Panthers schedule: How limited fans could help on the road
By Shane Norris
Kansas City Chiefs (Week 9)
It’s never easy to play the reigning Super Bowl champions at home. Not only are the Kansas City Chiefs primed for another strong season. But they have a fanbase behind them that’s fired up after the franchise’s first Vince Lombardi Trophy in 50 years.
The Chiefs often pack upwards of 74,000 fans into Arrowhead Stadium during the regular season and the high-flying Andy Reid offense keeps fans engaged and cheering.
It’s also not easy to play in Kansas City in November when temperatures rarely get above 50 degrees. Historically, Arrowhead has been a deafening place to play, setting a Guinness World Record back in 2014.
While there was a bit of controversy over away fans taking over the arena early last season, a Super Bowl coupled with some immensely talented roster likely nixed that.
But what does Arrowhead look like with limited or no fans? In all honesty, the talent on the field will likely be enough to overcome the lack of noise. A rebuilding team taking on the reigning champions will probably not earn the upset on the road. However, the stadium dynamic may help a young team like the Carolina Panthers to keep the game closer than otherwise.
This is undisputedly the toughest game on the Panthers schedule. Their young defense faces a formidable task trying to stop Patrick Mahomes and it would be one of the biggest upsets in franchise history if they could somehow emerge victoriously.