CHARLOTTE, N.C. – For a day, the Carolina Panthers looked like the team that in January beat the Arizona Cardinals to go to the Super Bowl.
For much of this unusually warm Sunday October afternoon they looked like the team that went an NFL-best 15-1 during the 2015 regular season.
The defense was relentless with the pass rush that was AWOL during a 1-5 start, sacking Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer eight times.
The secondary that had allowed nine touchdown passes of 20-plus yards limited the big plays with the return of injured cornerbacks Robert McClain and Leonard Johnson.