After 329 days and nearly 2,500 miles away from home, the Panthers got back in the win column. It had been nearly a full year, but Sunday, I was able to capture the sweet sights of victory.
"No one said it had to be pretty," quarterback Teddy Bridgewater said as he left the SoFi Stadium turf.
The 21-16 win may not have been beautiful, but it was enough.
The defense forced three turnovers, which resulted in three different end zone photoshoots with the "Thieves." Each time the defense came down for a picture, they would say, "Wussup, B?!"
With no fans to interact with, I guess I was the next best thing.
Special teams also played a huge role in the win, and our freelancer, Jeff Lewis, captured a couple of those moments.
Kicker Joey Slye , who went 5-for-5 on field goals, had a huge tackle in the first quarter.
Then long snapper JJ Jansen downed a punt at the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter, forcing the Chargers have to go the entire length of the field for the win.
It took an entire team effort, but head coach Matt Rhule was Sunday's big winner. He secured his first victory as an NFL head coach and received a game ball in the locker room for helping elevate the team to a higher level.
For the Panthers and Rhule, they now hope the first win is only the beginning.
View the best photos from behind the scenes of Carolina's win over the Chargers in Week 3.
Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, September 27, 2020, in Inglewood, Calif. (Jeff Lewis)
Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, September 27, 2020, in Inglewood, Calif. (Jeff Lewis)
Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, September 27, 2020, in Inglewood, Calif. (Jeff Lewis)
Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, September 27, 2020, in Inglewood, Calif. (Jeff Lewis)
Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, September 27, 2020, in Inglewood, Calif. (Jeff Lewis)
Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, September 27, 2020, in Inglewood, Calif. (Jeff Lewis)
Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, September 27, 2020, in Inglewood, Calif. (Jeff Lewis)
Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, September 27, 2020, in Inglewood, Calif. (Jeff Lewis)
Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, September 27, 2020, in Inglewood, Calif. (Jeff Lewis)
Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, September 27, 2020, in Inglewood, Calif. (Jeff Lewis)
Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, September 27, 2020, in Inglewood, Calif. (Jeff Lewis)
