Lee Sets Panthers Franchise Record with 76-Yard Punt

Carolina Panthers punter Andy Lee broke the franchise record for longest punt during Thursday's 21-20 loss to the Denver Broncos, with his 76-yarder besting the old record of 73, set by Todd Sauerbrun back in 2011, per ESPN Stats & Info.

While clearly aided by the thin Denver air, Lee impressively booted the ball that far without any assistance from a bounce.

With Carolina facing a 4th-and-10 from its own 11-yard line midway through the quarter, Lee hit an absolute boomer that was caught by Broncos wide receiver/return man Jordan Norwood at the Denver 13-yard line.

Though he obviously had some room to run, Norwood only managed 11 yards on the return, bringing the ball up to the 24-yard line.

The switch in field position then got even worse than the Broncos could have imagined, as a holding penalty on the play pushed the ball back to the 14-yard line.

Lee's big night wasn't just about the one punt, either, as he finished the game with a 63-yard average on four attempts, albeit with a pair of touchbacks.

Interestingly enough, Carolina just traded for the 34-year-old last Monday, responding to a preseason injury suffered by the team's former punter, Mike Scifres.

Not wanting to take any big risks with a roster that otherwise lacks many holes, Panthers GM Dave Gettleman traded rookie punter Kasey Redfern and a 2014 fourth-round draft pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Lee.

So far, so good.