Uptown Charlotte is partying like it’s 2015.
On Sunday, the Carolina Panthers successfully defended their home field against the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers and captured an enormous 23-20 win. They’ve now commandeered a one-game lead atop the NFC South and will enter Week 17 with a chance to clinch the division for the first time in a decade.
The soundtrack of the triumph starred an electric crowd at Bank of America Stadium, which made their presence known from start to finish. Their energy even reached all the way up to ESPN’s First Take studio in New York, where franchise legend Cam Newton said this on Monday morning . . .
Panthers fans haven’t had much to get fired up about in recent years, especially this late into a season. Their last playoff appearance came way back in 2017, when Newton was still under center.
Carolina will have the opportunity to snap that franchise-long drought next Sunday, with another win at home and a another Tampa Bay loss.
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