The first step to Fitzgerald's game winning field goal against the Packers actually started before the game even kicked-off. Ahead of the coin toss, head coach Dave Canales and special teams' coordinator Tracy Smith talked through the possibility of a game-winning field goal.
Due to the wind directions and gusts in Lambeau Field, they knew Fitzgerald would need the wind at his back—and therefore facing the north end zone—in the fourth-quarter for a chance to make a long one. That meant breaking from their norm, and accepting the ball in the first half should they win the coin toss.
Carolina did win the coin toss, took the ball, and was able to select which end zone to defend in the second half.
"I've got to give a lot of props to Tracy Smith," said Dave Canales. "He and I were talking before the game, and he was like, if we take the ball, we can set ourselves up to have the ball with the wind to our backs to finish the game to give us an opportunity, and it played out just like that.
"It was unbelievable, but it took all of us doing right to make it happen, so it was a little bit of a change from what we normally do. We'd normally defer in that situation, but the wind was a factor in that decision."
During each timeout of the fourth-quarter, Fitzgerald would walk onto the field. He'd stand in between the hashmarks, look up at the goal posts, pick up some grass and let it float in the wind. He was assessing, visualizing, preparing for a situation that was uncertain but becoming increasingly possible in the one-score game.
"I kind of got that from (punter) Sam (Martin)," shared Fitzgerald. "He does that every quarter just to get a fill for the wind and if it's changed at all, especially on windy days. So I started doing that too and it's just a good visualization as well and picking out targets."
It was also during the fourth quarter the kicker started to realize the reality of how the game was going. After Fitzgerald and Martin came up with a celebration dance (that got lost in the mob of teammates), the rookie looked at the veteran long snapper JJ Jansen and told him, "Looks like it might be a day for a game-winner."
Once Jansen snapped the ball, he leaked through, making sure he was ready to block any defender jumping for the ball. It put him on the other side of the line in time to see the ball in the air. From there, he started to drift downfield, tracking the ball until it went through the uprights.
"I was just excitedly floating down the field," recalled Jansen. "By the time it was obvious that the ball was in, I was probably about 7 or 8 yards down the field, so I was kind of pot committed at that point that I had come out the other side, so I figured I'd go get the ball.
"I was pretty euphoric. I basically blacked out running down to go get the ball, but that was a pretty cool experience…other than kind of hugging a few people, I don't really remember anything from when I saw the ball go through the upright to running down the field."
But even in that eutrophic state, instinct kicked in and the long time veteran knew it was important to get the ball. He scooped it up where it was laying in the back of the end zone, and ran it back to Fitzgerald for the rookie to add to his selection.
Once Jansen made his way back to Fitzgerald and Martin, all thoughts of the pre-planned celebration dance were forgotten. But that was ok, because in its place was a team, fans, and family completely living in a core memory together, from those on the field, the fans who traveled in the stands, and Fitzgerald's family celebrating from the opposite end of the stadium.
"You want to celebrate with your teammates," Jansen said.
"Your teammates, the big linemen that have been fighting their butts off all game, they want to celebrate with you. So it's bad juju to run away from everybody that's worked so hard to get you in a spot where you got a chance to win. You have to still remember that, the kick at 4:15 only happens because of all the work that the guys have done for the last three hours plus."
And those teammates had no doubt they would be celebrating with their ever cool kicker.
Jaycee Horn usually doesn't watch the field goals, superstition taking over, but he watched Sunday's. Why? Because, "He made me a believer." Added Bryce Young, "He has that ice in the veins."