When Redskins quarterback John Beck scrambled into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown in the third quarter of the Panthers' 33-20 win on Sunday, a cheer went up from several burgundy-hued sections of Bank of America Stadium.

The reaction did not go unnoticed by those on the home sideline.

"You don't want to see that. You don't want to have a bunch of maroon fans in the stands," left tackle Jordan Gross said Monday. "But if we were undefeated, you probably wouldn't have that many. So hopefully the fans recognize the importance of home field and home games, and they're keeping their seats for Panthers fans."

In the midst of a three-game homestand critical to turning their season around, the Panthers (2-5) are trying to win back some of the fans they lost during last year's dismal 2-14 season.

The arrival of quarterback Cam Newton, the No. 1 overall pick, has helped energize the fan base. First-year coach Ron Rivera and his staff have installed an attacking defense and an exciting, pass-first offense that features a heavy dose of deep throws.

Still, Rivera understands establishing a home-field advantage is a process.

"We appreciate" the fans, Rivera said. "It was tough (Sunday). It was a pretty raucous crowd with a lot of Redskins fans in the crowd. We want to look up and see a sea of blue."

With more than 60,000 PSL owners, the Panthers have a strong season-ticket base for their roughly 73,500-seat stadium. They have sold out 89 consecutive games, dating to a game against Cincinnati on Dec. 8, 2002, when an ice storm hit Charlotte.

With less than 1,400 tickets remaining for Sunday's game against Minnesota (1-6), the streak is expected to reach 90 games.

But the stadium is not always filled with Panthers fans, particularly in down years or weeks when teams with strong, traditional followings (Pittsburgh, Dallas, Washington) come to Charlotte, a transient city that has had an NFL entry for only 17 years.

Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, who spent his entire coaching career in Philadelphia before joining Rivera's staff last winter, said the sight of opposing fans in enemy territory is somewhat foreign to him.

"We're going to reclaim this stadium," McDermott said. "That's what we're going to do. That's one of our missions. And we're going to protect our house. We saw a little bit of that (Sunday) and the players are taking a lot of pride in that right now. And I hope we can give these fans some more to cheer about come this weekend and in the future here."

Tight end Ben Hartsock, who has played for five teams during his nine-year career, has sensed a fan base ready for a winner in his first season in Charlotte. When he would drop off his kids at school or bump into a neighbor, he kept getting congratulated on the Panthers' close losses.

"You just have to remind them, 'Well, we didn't win,' " Hartsock said. "That's what I think is great about this area is that you can tell that the fans are hungry for something good.

"And obviously (Sunday), there were some Redskin fans there. But when you're changing the culture, when you're reestablishing the identity of a franchise here, it starts with one drop in the bucket. Hopefully (Sunday) was one step towards that."

McDermott said he thought Bank of America Stadium was a tough place to play when he was with the Eagles.

"When we used to play here, I thought this was a good place to play in terms of a hostile environment, with physical, tough football players. And I still believe that," he said. "I've come to realize that these fans, when you put a good product on the field, they're one of the best fan bases in the NFL."