Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy is paying tribute to someone, or something, very special for this week's game against the Denver Broncos. Hardy will play this week's game with a painted face and black contacts, reports ESPN's Rachel Nichols. And just what is Hardy trying to do here?

Hardy is calling himself the Kraken, of course, a fearsome sea monster known to take apart weary sailors and their ships.

Carolina's third-year defensive end has been one of the few bright spots on a defense that has been thoroughly underwhelming this year. Hardy has 32 tackles and 6.5 sacks on the season. The Panthers beat the Washington Redskins last week for a desperately needed win, moving the team to 2-6 on the season.

This week's game marks the first time John Fox has been back to Carolina since being fired as that team's head coach following the 2010 season, which was also Hardy's rookie year.