SANTA CLARA, Calif.— Demani Richardson had to stop and really think about his answer for a minute. The second-year safety, like many on this young Panthers' team, is playing in his first prime time game in the NFL tonight. It means for the first time this season or last, he and his teammates have to find a way to fill their day.

"I don't know," Richardson answered honestly as to what he'd do, as his elder teammates like Mike Jackson and Nick Scott laughed at the response.

Ok, so what did he do to fill the day when he had a prime time game in college at Texas A&M?

"I watch football."

But there are no other games on Monday.

That reality check stunned Richardson into silence while Scott and Jackson lost what little control they had left on their laughter.

It is an interesting challenge for a team used to typically playing at 1 o'clock on Sundays (or noon, depending on some time zones). It requires a focus on how to adjust physically, yes, but primarily mentally.

"Just making sure that we have a routine, I know we'll have stuff, I'm sure we'll have—just being a little different schedule, obviously, I know the coaching staff and training staff will have stuff for us to do," said quarterback Bryce Young

"But also just balancing things. Obviously, we're going to stay off our feet that day, waiting for the night, and then being smart. You want to make sure that emotionally you're not doing anything too high, too low before; you're in the right mindset, and then, we know it's a business trip, of course, so we'll just be focused."

And in some ways, it feels like the way football is supposed to be: under the lights.

"I never played on a Monday, so I don't know," admitted corner Jaycee Horn, who was injured the last time the Panthers played on Monday night in Week 2 of 2023. "It's going to be different. I'm probably—usually I just watch tape in the morning when we play at 1 o'clock. I just watch tape and then head to the to the stadium or whatever, but I'm going to have a lot of time to chill on Monday, so I don't know, we'll see.

"It's a big opportunity, you know. I'm just happy—like I'm more so excited just to be playing under the lights again, kind of like college and high school."

Friday night lights at least had class to fill the day first, though, right?

"Some of us, yeah, right, some of us," joked Scott. "I was there. My mom was a substitute teacher, so there was no way I wasn't going to be in class.

"But, yeah, man, it's fun, that high school—everybody in here for the most part in high school was like the man. So, wearing your jersey on Friday and knowing you have a game on the horizon, you had a little walk to you, a little swagger.

"And that's kind of like what these night games are like, these Monday night primetime games. It's like, all eyes are going to be on you, so it's extremely exciting."

Does that mean Nick Scott is going to walk around the hotel in his jersey all day Monday?

"I wish, man, if they, if they brought it for us, I would."

All jokes aside, most of Monday will be spent the same way Sundays are, just with more time to focus on the details. Young is a morning person by nature, he's usually up and at the facility "6-ish or 7-ish." But he said for a night game, he usually just sets his alarm for an hour so late he'd never get up at, and then just gets up when he gets up. Most players will sleep in for a bit, then get a late breakfast, receive treatment, go through a walk-through, and finish up with some film before heading to the stadium. The 8:15 p.m. EST kick-off means 5:15 p.m. in California, so there is less time in the day to pass than it will seem on the East Coast.

"Probably a lot of film, I'll probably sleep the majority of that morning, kind of just rest because the whole night's going to be high energy," shared linebacker Krys Barnes. "So try to contain yourself as much as you can."

But there will be time to fill, regardless.

"I'm not going to lie, me personally, I hate that little lull period leading up to it," admitted Scott. "Just because I'm like, man, I'm ready to go, so a big thing with me is making sure I'm not peaking too soon, so whatever I can do to kind of relax my mind and save that all for when it matters."

And when it does matter, everyone will be watching. Being ready for that moment is something the Panthers have been preparing for the last two years. When Dave Canales first arrived, though, he talked about getting these prime time games and the statement it would make about the team's growth.

"It's a late game. Stay off your feet and get ready. It's Monday Night Football, and we know what's at stake and what type of game this is, and we just got to be prepared to go out there and execute at a high level," preached running back Rico Dowdle.

"It's national television. Everybody watching, so don't let them embarrass you and stay focused and locked in."

Now, the Panthers know they have a chance to write their own story in the national narrative, especially since they woke up Monday morning tied for first in the NFC South after the Buccaneers fell to 6-5 with a loss to the Rams.

"I think teams got to come to play when they play us. It's not just a game; you scratch out the schedule and think it's an easy win. So I think we're taking steps to get there," said Horn.

"But you know that mindset is still the same, because I—me personally—I took it personal the way the national media used to talk about us or whatever. So yeah, I feel like when everybody adopted that mindset, it just helped us play harder and play more together."