CHARLOTTE — Before the game even began, Jaycee Horn could feel the fans.

"I was excited and ready to go, as soon as I ran out there," said Horn, following the Panthers' crucial 23-20 win over division rivals, the Buccaneers.

"Oh, it was lit today," smiled defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson. "It felt like a playoff game. It did. It legit felt like a playoff game, and we needed them, and they helped us. We appreciate them for that."

All week, the Panthers asked fans to show up and get loud to affect a game Carolina had to win to take sole possession of the top of the division.

"Show up, be loud," urged Dave Canales earlier in the week, previewing the message that would adorn the black rally towels placed in each seat.

"Just show up and show out, and we're going to try to do the same thing," echoed Horn on Thursday.

Both sides delivered.

Bank of America was packed with 73,530 fans, most of them in black, leaning into the same look as the players on the field. They waved their towels, banged their seats, yelled, hollered, and ensured that the game was raucous from beginning to end, setting a tone that players matched.

"It was electric," bragged Canales after the win. "Bank of America Stadium was a special place today. Towels, black towels waving, all black uniforms, the whole thing. It felt right. It felt exactly right."

The crowd helped force three pre-snap penalties, including one on the Bucs' final drive of the game, when rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka had a false start that turned second-and-manageable into second-and-long.

"It was an advantage," Canales continued. "There were some false starts. There were some issues with communication. You can see where they were having trouble getting the calls in and getting lined up. That's our fanbase that's showing up for all of us.

"It really does take all of us, and those are the little advantages and edges that you need. I'm so fortunate to be able to be here to feel that type of energy in the building."

Derrick Brown was drafted here in 2020, meaning he's finishing up his sixth season with the Panthers. He's played a lot of football in Bank of America Stadium over the years, and during that time, if the bowl was packed, it was too often with opposing team colors. That wasn't the case on Sunday as Panthers fans showed up, making it one of the most special games he's played in during his time.

"Really good, really good out of all of them I've been a part of," Brown said of where the atmosphere for Sunday's game ranks. "A lot of black and blue; less of red than I've seen before," he chuckled. In fact, most of the red in the stadium Sunday was in the form of Santa hats, this close to Christmas.

"It just kind of all plays into the game, right? That loud noise while they're on offense, them trying to figure it out and being, they, I mean, everybody knows everything starts with communication, so I mean just any little wrinkle you can throw in there to affect anybody else, it's a great thing."

The fans have become a bigger part of the game this season, falling in love with a team who is fighting, and the team honoring that loyalty and commitment with thrilling performances week in and week out. Fans caused a delay of game on the Rams' penultimate play in Week 13, setting up a third-and-long that led to a game-winning sack-fumble.

To raise the bar of that on Sunday against the Bucs was something Panthers players won't soon forget.

"Yeah, that was an amazing environment," said quarterback Bryce Young. "We're super grateful for the city, for the Carolinas to come out. It had a big effect. It affects the game. They did a great job, a couple of false starts. There was a delay in there. That's credit to our fans. For them to come out and support like they have and to have our back, we're really grateful for that."

There's one more home game this year, a post-Christmas showdown with the Seattle Seahawks, the third No. 1 seed in the NFC that the Panthers will have faced this season. A win can go a long way towards locking up a playoff berth. And then, in two weeks, they'll travel south for a regular-season finale with the Bucs that will likely be the determining factor for the NFC South's division leader.

That's two more chances for the Panthers to step up and make this a season to remember. That's two more chances for the Panthers fans to do the same.

"Shout out to the fans, it was rocking in here today," said Brown. "So shout out to the fans rocking here today, and don't be afraid to travel in a few weeks."