From dawn in Charlotte, Panthers fans greet a long-awaited playoff return

The winter sun limped over the horizon at 7:32 this morning in Charlotte. And its first rays fell on Panthers fans already in position outside the Bank of American stadium, as they marked their side’s return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

Panthers take on the Rams in the Wildcard round

The Carolina Panthers play the Los Angeles Rams in the opening game of this Wildcard Weekend, and the football die-hards didn’t want to waste a moment, with a full day of music, grills and the occasional refreshment planned before kick off at 4:30pm.

What the Panthers fans won’t be bragging about is their record this season - yes they are in the playoffs, but they actually had a losing record, despite winning NFC South. They finished the season with eight wins and nine losses, in a three way tiebreaker with the Buccaneers and the Falcons, which they won thanks to having the best record in the six-game round-robin between the three teams.

That means they are 10.5-point underdogs against the 12-5 Rams despite being at home. Note though that the Panthers have already beaten the Rams this season in Charlotte, running out surprise 31-28 winners back at the end of November.

When was the last time the Panthers were in the Playoffs?

The Panthers were last in the Playoffs in 2017, when they finished second in the NFC South behind the New Orleans Saints, but claimed a Wild Card spot with an 11-5 record. They played the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and lost 31-26.

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