CHARLOTTE — All week, as the Panthers' defense watched tape, preparing for their home opener and first matchup against a divisional opponent, there was one constant that kept presenting itself.

When Michael Penix Jr. needed to get rid of the ball, he preferred throwing to the flat. They were typically late throws, and "reckless" according to nickel corner Chau Smith-Wade . In other words, there were opportunities to be had.

"(The coaches) knew certain situations where we could potentially get reckless throws out of certain looks," Smith-Wade explained, following the Panthers' shutout 30-0 win over the Falcons. "That was something that we saw going into this week, watching film."

A rough approximation shows Penix swung to the flats eight times against the Panthers. One of them was an e

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