Greg Olsen's Magnetic Hands Have Pushed Panthers to Within 1 Win of SB

Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen is more than just a versatile pass-catcher who vacuums up nearly any football thrown in his general direction. He’s more than just a precise route-runner and a large-bodied presence in traffic. And he’s more than just one of the league’s top players at his position.

He’s all of those things, sure, and a primary reason why the Panthers have advanced to the NFC Championship Game after losing just one game all season.

Olsen took on another title in 2015, though, that goes beyond the premier status he earned by being among the leaders in just about every major statistical tight end category. He’s a savior.

When wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL in training camp, the dot connecting that followed was both easy and depressing. The Panthers offense was doomed—or so we thought.

Benjamin caught nine touchdown passes in 2014, and he finished with 1,008 receiving yards. He was in a different galaxy compared to his fellow Panthers wideouts, with Jerricho Cotchery the next closest at 580 yards.

Logically, Olsen would take on an even greater role as the target-hogging tight end in Benjamin’s absence. He surely knew that, as did quarterback Cam Newton, Panthers fans and anyone who’s capable of rational thought.

But would Olsen still be able to push his team deep into the playoffs with shaky support at wide receiver in the form of a raw rookie (Devin Funchess), an unproven second-year pass-catcher (Corey Brown), a one-trick burner (Ted Ginn Jr.) and a veteran journeyman (Cotchery)?

We know the answer now. It's either a loud "yes!" or a silent, confident nod—whichever one suits your style.

Even with the defensive focus squarely on his ample frame, Olsen still finished second among all tight ends (behind New England's Rob Gronkowski) in receiving yards (1,104) and yards per reception (14.3). He was on the other end for 30.8 percent of Carolina’s total passing yards.

Most importantly, he roasted the second-ranked Seattle Seahawks pass defense for 208 yards over two games. That includes 77 yards and a touchdown during Sunday’s divisional-round win. Of his six catches, five resulted in a first down, and one ended in six points.

He’s more than Newton’s cozy source of comfort during times of mounting pressure. Olsen is the fireman calmly blasting through the chaos of growing flames.

Or if you prefer, as Pro Football Talk’s Darin Gantt does, he’s the friendly stranger strolling by:

Olsen’s 2015 season has been defined by magnetic hands when they're most needed. He finished with 77 receptions, which was 33 more than any other Panthers pass-catcher. And of those receptions, 52 moved the chains (67.5 percent).

The 253-pound bundle of bounding muscle (who may or may not resemble a small angry dog when fully bearded) always seems to be open. That’s a product of his route running and feel for space as well as those suction-cup-like hands.

Those skills led to many looks deep downfield in 2015 after the 30-year-old shed coverage or was able to gain a decisive body-position advantage—so many that Olsen finished second in production on throws traveling 20-plus yards through the air.

Tight end	20-plus yard receptions	Yards
Rob Gronkowski	19	300
Greg Olsen	16	243
Gary Barnidge	10	174
Coby Fleener	10	138
Delanie Walker	17	119

He’s the complete package. He has nimble feet to create separation and silky-smooth hands to capitalize on every opportunity.

His entire arsenal of skills was on display Sunday when Olsen leaped to corral a 19-yard touchdown catch midway through the second quarter. Surprisingly, the same touchdown that put Carolina ahead 31-0 also held up as the game-winning score.

Olsen was lined up to Newton’s left in the slot. His assignment? Run a seam route, pounce on a mismatch against cornerback Jeremy Lane and give the quarterback any sort of throwing window.

Needing to manipulate the limited space at his disposal is always a job reality for the red-zone behemoth. Olsen couldn’t give Newton much room because there simply wasn’t much available to work with. But that’s fine, as only the tiniest opening is required for this happy tight end-quarterback relationship to flourish.

All Olsen had to do was get about a half step ahead of Lane. Then his body positioning and Newton’s ball placement would take care of the rest.

He created that space with a quick, subtle move. At the snap, Olsen was given a free release into the secondary, and he gladly took it while bearing down on Lane at full speed. The much smaller cornerback (Lane is 6’0”, and Olsen stands at 6’5”) had to stay on his heels.

When Olsen dipped his shoulder and went to plant with his right foot, Lane faced a decision: Was he turning to the outside or continuing up the seam?

Credit: NFL GamePass

Olsen and Newton jumped on Lane's split-second hesitation when he was caught leaning forward.

One stride later, Olsen had the sliver of daylight he wanted. In the red zone, that sliver can quickly turn into a wide-open door.

Credit: NFL GamePass

Now athletic instinct had to take over. Newton made a pinpoint throw, because that’s generally what he did all season while tossing just one interception over his last nine games.

But the degree of difficulty on the other end was still exceedingly high. Olsen had to leap and reach while still under duress from Lane, control Newton’s laser-beam throw and maintain possession after crashing to the ground.

He did all of that, and one frozen moment in the sequence summarizes just how much the Panthers offense relies on its tight end to turn the impossible into touchdowns.

This one:

Credit: NFL GamePass

For his next trick, Olsen will have to remain as the same passing-offense pillar, this time against an Arizona Cardinals defense that’s also been vulnerable at times against tight ends.

The Seahawks’ only true weakness was defending tight ends. They allowed eight touchdowns to the position, and four tight ends lit them up for 70-plus receiving yards in a game. Arizona, the Panthers’ NFC Championship Game opponent, has been better overall against the position. But the Cardinals were still torn apart by the Eagles’ Zach Ertz (eight receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown) and the Vikings’ trio of tight ends. (All three combined for 144 yards.)

The forecast for Olsen would be different if Cardinals safety/slot cornerback Tyrann Mathieu were healthy. But his season ended after he suffered a torn ACL against the Eagles on Dec. 20.

So Olsen will get opportunities to create mismatches and turn them into first downs or, even better, touchdowns.