David Newton, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

Panthers totally underestimated crowd upon return from Dallas

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Tight end Greg Olsen began his normal game of predicting the over-under for how many fans would be waiting at Bank of America Stadium as the Carolina Panthers approached in buses around 1 a.m. on Friday morning.

He picked 10.

“It was waaaaay over,’’ the veteran tight end said.

More than 100 fans were waiting in the cold, dark hours after the Panthers improved to 11-0 with a 33-14 victory at Dallas.

It was a sign of just how caught up the city of Charlotte is with their team that has won an NFL-best 15 consecutive regular-season games.

“We’re doing something special,’’ safety Roman Harper said. “It’s not just about these guys in this locker room. It’s about this city, this community, and we’re doing it for everybody.’’

A decision was made as the buses approached to stop and give the fans a chance to interact with the players.

“We looked up and all of a sudden there were all these folks,’’ coach Ron Rivera said. “So we decided to stop and say thank you.

“It was completely unexpected.’’

Olsen said you can feel the excitement around this team building among the fan base. The early-morning crowd was the best example so far.

“Usually, we have a handful of people,’’ he said. “As we started talking we were, ‘Maybe there will be more. Holiday. People have been sitting around all day, they’re bored. Maybe starting Black Friday a little early, getting in line.’

“We totally underestimated.’’

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