Steve Wilks wants blue sea of Panthers fans at Bank of America Stadium for Week 7

Bank of America Stadium has become a home away from home for visiting teams.

That became evident last year—particularly when fans of the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots packed the Carolina Panthers’ (very) friendly confines. Then, just two weeks ago, the San Francisco 49ers faithful seemingly flooded every corner of the joint—drowning the seats in a red sea.

But interim head coach Steve Wilks, who appealed to Carolina fans on Wednesday, hopes that isn’t the case this weekend.

“I will tell our fans we’d love for you to show up en masse,” he said when asked of that Week 5 turnout. “And like to see a sea of blue out there on Sunday. Because I think our players thrive off that. I think that’s what they need. This is a divisional game. We’ve had some great battles over the years, particularly when I’ve been here before. And I know what this game means. So definitely want the fans to come out and support.”

On Sunday, the Panthers will welcome in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for their first matchup of the 2022 season. Hopefully, though, they won’t be welcoming in too many supporters of their NFC South foes as well.