Getty
New Orleans Saints special teams coordinator believes Charlie Smyth’s viral 56-yard field goal might have been good from 70 yards, giving the Irish rookie instant cult-hero status, and changing how the team thinks about late-game situations.
Smyth drilled a 56-yarder and hit a perfectly placed onside kick in his NFL debut, a 21-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 13.
Speaking before the Saints’ Week 14 trip to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, special teams coordinator Phil Galiano was asked how far he thought that kick would have been good from.
“I would have said 70,” he told reporters, adding that as long as the ball cleared the crossbar, the staff was happy. He also revealed the pregame “line” for Smyth’s range: normal field-goal situations from about the opponent’s 45-yard line, and end-of-half or end-of-game attempts if the offense reaches the 50.
That’s a massive vote of confidence in a player who only started focusing on American football two years ago after starring in Gaelic football back in Northern Ireland.
How Smyth Won the Job — and Saints’ Trust
Smyth’s breakout came after the Saints cut Blake Grupe and brought in veteran Cade York to compete with the International Player Pathway kicker ahead of the Dolphins game.
The coordinator said the decision ultimately came down to how Smyth handled a crucial Thursday practice competition. He described Smyth as “locked in,” focused and consistently hitting the ball the way the staff had been waiting to see. Cade York also kicked well, but the staff felt Smyth was “ready for the moment” and deserved the opportunity.
Familiarity with the existing operation helped. Smyth already had experience with long snapper Zach Wood and punter/holder Kai Kroeger, something York didn’t have yet. The coach said that timing between kicker, holder and snapper — from the walk-off, to the nod, to the snap — matters more than people realize, even if the operation time stays under the universal 1.3-second standard.
Once the staff and head coach Kellen Moore agreed Smyth had earned it, general manager Mickey Loomis signed off. Smyth was elevated from the practice squad and has now been confirmed as the starter heading into Tampa Bay.
The Viral Onside Kick & Smyth’s Gaelic ‘Natural Swing’
The 56-yarder wasn’t Smyth’s only highlight. His onside kick late in the fourth quarter took a wicked spin and was recovered by New Orleans, drawing immediate comparisons to Thomas Morstead’s famous “Ambush” in the Super Bowl.
According to the coordinator, that exact style of onside — the way the ball was leaned and angled on the tee — had only just shown up in front of him that week. Smyth explained that the motion was a “natural swing” from his Gaelic football background, and the staff decided to lean into it instead of forcing a more traditional look.
The Saints had already adjusted their Friday onside period once they knew Smyth would be the kicker, designing calls around what he does best rather than asking him to mimic someone else’s style. The coach said that’s their job: identify what players do well and build around it.
He also noted Smyth’s ability to get the ball “extraordinarily high,” which makes kicks harder to block but can be tricky in heavy wind — something they experienced during a windy practice in California. That’s another adjustment area they’re working through as Smyth gains experience.
What Smyth’s Leg Means for Saints vs. Buccaneers
The Saints enter Week 14 at 2-10, heading on the road to face the NFC South-leading Buccaneers at 7-5.
A big-leg, confident rookie gives Moore and the staff more flexibility in tight games. With a realistic “line” around the 45 in normal situations — and even midfield for desperation kicks — New Orleans can be more aggressive about taking points instead of punting near the logo.
And with a proven onside weapon, opponents now have to spend extra time on hands-team work late in games. The coordinator made it clear, though, that he’s already pushing Smyth to move past the hype: the “whole lot of intrigue” around his Irish journey and viral debut is over, and it’s “on to Tampa” and the next kick.
If Smyth keeps backing up his coach’s belief that his first NFL make might have been good from 70, the Saints may have found one of the league’s most exciting new weapons — and one of the best stories of their season.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. Anderson is also the host of The Rip City Pod on The I-5 Corridor, where he dives into the stories and personalities shaping the Portland Trail Blazers. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
More Heavy on Saints
Loading more stories