The defense dances after playing on time all day

But on a day when the Panthers forced five three-and-out drives, two turnovers on downs and one traditional turnover (a Mike Jackson interception) en route to a 36-22 victory, any negative comments about Clowney's victory dance were likely the only ones from the defense.

The Raiders scored two of their touchdowns (and 15 of their 22 points) in garbage time, when the Panthers already had the game firmly in hand. It was complementary football from start to finish, as the offense totaled 437 yards and the defense held the Raiders to 331 yards — 261 yards not including the late drive after Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew donned a baseball cap.

“The first win is the most important,” Horn said. “The first two weeks were a little depressing, but we knew what kind of team we have and we knew we just had to respond. Even though the noise outside got pretty crazy, we still stuck together as a team. We just came out here and played complementary football and found a way to win.”

Perhaps the biggest factor that made the Panthers' defense stand out was the pass defense, which limited Davante Adams to four pass catches for 40 yards, a modest line for the dynamic receiver. It wasn't just the pass defense, though, as Nickel Troy Hill explained, but the entire defense, front to back.

“I think rush and coverage go hand in hand,” Hill said. “I feel like it was just a team win. You get a lot of energy when you see the offense get moving, when you see the rush come together. I think that all contributed to the team win.”

Jackson, who was acquired from Seattle during training camp, was within touching distance of the ball most of the day, recording a team-high nine tackles, three passes defended and one interception.

“Mike, he's not just any cornerback,” Horn said. “He's played a lot of snaps in his league and I try to rely on him and learn from him every day. He got the ball today, so when a cornerback gets a pick, it's always a win.”