Panthers’ RBs make history, boost NFC South title hopes – Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Carolina Panthers right tackle Taylor Moton had all the offensive linemen wear black ski masks to Friday’s walk-through, not just to fight the arctic blast that hit the South but to send a message that his group wouldn’t be embarrassed for the second week in a row.

It wasn’t.

On the coldest day for a home game in Bank of America Stadium history, the Panthers used a red-hot running game to beat the Detroit Lions 37-23 on Saturday to set up a showdown next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the NFC South lead.

Carolina rushed for a single-game franchise record 320 yards, including a team-record 240 in the first half, during which Chuba Hubbard and D’Onta Foreman became the first pair of backs to each top 100 first-half rushing yards since the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2006.

The offense overall was red hot with 570 total yards, blasting the team record of 548 against the Miami Dolphins in 2017.

“Beat Christmas ever,’’ Moton said.

The Panthers improved to 6-9, leaving them a half-game behind the Bucs (6-8), who play the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Carolina can win the NFC South by winning at Tampa Bay next week and at New Orleans the following week.

The rushing effort came a week after the Pittsburgh Steelers limited Carolina to 21 yards rushing. It happened on a day when the temperature at kickoff was 20 degrees, eclipsing Carolina’s 2010 record of 30 degrees in the season finale.

It came after interim coach Steve Wilks challenged his line to re-establish control.

Guard Austin Corbett said Moton’s idea with the ski masks was “perfect timing.’’

Foreman, who finished with 165 yards rushing on 21 carries, said the masks symbolized a mindset the Panthers want to maintain the final two games with the playoffs still in reach.

“The mentality, you know, how they were going to attack it,’’ he said of the…