CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ The Carolina Panthers got caught up in a wild shootout of a game Sunday against Jacksonville, alternately exhilarating and scaring a crowd that hadn't seen the home team win in Charlotte in close to a year.
The Panthers never trailed and got three touchdowns in the first three quarters from running back Christian McCaffrey, then barely held on thanks to a big strip-sack from rookie Brian Burns and a late defensive stand to win, 34-27.
It was the third straight victory for Carolina (3-2) since they made a quarterback change from the injured Cam Newton to Kyle Allen. But Allen mostly handed the ball off Sunday for a Carolina team that gained a staggering 285 yards on the ground (third-best mark in team history).
Burns, who had already scored on a 56-yard fumble return, continued what has been a spectacular start to his rookie year. His sack came with Jacksonville down by a touchdown but driving in Carolina territory.
Earlier, with Carolina clinging to a 28-27 lead but McCaffrey hobbling on the sideline due to cramping, Reggie Bonnafon made his case for more playing time by sprinting for a 59-yard rushing touchdown with 3:34 left in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers entered Sunday having not won a home game in 11 months, having gone 0-5 overall during that span and 0-2 to begin this season.
Jacksonville got another chance to tie the game when they got the ball at their own 5 with just under two minutes to go and one timeout remaining.
Gardner Minshew's first two passes were nearly intercepted, but the rookie who has become a minor NFL cult figure then got the Jaguars to Carolina's 34 with 19 seconds to go. An interception by Eric Reid in the end zone was negated by a penalty on Mario Addison for illegal use of hands to the face. Jacksonville got one more play at the 29 with two seconds left, and that ball was knocked down to seemingly end the game.
But Burns was offside, which gave Jacksonville an untimed down from the 24. Luke Kuechly slapped that one down and, finally, the game was over.
_ The Panthers' Hall of Honor ceremony at halftime was necessarily short and also very sweet, as the team inducted quarterback Jake Delhomme, tight end Wesley Walls, offensive tackle Jordan Gross and wide receiver Steve Smith.
All four players were only given 60 seconds to speak due to the NFL's strict rules as to how long halftimes can go. The first three speeches lasted 45 seconds or less: Walls spoke about finding a home in Carolina; Gross quoted lyrics from his "great friends" The Avett Brothers ("Decide what to be and go be it") and Delhomme proclaimed it the "greatest sports day of my life" and that "Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina."
Smith, batting cleanup for the speeches, provided the grand finale and went a little longer, but it was well worth it.
All four players were wearing specially designed Panther blue blazers. Smith whipped off his blazer and a T-shirt to reveal his No. 89 jersey underneath.
"I never thought I'd be able to wear a Carolina Panthers jersey ever again," Smith said to thunderous applause, "so I thought for one last time I'd put it back on."
Smith also put in a plug for retiring No. 89. "Now the next step," Smith said, "make sure nobody ever wears this number again."
_ Although Cam Newton wasn't playing _ he missed his third straight game due to a foot injury _ a lot of former Panther quarterbacks were at Bank of America Stadium. Beside Delhomme, former Panthers quarterbacks Steve Beuerlein and Kerry Collins also came to see the Hall of Honor ceremony and particularly to support Walls, as they were his primary quarterbacks during the Panthers' portion of his career.
_ "Riverboat" Ron Rivera's gamble backfired early in the fourth quarter, as did offensive coordinator Norv Turner's. With the Panthers nursing a 28-24 lead and with a third-and-1 from the Jacksonville 5, Turner called a rare pass for McCaffrey. His only possible receiver was covered, so McCaffrey had to dump the ball into the ground. Then, on fourth-and-1, the Panthers handed the ball to McCaffrey going left, but he was stuffed for a two-yard loss.
_ Burns' "look-what-I-found" scoop-and-score TD came from 56 yards out on a fumble return caused by Addison's sack on Gardner Minshew. That gave Addison _ who entered the game third in the NFL in sacks _ 6.5 sacks for the season.
_ Joey Slye finally came down to Earth with a thud after a great first month of the season. Slye missed only his second field goal of the year in the second quarter when his 56-yarder was blocked by Calais Campbell. Then Slye missed from 46 yards, to the right, in the third quarter with Carolina leading, 28-24. Then Slye, who had troubles with accuracy during his career at Virginia Tech, had his third miss of the game on an extra point with 3:34 to go and Carolina ahead, 34-27.
