CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Somewhere, Thomas Davis is smiling.
Although the linebacker missed the Carolina Panthers' season opener Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, his teammates more than picked up the slack defensively. Carolina didn't allow Ezekiel Elliott and the rest of the Dallas offense to cross midfield until after halftime, limiting the Cowboys to just 232 total yards en route to a 16-8 victory.
First-year defensive coordinator Eric Washington stressed stopping the run to his unit all week, and it was clear from Dallas' first possession that Carolina's defenders took that message to heart. Running back Ezekiel Elliott, who has led the NFL in rushing yards per game each of the past two seasons, was almost a complete non-factor all game, finishing with 69 yards on 15 carries, including a meager 18 yards before halftime.
But for all of that defensive fortitude, Carolina's offense wasn't quite able to put the game away. Christian McCaffrey's fumble in the red zone cost the team a shot to take an early lead, and several other drives stalled out because of penalties.
When Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott scampered into the end zone in the fourth quarter and the Cowboys subsequently converted the two-point conversion, it made it a one-possession game at 16-8. With about four minutes left, it was up to Carolina's defense once again to stave off a Dak Prescott comeback attempt and maintain a lead.
That is exactly what they did. Sacks by Wes Horton and Kawann Short on the Cowboys' penultimate drive cost Dallas a shot to tie the game, and with less than two minutes left, defensive end Mario Addison forced a fumble that was recovered by Captain Munnerlyn to seal a Week 1 victory.
