North Charlotte Today

LAS VEGAS — The Panthers' locker room was filled with laughter as players watched a video of Jadeveon Clowney's celebratory dance following his sack on Aiden O'Connell. "Was it any good?" Jaycee Horn asked, receiving a small nod from Xavier Woods in response.

The Panthers' defense forced five three-and-outs, two turnovers on downs, and one interception by Mike Jackson, leading to a 36-22 victory over the Raiders. Most of the Raiders' points came during garbage time when the game was already decided. The Panthers' offense gained 437 total yards while their defense limited the Raiders to 331 yards.

"The first win, that's the most important," Horn said. "The first two weeks were kind of down, but we knew what type of team we had, and we knew we just had to respond."

A key factor in the defensive performance was holding Davante Adams to four receptions for 40 yards. Nickel Troy Hill emphasized that it was a team effort: "I think rush and coverage go hand in hand," Hill said. "It was just a team victory."

Mike Jackson led the team with nine tackles, three passes defended, and an interception. "Mike, he's just not any cornerback," Horn said. "He played a lot of snaps in this league... He came up with the ball today."

Clowney contributed two tackles (one for loss), a sack, and two quarterback hurries. His efforts helped force errant throws from Gardner Minshew late in the first half.

After facing criticism throughout the week, Horn acknowledged that the team took notice: "Yeah, we see it... But we know what type of team we are." He added that strong leadership and practice led to their dominant performance on Sunday.