CHARLOTTE — Something clearly was different for the Panthers in the second half Sunday, especially on defense.

But when team captain and voice of authority Derrick Brown was asked about it in the locker room after the game, he mostly shrugged.

"Nothing," Brown replied Sunday when asked what changed at halftime. "We just settled in, as simple as that. Just like 1-2-3.

" It just happened. Like we just came in, everybody said, let's get back to what we do, and this is what we do ."

Of course, it wasn't everybody saying anything, or just anybody, which triggered a second-half lockdown.

As it turns out, it was Brown who said something, and he said it in a way that no one would misunderstand his intention.

"I think we just have a lot of good leaders on this defense and people know when

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