The postgame claps and cheers were so loud that they penetrated the thick, white Carolina Panthers locker room wall.The result was sufficiently stunning that fans looked for reasons to stay, exchanging hugs and high-fives long after the last whistle.On Seattle's third play from scrimmage, running back Maurice Morris, a solid 5-foot-11 and 216 pounds, ran right, needing a mere yard for a first down. Meeting him was Carolina tackle Maake Kemoeatu, who isn't particularly solid but, at 6-5 and 350 pounds, is really, really big.What happened?What do you think?Morris went backward and Seattle had to punt."Kemo let them know that we're no slouches," says fellow Panthers defensive lineman Mike Rucker.Kemoeatu and the Panthers defense set in motion two trends they sustained throughout the afternoon. They stuffed the Seahawks on third down, allowing them to convert only three of 12 opportunities, two of which came in the final two minutes. And they forced Seattle to punt eight times, more than any Carolina opponent this season.The Panthers played their best game of the season, parlaying a dominant defense and an opportunistic offense into a 13-10 victory against a team that will make the playoffs.This is where a week of hard work can take you, says right tackle Jordan Gross."This is your reward," he says.The victory also was a reward for fans at Bank of America Stadium. For three quarters, they saw a soccer game -- except the NCAA men's soccer final was more explosive. Wake Forest beat Ohio State on Sunday in a 2-1 slugfest.Soccer fans will tell you about the strategy, subtleties and action that are crammed into a 0-0 game. But when football fans encounter an 0-0 game, they walk to the concession stand to buy more beer.That the Panthers struggled to score was no surprise. Coming in, the Carolina offense was ranked 15th among 16 NFC teams, and rookie quarterback Matt Moore was making his first start.The Seahawks, however, ranked fifth in the conference. And they are led by Matt Hasselbeck, who has played in the Super Bowl and is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the league. Yet Seattle did not score its touchdown, which came via a deflected pass, until one second remained.Moore was especially good when he needed to be. Despite a strong, twisting wind, he demoralized Seattle by leading the Panthers to nine (of 18) third-down conversions.Fans had to wonder why he hadn't started two weeks ago at home against San Francisco. I do.Carolina's line protected him the way parents protect a gift they don't want their kids to rip open early. On the rare occasions Moore was pressured, he coolly moved away, throwing 27 passes and never getting sacked."He's a little more mobile than Vinny," says Seattle defensive end Patrick Kerney.Another difference between the quarterbacks: Vinny Testaverde, 44, dresses as if he's on a business trip. Moore, who is 21 years younger, walks into the interview room wearing a gray hoodie and a white LaCoste cap.Moore, however, played with a maturity remarkable for a player who had thrown 32 career passes, most of them as a fourth-quarter replacement.His success helped keep the Carolina defense fresh, and the defense played as if it had been unleashed, picking up three sacks and recovering a fumble.The crowd pumped up the defense and the defense pumped up the crowd.As he awaited a kickoff by John Kasay, safety Marquand Manuel exhorted the fans in the end zone, running toward them and jumping and running back to his position, then running back toward the fans. By the time Kasay hit the ball, those fans were ready to accompany Manuel to the other end of the field.Safety Quinton Teal, one of the top 10 special teams players in Coastal Carolina history, stuffed the ensuing return with a fine tackle. Teal celebrated crazily with teammates and then coaches, and the fans got caught up in the excitement and turned even louder.Linebacker Thomas Davis jumped repeatedly on the sideline to incite fans on one play. On the next he sacked Hasselbeck and forced a fumble that would lead to the clinching touchdown."You have to play with emotion," says emotional Carolina safety Chris Harris. "You have to be in control, but you have to have emotion."After losing seven straight at home, the Panthers have won two in a row, and there was emotion on the field and in the bleachers, emotion all around."We were at home, against a good team with a great crowd," says Rucker. "This is why you play."
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Panthers' emotion reciprocated by fans
Re: Panthers' emotion reciprocated by fans
