Remember when Cam Newton couldn’t make his team rise to another level?

Even though he’s not 100 percent, he outplayed Matthew Stafford, going 22 of 34 for 281 yards and a touchdown. He did not throw an interception.

Remember when the Panthers didn’t bring in any receivers this offseason?

Jason Avant, Jerricho Cotchery and Kelvin Benjamin caught 11 passes against the Lions.

Remember when Jonathan Stewart couldn’t stay healthy?

He was the only healthy running back for most of the fourth quarter, which included his first touchdown since 2012.

Remember when the Panthers defense wouldn’t be the same without Greg Hardy?

Carolina didn’t sack Stafford in the first half, but Mario Addison and Dwan Edwards combined for four sacks in the second.

Remember when Antoine Cason was a nondescript free agent signing?

After a year spent coming off the bench in Arizona, he has 19 tackles in his first two games in Carolina. He also led a secondary that allowed no big plays against a Lions offense capable of making many.

Remember when the sky was falling this offseason?

The Panthers are 2-0 for the first time since 2008. The other times they started with two wins: 2003, 2002, 1996.