The Panthers are proving they can still play defense without Greg Hardy.
But the Steelers are holding up pretty well for themselves.
A hard-hitting first quarter has resulted in a 3-3 tie, and both quarterbacks have taken some hard shots.
Ben Roethlisberger was just drilled twice by Panthers sub Mario Addison, while Cam Newton came up limping after a shot by Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons.
It might not match some of the offensive fireworks of the day’s earlier action, but it’s a different kind of compelling.
