The Panthers needed a spark on defense. Devin Lloyd provided it.

“Oh, he’s just an incredible leader, incredible human, incredible talent, you know, to me he’s a gold jacket guy, man,” outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips said. “I’m honored to be on the same field as him.

“I mean, he was everywhere. He’s a force to be reckoned with, and I’ve been saying this since OTAs that he’s the best football player I’ve played with. Truly honored to be on the field with him and just excited to keep seeing what he does, and he just encourages all of us to play better, be better, lifts everybody up around him, and so it’s a blessing to be on the same field with him.”

Of course, that’s why general manager Dan Morgan, another one of those linebackers, signed Lloyd this offseason. It’s one thing to make plays, but leadership is another component of Lloyd’s importance to this defense.

But there were so many plays made that those took center stage. The pick-six came off undrafted rookie Jack Strand on his first NFL pass, quickly extinguishing the one bit of excitement the Falcons fans had all day. They were chanting Strand’s name all day, but Lloyd’s touchdown effectively ended the game.