latest win, which came after his team surrendered a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter. "We are one of the lucky few to say we're 7-0. We're not content."

Thursday, November 5 Schedule (Time Central)

Cleveland at Cincinnati, 7:25 p.m.

Sunday, November 8 Schedule (All Times Central)

Green Bay at Carolina, noon

Washington at New England, noon

Tennessee at New Orleans, noon

Miami at Buffalo, noon

St. Louis at Minnesota, noon

Jacksonville at New York, noon

Oakland at Pittsburgh, noon

New York at Tampa Bay, 3:05 p.m.

Atlanta at San Francisco, 3:05 p.m.

Denverat Indianapolis, 3:25 p.m.

Philadelphiaat Dallas, 7:30 p.m.

Monday, November 9 Schedule (Time Central)

Chicago at San Diego, 7:30 p.m.