Offense vs. defense at the Fan Fest for the Carolina Panthers on August 7, 2015. Mandatory Credit: Chris Schafer
Being at the Fan Fest I can tell you first hand the energy was the same as if this was a playoff game. The best part is the team thrived off of the atmosphere, which was evident when running the red zone offense. The first-team had struggled the first few days of training camp when running plays in the red zone. However, Friday was a different story and was evident by one play.
On a third down from the 20-yard line, Cam Newton stepped up to the line and called an audible when seeing the defensive scheme. As the play progressed, Newton hit Fozzy Whittaker on a screen pass, catching the defense by surprise and Whittaker raced untouched into the end zone for a touchdown.
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Coach Rivera noticed the change in the team and contributed it to the energy the fans brought as he stated
“They (the crowd) brought a lot of energy to practice. We got an opportunity to work on hand signals and communication with the real live crowd. I think the players responded to the energy and I was real excited with the things our guys did on the football field.”
Next: Energy translates to excitement!