CHARLOTTE — A buzz zipped its way down the Panthers' sideline.

Carolina was facing fourth-and-4 from the plus-40-yard line, 2:31 remaining in a tie game against the NFL's No. 1 offense, the Dallas Cowboys.

The defense was ready, waiting to see if they'd need to go out after a punt and try to get the ball back one more time, when it became clear the offense was going for it. Corner Chau Smith-Wade laughed that some guys turned away, superstition not allowing them to watch, while Jaycee Horn walked to the edge of the field, looking for a front-row view.

The Panthers went empty on the fourth-down call, with Rico Dowdle, Tommy Tremble, and Xavier Legette working in from the right side of the line, and Tetairoa McMillan and Hunter Renfrow on the left side, with the latter in the slot.

Horn, from his sideline view, took a quick assessment of the Cowboys' defensive formation, analyzing it as a Pro Bowl corner would. When he saw one specific matchup, he knew how the play would go.

"It was like a zero or a man-to-man look, and once I saw Hunter Renfrow in the slot, I'm like, oh, that's automatic. Like if they don't come over there and double-team him, it's automatic," predicted Horn (correctly).

It was also the call.

When the Panthers were first considering whether or not to go for it on fourth down, Dave Canales weighed all the normal factors: the time, the field position, the Cowboys' explosiveness if the Panthers didn't convert and gave the ball back with over two minutes to play. He weighed kicker Ryan Fitzgerald's distance, and the fact that the rookie had kicked a 57-yarder earlier in the season, but the fact that the wind would be in his face for this possible walk-off.

But more than anything, he weighed how much he trusted Bryce Young.

"It was going to be a long kick and we were looking at—we had a little bit of a headwind, and so I wanted to put the ball in Bryce's hands, be able to see and evaluate what they were doing from a defensive standpoint," explained Canales. "He had two great options on the left with Hunter and with TMac over there.

"It was a critical down, and those are the types of plays that I love when Bryce comes through for us right there and gives him a chance to affect the game."

And Young knew how much he trusted Renfrow. The veteran didn't have a catch all day, on just one target. But the Panthers as an organization, and individual players have seen third (or in this case fourth)-and-Renfrow change games countless times before.

"We've seen him make that play plenty of times in camp, in practice, you know, the slide and catch…too many times in college," laughed the South Carolina alum of the former Clemson receiver.

"And he made it when it mattered most."

Young hit Renfrow on an inside crosser for a gain of seven. It moved the chains, allowed the Panthers to pick up another first down on a Trevor Etienne run, and then spot the ball for Fitzgerald to kick a walk-off 33-yard field goal to win 30-27.

The fourth-down call was one former Greg Olsen, who was on the call for Fox on Sunday, would describe as "the best decision of (Canales') coaching career so far here in Carolina."

And it paid off.

"When they went for it on the fourth down, we rely on those guys to make those, and you know we have Mr. Reliable in Hunter with his choice game and stuff like that," said Smith-Wade.

"I know he's got it on me in practice. Choice game, he's going to work away from your leverage, and it's kind of hard to—once he works away from your leverage, it's kind of hard to regain that, and he's just going to shield you away."

Added Horn, "So big ups to Bryce, you know, Rico (running on the drive), Coach Canales dialing it up, going for it on fourth-down, a lot of trust in the offense. So man, they executed at a high level."

In typical "unassuming" Hunter Renfrow fashion, the veteran receiver slipped out of the locker room without notice, not long after the game, seeing no need to glory in his huge, arguably game-clinching play. Just all in a day's work.

It's the kind of attitude that gives Dave Canales confidence to call the play on fourth down, and for Bryce Young to zip a ball in there for the conversion.

"It's a great job from Hunter, great catch, great win on the route," praised Young.

"Just trust everyone in the huddle, trust each other, we all want those moments. We want the game in our hands, you know, we want to execute. We want to leave no doubt as an offense. We didn't want to leave them any time, and it speaks to the trust from Coach, from the staff, and the belief we have in each other."