Panthers' Joey Slye is Proving to be Invaluable

With all the negative talk surrounding the Carolina Panthers, undrafted kicker Joey Slye deserves some recognition.

Joey Slye has been the silver lining for the Carolina Panthers this season.

The undrafted rookie kicker made a name for himself in the preseason, where he made seven-of-eight field goals -- the eighth one was blocked. His unlikely journey has made for an incredible story, but his capability on the field has set him up for longevity in the NFL.

Slye made the Panthers' 53-man roster after the news came out that Graham Gano was placed on the injured reserve list for the season. He went from an undrafted kicker at Virginia Tech, to the starting kicker for the Panthers. He's well-known for his abnormally muscular frame, and his ability to kick a 70-yard field goal with ease.

With all of these awesome background stories -- will he be able to kick under the pressure of an NFL game?

He's proven that so far, after making six-of-seven field goals in two games. Slye did miss his first kick, but he hasn't looked back since then. In Thursday night's 20-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he was four-for-four and he scored all of Carolina's offensive points. His longest kick was 54 yards and his average is sitting around 44 yards right now.

Slye and Christian McCaffrey are the two most consistent offensive players for the Panthers right now, and they will likely have to hold this team up until Cam Newton puts some points on the board.