The defending Super Bowl champions don’t get to play the first game of the year, and the runners-up have to go on the road.
According to Joe Person of The Athletic, the Panthers will host the Rams in the regular season opener.
The last time the two teams met (2016) was a real beauty, as a pair of 3-5 teams had a 13-10 rock fight, in which Case Keenum started at quarterback for the Rams.
The Rams are a much different team now, and the Panthers are hoping for a bounce-back season after Cam Newton’s disintegrating shoulder (since repaired) turned a 6-2 start into a seven-game losing streak.