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 Cardinals, both at home. And after opening the season in Jacksonville and Arizona, they were definitely glad to be back and get the kind of welcome they received.

"It felt great. It felt great to be in Bank of America Stadium with our fans," Panthers head coach Dave Canales said. "I felt the support. You look around, and it was all Panthers fans. There was a sprinkling of the Falcons group that came to watch the game, as close as we are. But I know the guys feed off of that, and it's something that I saw happen last week on the road and tried to remind the guys, we bring the juice. We're the ones that have to get this started, and then it's infectious and then it spreads.

"So I just love that at the end of the game and some critical times in the third quarter, it was loud on third down. That's an advantage for our rush. That's an advantage for putting pressure on the offense. So they were felt today."

Quarterback Bryce Young echoed those sentiments, appreciating the opportunity to shout out the 70,000-plus that filled the building for the atmosphere.

"It was electric. I'm glad you brought it up," Young said. "Everyone, all four quarters, the fans were amazing. That was great energy, great juice, and for us, we're so grateful for the fans that we have.

"We have the best fans in the league, and for us to be able to be home, start here, start like this, it means a lot for us, and we're all grateful for that."

The Panthers play at New England next weekend, before returning home for three of their next four games in Bank of America Stadium against the Dolphins, Cowboys, and Bills.