Well, it’s official . . . it’s historically cold at Bank of America Stadium this afternoon.
Week 16’s matchup between the Carolina Panthers and the Detroit Lions “beat” the forecasts, as the temperature at kickoff from Charlotte, N.C. registered at 20 degrees Fahrenheit. That now stands as the franchise record for the coldest home game ever—out-chilling the previous mark of the 30-degree showdown against the New Orleans Saints on Jan. 3, 2010.
To celebrate, the Panthers immediately ran the visiting Lions right into that freezing turf. On their very first possession of the game, Carolina dashed for a five-play, 78-yard touchdown drive.
The touch began with two huge romps by running back Chuba Hubbard—one that went for 30 yards and the other for 35. After a third carry by Hubbard, which added five more yards, backfield mate D’Onta Foreman inched the Panthers down to the Detroit 7-yard line with a 6-yard run.
Carolina’s third running back Raheem Blackshear then capped it all off, taking an outside toss from quarterback Sam Darnold to the end zone for the 7-yard score.
Now that's a start! pic.twitter.com/wUflHN6LAm
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 24, 2022
