The Carolina Panthers are not going to be pushed around this season. They have been a doormat around the league for way too long, and the mentality is shifting accordingly.
Further evidence of this newfound mindset could be found during Carolina's joint practice with the Houston Texans. It was hot. It was intense. It was physical. And it often threatened to boil over.
The blue touch paper was almost lit when free-agent signing Tre'von Moehrig laid down a huge hit that the Texans players didn't like. This is exactly what the Panthers had in mind when they allocated substantial financial resources to the tone-setting safety, and the fact that he refused to apologize when speaking to the media after only endeared him to fans more.