CHARLOTTE — It felt good to be at home. And mostly, the Panthers were grateful.

Cornerback Chau Smith-Wade said that as he headed to the end zone with his pick-six that helped pave the way for a 30-0 win over the Falcons, he looked up into the stands at Bank of America Stadium and felt the love coming back his way.

"Panthers Nation, we knew this was something they were looking forward to," Smith-Wade said after the game. "For me to be able to prance into the end zone and look at the fans, I started saying, 'Thank y'all, thank y'all.' I just wanted to give them a nostalgic feeling, really."

The Panthers did that as a whole.

The shutout win was their first since a November 2020 victory over the Lions, and the biggest margin of victory since the 2015 NFC Championship Game against the Ca

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