CHARLOTTE, N.C. - After spending most of the first half running up the middle, the Carolina Panthers caught the Atlanta Falcons off guard with a swing pass behind the line of scrimmage that Laviska Shenault Jr. turned into a 41-yard touchdown. The play, officially a run, gave the Panthers a 10-0 lead with 4:34 left in the half in a steady rain fueled by Tropical Storm Nicole.
Shenault lined up on the right side and ran a bubble route to the left. Quarterback PJ Walker connected with him a few yards behind the line of scrimmage, and the wide receiver, thanks to good blocks from DJ Moore and Terrace Marshall Jr.