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The fact that today's primary focus is the 46-year-old who stepped off the street and kicked three field goals in order for the New Orleans Saints to win is fairy tale-y, and fairly telling.

John Carney still is a good player and unquestionably is a better person. Heck, he's helping tutor the guy he's subbing for, Garrett Hartley, likely expecting to hand back over the job at some point this season, same as he did last year.

But he shouldn't have been a Saints hero Sunday, which he was in a 16-14 win over the Carolina Panthers at the Superdome.
OK. Hero might be a little much, considering the Saints' defense actually was pretty good save for a couple of big touchdown plays, including a stop on Carolina's final drive that included a 4-yard tackle for loss by Usama Young and a sack by Malcolm Jenkins.

But there's no doubt the margin was expected to be larger, should have been larger, could have been larger.

Two lost fumbles -- one at the Panthers' 1-yard line by Lance Moore and the other at Carolina's 23 by Chris Ivory -- probably cost New Orleans at least 10 points and helped put the Saints' defense in the position of having to make its final stand. And they put Carney in the position of having to kick the deciding points on a 25-yarder with 3:55 left.

"I'm happy to be a part of this team in any form or fashion," said Carney, in his third tour with the Saints, the most recent being the first 11 games of last season, when Hartley was suspended for the first four games and inactive the next seven.

John Carney delivers for New Orleans Saints | NOLA.com