NFL kicker endures nightmare start to season

Carolina Panthers kicker Graham Gano ruined his team’s plans to rain on the parade of the side that beat them in last season’s Super Bowl  by a missing a field goal with nine seconds remaining in the NFL season opener.

Gano ended up as the villain by dragging his 50-yard kick to the left. That handed the Denver Broncos a 21-20 win in a match that always appeared set for final-minute theatrics.

Gano, regarded as one of the best kickers in the NFL, enjoyed a stellar 2015-16 season but his start to the new campaign was the stuff of nightmares.

While Gano muffed what should have been the match winner, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton also had a tough day.

Newton, last season’s MVP, was left shaken after a series of heavy hits from the star-studded Broncos defence.

While Gano, Newton and the Broncos were left licking their wounds, rookie Denver quarterback Trevor Siemian was able to savour a win in his first match as a starter.

Siemian has been charged with filling the boots left by now-retired Peyton Manning. Manning was present for a pre-game ceremony to honour Denver’s success of last season.

The match also served as the NFL debut for Australian Adam Gotsis. Gotsis played a handful of snaps as a defensive lineman for the Broncos.