Maybe it’s an omen.
The Panthers won their first coin toss of the year, and thus inspired, drove down the field for an early lead on the Falcons.
The Panthers were 0-13 on coin tosses this year (including an overtime), which can perhaps only be explained by their black cat mascot.
Cam Newton then directed an impressive 11-play, 77-yard drive, hitting Greg Olsen for a 25-yard touchdown. Newton was 5-of-5 passing on the opening drive, continuing a run of solid play.