The Carolina Panthers survived a late fightback from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to record a 20-14 victory on the opening night of their new season.
Neither quarterback was able to enjoy much success in the opening quarter, with Josh McCown enduring a difficult day on the field as he watched two long passes intercepted.
Tampa Bay's disjointed offense played into Carolina's hands, and the Panthers took control of the contest before the half-time interval.
A 15-play drive midway through the second quarter had pushed the Buccaneers five yards away from their own endzone, and it was left to Derek Anderson to pick out Greg Olsen for the first touchdown of the game.
Carolina extended their lead to 10-0 moments before the break as Graham Gano's 28-yard field goal brought the first half to an end.
A scoreless third quarter was followed by a dramatic final period as Anderson, who was filling in for the injured Cam Newton, picked out Kelvin Benjamin for Carolina's second touchdown.
The Tampa Bay offense finally enjoyed some success with just over seven minutes left on the clock as McCown picked out the run of Chris Owusu.
Bobby Rainey piled the pressure on Carolina just before the two-minute warning when he collected McCown's pass from six yards, but a fumble on their final play ruined their chances of a dramatic win.
The Panthers secured the win when Gano scored his second field goal of the day with 23 seconds remaining.
Callum Mulvihill
