22nd season in franchise history
The 2016 season was the Carolina Panthers ' 22nd in the National Football League (NFL) and their sixth under head coach Ron Rivera . It was also the team's 20th season at Bank of America Stadium . The previous year , the Panthers achieved their highest win total in franchise history with a 15–1 record, but lost to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 . They entered the 2016 season as the defending NFC champions and NFC South champions and hope to repeat as NFC champions.
After a 1–5 start, their worst start since 2012 , the Panthers finished the season at 6–10, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2012. The Panthers struggled throughout the season with injuries and loss of star players via free agency and retirement. The Panthers became the first team in NFL history to go 15–1 and miss the playoffs the following year and the first Super Bowl runners up to miss the next year's playoffs since the 2008 Patriots . They also failed to win the NFC South for the first time in three seasons. This was also the first team to have at least 15 wins and finish last in their division the following season. They were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16 when they lost to the Atlanta Falcons 33-16.
The Panthers had the most explosive offense in the NFL in the regular season, despite having subpar tackle play. The team did not add any tackles in free agency though, with left tackle Michael Oher instead getting a three-year contract extension worth $21.6 million with $9.5 million guaranteed. The Panthers also had top wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin , who missed the entire 2015 season due to an ACL tear, returning from injury.
Another significant change in the off-season was the departure of starting cornerback Josh Norman . Norman was named First-team All-Pro in 2015 after allowing the lowest passer rating when targeted among NFL cornerbacks. The Panthers drafted corners James Bradberry , Daryl Worley and Zack Sanchez to compensate for the loss. The team also lost Dwan Edwards , a rotational defensive tackle , in free agency and veteran defensive end Jared Allen to retirement. They drafted defensive lineman Vernon Butler in the first round to add more talent to that position group.
Notes
2016 Carolina Panthers staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
Panthers at the Ravens during the preseason Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Week 1: at Denver Broncos [ edit ] NFL Kickoff game
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
DEN – Andy Janovich 28-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 12:16. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:36.
CAR – Cam Newton 2-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 3:01. Panthers 14–7. Drive: 18 plays, 89 yards, 9:15.
CAR – Graham Gano 44-yard field goal, 0:03. Panthers 17–7. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 1:42. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
DEN – C. J. Anderson 25-yard pass from Trevor Siemian (Brandon McManus kick), 14:50. Panthers 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 4:08.
DEN – C. J. Anderson 1-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 9:26. Broncos 21–17. Drive: 10 plays, 23 yards, 4:41.
CAR – Graham Gano 36-yard field goal, 4:21. Broncos 21–20. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 5:05.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 18/33, 194 yards, TD, INT
DEN – Trevor Siemian – 18/26, 178 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 15 rushes, 64 yards
DEN – C. J. Anderson – 20 rushes, 92 yards, TD Top receivers
CAR – Kelvin Benjamin – 6 receptions, 91 yards, TD
DEN – Emmanuel Sanders – 5 receptions, 49 yards
The Panthers were up 17–7 in the fourth quarter which saw the Broncos put up 14 points. Down 21–20, Graham Gano attempted a potential game winning 50 yard kick but the kick was wide left, handing the Panthers a 0–1 start to the season.[ 1]
Week 2: vs. San Francisco 49ers [ edit ]
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
SF – Torrey Smith 28-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert (Phil Dawson kick), 10:02. 49ers 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:38.
CAR – Greg Olsen 78-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 9:40. Panthers 14–10. Drive: 1 play, 78 yards, 0:22.
CAR – Graham Gano 39-yard field goal, 0:01. Panthers 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 0:41. Third quarter
CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 10-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 8:38. Panthers 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 4:51.
CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 9-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 4:56. Panthers 31–10. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:54. Fourth quarter
SF – Phil Dawson 39-yard field goal, 12:38. Panthers 31–13. Drive: 4 plays, −4 yards, 1:23.
SF – Blaine Gabbert 1-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 12:31. Panthers 31–20. Drive: 1 play, 1 yard, 0:07.
CAR – Graham Gano 31-yard field goal, 8:07. Panthers 34–20. Drive: 8 plays, 25 yards, 4:24.
SF – Vance McDonald 75-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert (Phil Dawson kick), 7:51. Panthers 34–27. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:16.
CAR – Graham Gano 49-yard field goal, 4:08. Panthers 37–27. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 3:43.
CAR – Devin Funchess 16-yard pass from Cam Newton (kick blocked), 3:31. Panthers 43–27. Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 0:26.
CAR – Graham Gano 41-yard field goal, 1:06. Panthers 46–27. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:56.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
In their home opener, the Panthers looked to win their first game of the season. Carolina went into the fourth quarter with a 21-point lead over the 49ers; with about eight minutes left in the game, San Francisco managed to get within seven of tying the game. Carolina ended up scoring three more times before the game finished and won 46–27, improving to 1–1 on the year.
Week 3: vs. Minnesota Vikings [ edit ]
Week Three: Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Vikings 2
6
8 6 22
Panthers
10
0
0 0 10
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Date : September 25Game time : 1:00 p.m. EDTGame weather : 80 °F (27 °C), partly cloudyGame attendance : 73,813Referee : Jerome Boger TV announcers (Fox) : Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer HaleRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 48-yard field goal, 10:52. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 4:08.
CAR – Cam Newton 3-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 5:20. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 3:51.
MIN – Cam Newton sacked in the end zone by Danielle Hunter for a safety, 1:44. Panthers 10–2. Second quarter
MIN – Marcus Sherels 54-yard punt return (kick failed, wide right), 3:21. Panthers 10–8. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 28-yard field goal, 13:14. Vikings 19–10. Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 2:46.
MIN – Blair Walsh 31-yard field goal, 5:07. Vikings 22–10. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 5:55.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
The Panthers' fourteen home game winning streak came to an end after losing to Minnesota. They fell to 1–2 as Cam Newton was sacked eight times by the Minnesota defense and threw three picks.
Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons [ edit ]
Week Four: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Panthers
0
10
0 23 33
Falcons 14
3
14 17 48
at Georgia Dome , Atlanta, Georgia
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
CAR – Kurt Coleman 8-yard interception return (Graham Gano kick), 11:31. Falcons 14–7.
ATL – Matt Bryant 28-yard field goal, 5:56. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:35.
CAR – Graham Gano 54-yard field goal, 3:07. Falcons 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 2:49. Third quarter
ATL – Austin Hooper 42-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 9:13. Falcons 24–10. Drive: 10 plays, 99 yards, 5:47.
ATL – Aldrick Robinson 35-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:57. Falcons 31–10. Drive: 9 plays, 92 yards, 3:19. Fourth quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 53-yard field goal, 13:19. Falcons 34–10. Drive: 10 plays, 36 yards, 5:17.
CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 6-yard pass from Cam Newton (Cam Newton run), 11:42. Falcons 34–18. Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 1:37.
CAR – Greg Olsen 14-yard pass from Derek Anderson (Derek Anderson–Greg Olsen pass), 3:58. Falcons 34–26. Drive: 9 plays, 94 yards, 5:23.
ATL – Julio Jones 75-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 3:45. Falcons 41–26. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:13.
CAR – Corey Brown 16-yard pass from Derek Anderson (Graham Gano kick), 1:53. Falcons 41–33. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 1:52.
ATL – Robert Alford 30-yard interception return (Matt Bryant kick), 1:14. Falcons 48–33.
Top passers
CAR – Derek Anderson – 17/23, 172 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 28/37, 503 yards, 4 TD, INT Top rushers
CAR – Cam Newton – 5 rushes, 30 yards
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 13 rushes, 57 yards, TD Top receivers
CAR – Fozzy Whittaker – 9 receptions, 86 yards
ATL – Julio Jones – 12 receptions, 300 yards, TD
It was not Carolina's day as the defense had a very hard time putting pressure on Matt Ryan , who threw for 500 yards and four touchdowns, one of them to Julio Jones , who had a monster game, catching 12 passes for 300 yards. It was another rough day for Newton, who left the game with a concussion in the fourth quarter, allowing backup QB Derek Anderson into action. Anderson threw both a pair of touchdowns and interceptions as the Panthers would drop to 1–3.
Week 5: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [ edit ]
Week Five: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Buccaneers 3
3
8 3 17
Panthers
0
0
14 0 14
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information
First quarter
TB – Roberto Aguayo 35-yard field goal, 6:32. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 58 yards, 8:32. Second quarter
TB – Roberto Aguayo 35-yard field goal, 0:48. Buccaneers 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 3:22. Third quarter
CAR – Cameron Artis-Payne 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 9:12. Panthers 7–6. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:48.
CAR – Cameron Artis-Payne 12-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 6:11. Panthers 14–6. Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 1:45.
TB – Mike Evans 26-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Jameis Winston–Adam Humphries pass), 4:34. Tied 14–14. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:36. Fourth quarter
TB – Roberto Aguayo 38-yard field goal, 0:03. Buccaneers 17–14. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 1:49.
Top passers
TB – Jameis Winston – 18/30, 219 yards, TD
CAR – Derek Anderson – 18/28, 278 yards, 2 INT Top rushers
TB – Jacquizz Rodgers – 30 rushes, 101 yards
CAR – Cameron Artis-Payne – 18 rushes, 85 yards, 2 TD Top receivers
TB – Mike Evans – 6 receptions, 89 yards, TD
CAR – Greg Olsen – 9 receptions, 181 yards
After being held scoreless in the first half, the Panthers scored two touchdowns in the third quarter. Tampa Bay followed up with a touchdown to tie the game. Late in the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers made a field goal to win 17–14. With the loss the Panthers fall to 1–4.
Week 6: at New Orleans Saints [ edit ]
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
NO – Michael Thomas 9-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 13:47. Saints 21–0. Drive: 4 plays, 29 yards, 1:48.
CAR – Graham Gano 42-yard field goal, 3:02. Saints 21–3. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 1:09.
CAR – Devin Funchess 17-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 1:15. Saints 21–10. Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 1:09.
NO – Wil Lutz 33-yard field goal, 0:10. Saints 24–10. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 1:05. Third quarter
CAR – Ed Dickson 1-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 6:49. Saints 24–17. Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 4:57.
NO – Coby Fleener 50-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 4:56. Saints 31–17. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:53. Fourth quarter
CAR – Jonathan Stewart 2-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 14:49. Saints 31–24. Drive: 3 plays, 50 yards, 1:04.
CAR – Jonathan Stewart 1-yard run (kick failed, wide right), 9:38. Saints 31–30. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 3:51.
NO – Josh Hill 8-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 6:02. Saints 38–30. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:36.
CAR – Cam Newton 2-yard run (Cam Newton–Devin Funchess pass), 2:58. Tied 38–38. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 3:04.
NO – Wil Lutz 52-yard field goal, 0:11. Saints 41–38. Drive: 11 plays, 41 yards, 2:47.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
With Cam Newton returning from a concussion, the Panthers urged a late comeback and tied the game at 38–38, but New Orleans kicker Wil Lutz hit the gamewinner to seal the 41–38 victory for the Saints. With the loss the Panthers drop to 1–5, their worst record since 2012.
No game. Carolina had their bye week on Week 7.
Week 8: vs. Arizona Cardinals [ edit ]
Week Eight: Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Cardinals
0
7
7 6 20
Panthers 14
10
6 0 30
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Date : October 30Game time : 1:00 p.m. EDTGame weather : 85 °F (29 °C), sunnyGame attendance : 74,088Referee : Walt Coleman TV announcers (Fox) : Sam Rosen, Daryl Johnston and Laura OkminRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
CAR – Jonathan Stewart 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 11:05. Panthers 21–0. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:40.
CAR – Graham Gano 43-yard field goal, 2:45. Panthers 24–0. Drive: 13 plays, 35 yards, 6:31.
ARI – J. J. Nelson 5-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 0:20. Panthers 24–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:25. Third quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 52-yard field goal, 11:56. Panthers 27–7. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 3:04.
CAR – Graham Gano 21-yard field goal, 7:18. Panthers 30–7. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 3:07.
ARI – John Brown 17-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 1:45. Panthers 30–14. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:33. Fourth quarter
ARI – J. J. Nelson 4-yard pass from Carson Palmer (pass failed), 5:01. Panthers 30–20. Drive: 14 plays, 92 yards, 4:49.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
ARI – David Johnson – 7 receptions, 84 yards
CAR – Kelvin Benjamin – 2 receptions, 73 yards
The Panthers returned from their bye week for a rematch of the previous year's NFC Championship game, in which the Panthers defeated the Cardinals 49–15. The Panthers went up 24–7 before halftime and maintained their lead to win the game 30–20, giving them their second win of the season and a 2–5 record. The game was flexed out of a 4:25 time slot.
Week 9: at Los Angeles Rams [ edit ]
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 38-yard field goal, 11:12. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 35 yards, 3:53.
LA – Greg Zuerlein 25-yard field goal, 8:01. Panthers 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 3:11.
CAR – Graham Gano 37-yard field goal, 3:18. Panthers 13–3. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 4:43.
LA – Kenny Britt 10-yard pass from Case Keenum (Greg Zuerlein kick), 0:34. Panthers 13–10. Drive: 15 plays, 75 yards, 2:44.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
After the Panthers went into the fourth quarter with a seven-point lead, Graham Gano kicked a field goal making it 10–0. After both teams kicked field goals, and with less than two minutes left in the game, Los Angeles scored a touchdown, but the Panthers manage to win 13–10 improving to 3–5.
Week 10: vs. Kansas City Chiefs [ edit ]
Week Ten: Kansas City Chiefs at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Chiefs 0
3
0 17 20
Panthers
3
14
0 0 17
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information
First quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 42-yard field goal, 10:49. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 4:11. Second quarter
CAR – Cam Newton 4-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 9:05. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:44.
CAR – Devin Funchess 38-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 1:52. Panthers 17–0. Drive: 7 plays, 87 yards, 3:36.
KC – Cairo Santos 47-yard field goal, 0:10. Panthers 17–3. Drive: 12 plays, 46 yards, 1:42. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
KC – Cairo Santos 36-yard field goal, 12:02. Panthers 17–6. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 3:19.
KC – Eric Berry 42-yard interception return (Alex Smith –Travis Kelce pass), 10:32. Panthers 17–14.
KC – Cairo Santos 33-yard field goal, 4:25. Tied 17–17. Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 3:09.
KC – Cairo Santos 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Chiefs 20–17. Drive: 3 plays, 11 yards, 0:20.
Top passers
Top rushers
KC – Spencer Ware – 13 rushes, 61 yards
CAR – Cam Newton – 12 rushes, 54 yards Top receivers
The Panthers went into the fourth quarter with a 17–3 lead over the Chiefs but things changed when Cairo Santos kicked a field goal, and Eric Berry had a pick six. Santos makes another field goal, tying the game at 17. In the Panthers' last possession of the game, the ball was stripped out of Kelvin Benjamin 's hands and Kansas City recovered to set up the game-winning field goal.
Week 11: vs. New Orleans Saints [ edit ]
Week Eleven: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Saints
3
0
0 17 20
Panthers 3
17
3 0 23
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information
First quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 32-yard field goal, 8:29. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 18 yards, 4:46.
NO – Wil Lutz 27-yard field goal, 0:36. Tied 3–3. Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 7:53. Second quarter
CAR – Jonathan Stewart 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 5:40. Panthers 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 3:37.
CAR – Graham Gano 49-yard field goal, 2:50. Panthers 13–3. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 1:22.
CAR – Ted Ginn Jr. 40-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 0:16. Panthers 20–3. Drive: 1 play, 40 yards, 0:07. Third quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 42-yard field goal, 8:17. Panthers 23–3. Drive: 14 plays, 51 yards, 6:43. Fourth quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 30-yard field goal, 14:56. Panthers 23–6. Drive: 16 plays, 58 yards, 8:21.
NO – Brandon Coleman 9-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 11:22. Panthers 23–13. Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 1:37.
NO – Coby Fleener 8-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 2:52. Panthers 23–20. Drive: 13 plays, 76 yards, 5:11.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
After their embarrassing 17-point comeback loss four days prior, the Panthers hosted the Saints in a Thursday Night 'Color Rush' Matchup. Just like in the Chiefs game, the Panthers went into the fourth quarter holding New Orleans to only three points. They had a 23–3 lead but the Saints managed to rally and get within three with 5:11 left in the game. Late in the fourth quarter star linebacker Luke Kuechly left the game and was evaluated for a concussion. The Panthers were able to hold off New Orleans and win 23–20, improving to 4–6.
Week 12: at Oakland Raiders [ edit ]
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
OAK – Latavius Murray 4-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 12:48. Raiders 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 5:22.
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 23-yard field goal, 6:49. Raiders 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 3:41.
OAK – Khalil Mack 6-yard interception return (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 0:59. Raiders 24–7. Third quarter
CAR – Jonathan Stewart 1-yard run (kick blocked), 10:33. Raiders 24–13. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 3:39.
CAR – Ted Ginn Jr. 88-yard pass from Cam Newton (pass failed), 7:43. Raiders 24–19. Drive: 3 plays, 92 yards, 0:57.
CAR – Jonathan Stewart 3-yard run (pass failed), 1:46. Panthers 25–24. Drive: 5 plays, 28 yards, 2:43. Fourth quarter
CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 44-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 13:26. Panthers 32–24. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 2:57.
OAK – Clive Walford 12-yard pass from Derek Carr (Derek Carr–Seth Roberts pass), 8:37. Tied 32–32. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:49.
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 23-yard field goal, 1:45. Raiders 35–32. Drive: 12 plays, 82 yards, 3:20.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Carolina had a rough start in the first half, only scoring seven points, and went into halftime seventeen points behind Oakland. They turned things around and had an explosive third quarter scoring eighteen points giving them a one-point lead over the Raiders. In the fourth quarter the Panthers went on to score seven but the Raiders answered back tying the game. In their last possession of the game the ball was taken from Cam Newton giving Oakland the ball back. Carolina could not hold on as Oakland kicked a field goal winning the game. They fall to 4–7.
Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks [ edit ]
Week Thirteen: Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Panthers
0
7
0 0 7
Seahawks 10
13
7 10 40
at CenturyLink Field , Seattle, Washington
Date : December 4Game time : 8:30 p.m. EST/5:30 p.m. PSTGame weather : 37 °F (3 °C), partly cloudyGame attendance : 69,104Referee : John ParryTV announcers (NBC) : Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele TafoyaRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
SEA – Steven Hauschka 23-yard field goal, 13:23. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:23.
SEA – Thomas Rawls 8-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 6:42. Seahawks 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 92 yards, 3:55. Second quarter
CAR – Ted Ginn Jr. 55-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 10:32. Seahawks 10–7. Drive: 3 plays, 48 yards, 1:26.
SEA – Thomas Rawls 45-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 9:44. Seahawks 17–7. Drive: 2 plays, 57 yards, 0:48.
SEA – Steven Hauschka 37-yard field goal, 1:45. Seahawks 20–7. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 5:43.
SEA – Steven Hauschka 31-yard field goal, 0:07. Seahawks 23–7. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 1:12. Third quarter
SEA – Tyler Lockett 75-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 14:48. Seahawks 30–7. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:12. Fourth quarter
SEA – Jimmy Graham 1-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 11:09. Seahawks 37–7. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 5:15.
SEA – Steven Hauschka 28-yard field goal, 3:28. Seahawks 40–7. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 6:00.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
The Panthers were defeated by the Seahawks 40–7, and fell to 4–8.
Week 14: vs. San Diego Chargers [ edit ]
Week Fourteen: San Diego Chargers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Chargers
0
7
9 0 16
Panthers 10
13
3 2 28
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Date : December 11Game time : 1:00 p.m. ESTGame weather : 37 °F (3 °C), cloudyGame attendance : 73,856Referee : Ronald Torbert TV announcers (Fox) : Sam Rosen, Brady Quinn and Holly SondersRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 41-yard field goal, 10:19. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 29 yards, 3:10.
CAR – Jonathan Stewart 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 1:48. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 3:23. Second quarter
CAR – Devin Funchess 6-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 11:12. Panthers 17–0. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:33.
CAR – Graham Gano 44-yard field goal, 5:23. Panthers 20–0. Drive: 6 plays, 34 yards, 2:48.
CAR – Graham Gano 45-yard field goal, 3:49. Panthers 23–0. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:47.
SD – Hunter Henry 9-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Josh Lambo kick), 1:03. Panthers 23–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:46. Third quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 23-yard field goal, 11:29. Panthers 26–7. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 3:31.
SD – Josh Lambo 32-yard field goal, 4:26. Panthers 26–10. Drive: 14 plays, 61 yards, 7:03.
SD – Dontrelle Inman 19-yard pass from Philip Rivers (pass failed), 0:30. Panthers 26–16. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:08. Fourth quarter
CAR – Philip Rivers sacked in the end zone by Mario Addison for a safety, 10:09. Panthers 28–16.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
The Panthers managed to win at home, defeating San Diego 28–16. They improved to 5–8.
Week 15: at Washington Redskins [ edit ]
Week Fifteen: Carolina Panthers at Washington Redskins – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Panthers 10
3
10 3 26
Redskins
3
6
0 6 15
at FedExField , Landover, Maryland
Date : Game time : 8:30 p.m. ESTGame weather : 32 °F (0 °C), clearGame attendance : 76,689Referee : Walt ColemanTV announcers (ESPN) : Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and Lisa SaltersRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 35-yard field goal, 12:40. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 2:20.
WAS – Dustin Hopkins 43-yard field goal, 6:18. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 3:52.
CAR – Ted Ginn Jr. 30-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 1:50. Panthers 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 4:28. Second quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 23-yard field goal, 12:21. Panthers 13–3. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 3:07.
WAS – Robert Kelley 5-yard run (kick failed, wide left), 3:43. Panthers 13–9. Drive: 7 plays, 89 yards, 4:54. Third quarter
CAR – Mike Tolbert 1-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 13:58. Panthers 20–9. Drive: 2 plays, 1 yard, 0:49.
CAR – Graham Gano 23-yard field goal, 5:07. Panthers 23–9. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:57. Fourth quarter
WAS – Dustin Hopkins 26-yard field goal, 14:08. Panthers 23–12. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 5:59.
WAS – Dustin Hopkins 34-yard field goal, 3:44. Panthers 23–15. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 1:53.
CAR – Graham Gano 41-yard field goal, 1:07. Panthers 26–15. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 2:37.
Top passers
Top rushers
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 25 rushes, 132 yards
WAS – Kirk Cousins – 2 rushes, 11 yards Top receivers
In their second Monday Night Football
Week 16: vs. Atlanta Falcons [ edit ]
Game information
First quarter
ATL – Joshua Perkins 26-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 10:57. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:03.
ATL – Matt Bryant 51-yard field goal, 6:09. Falcons 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 12 yards, 2:18.
ATL – Matt Bryant 48-yard field goal, 0:35. Falcons 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 4:03. Second quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 31-yard field goal, 10:17. Falcons 13–3. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 1:32.
ATL – D. J. Tialavea 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 5:34. Falcons 20–3. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:43. Third quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 40-yard field goal, 9:23. Falcons 20–6. Drive: 13 plays, 53 yards, 5:37.
ATL – Matt Bryant 29-yard field goal, 3:34. Falcons 23–6. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 5:49.
CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 26-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 0:00. Falcons 23–13. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:34. Fourth quarter
ATL – Tevin Coleman 55-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 13:19. Falcons 30–13. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:41.
CAR – Graham Gano 31-yard field goal, 9:43. Falcons 30–16. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 3:36.
ATL – Matt Bryant 50-yard field goal, 1:55. Falcons 33–16. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:45.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
With the loss, the Panthers fell to 6–9, officially eliminating them from the playoffs. They are the first team to go 15–1 the previous season and miss the playoffs the next season, as well as the first Super Bowl runner-up to miss the playoffs since the 2008 Patriots .
Week 17: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers [ edit ]
Week Seventeen: Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Panthers
7
0
3 6 16
Buccaneers 3
0
7 7 17
at Raymond James Stadium , Tampa, Florida
Date : January 1, 2017Game time : 1:00 p.m. ESTGame weather : 81 °F (27 °C), cloudyGame attendance : 62,037Referee : Carl CheffersTV announcers (Fox) : Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis, Chris Spielman and Peter SchagerRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
TB – Brent Grimes 31-yard interception return (Roberto Aguayo kick), 14:19. Buccaneers 10–7.
CAR – Graham Gano 54-yard field goal, 6:37. Tied 10–10. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:08. Fourth quarter
TB – Mike Evans 10-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Roberto Aguayo kick), 3:13. Buccaneers 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 2:52.
CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 5-yard pass from Cam Newton (pass failed), 0:17. Buccaneers 17–16. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 2:56.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Carolina attempted to win on a game-winning 2-point attempt but Newton's pass failed, giving the Bucs a narrow 17–16 victory. The Panthers finish the season at 6–10, the worst record for a team that went 15–1 the previous season.
#
Team
Division
W
L
T
PCT
DIV
CONF
SOS
SOV
STK
Division leaders
1
Dallas Cowboys
East
13
3
0
.813
3–3
9–3
.471
.440
L1
2
Atlanta Falcons
South
11
5
0
.688
5–1
9–3
.480
.452
W4
3
Seattle Seahawks
West
10
5
1
.656
3–2–1
6–5–1
.441
.425
W1
4
Green Bay Packers
North
10
6
0
.625
5–1
8–4
.508
.453
W6
Wild Cards
5
New York Giants
East
11
5
0
.688
4–2
8–4
.486
.455
W1
6[ a]
Detroit Lions
North
9
7
0
.563
3–3
7–5
.475
.392
L3
Did not qualify for the postseason
7[ a]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
South
9
7
0
.563
4–2
7–5
.492
.434
W1
8
Washington Redskins
East
8
7
1
.531
3–3
6–6
.516
.430
L1
9
Minnesota Vikings
North
8
8
0
.500
2–4
5–7
.492
.457
W1
10
Arizona Cardinals
West
7
8
1
.469
4–1–1
6–5–1
.463
.366
W2
11[ b]
New Orleans Saints
South
7
9
0
.438
2–4
6–6
.523
.393
L1
12[ b]
Philadelphia Eagles
East
7
9
0
.438
2–4
5–7
.559
.518
W2
13
Carolina Panthers
South
6
10
0
.375
1–5
5–7
.518
.354
L2
14
Los Angeles Rams
West
4
12
0
.250
2–4
3–9
.504
.500
L7
15
Chicago Bears
North
3
13
0
.188
2–4
3–9
.521
.396
L4
16
San Francisco 49ers
West
2
14
0
.125
2–4
2–10
.504
.250
L1
Tiebreakers [ c]
^ a b Detroit finished ahead of Tampa Bay for the No. 6 seed and qualified for the last playoff spot based on record vs. common opponents—Detroit's cumulative record against Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New Orleans was 3–2, while Tampa Bay's cumulative record against the same four teams was 2–3.
^ a b New Orleans finished ahead of Philadelphia based on better record vs. conference opponents.
^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
Franchise Stadiums Culture and lore Rivalries Hall of Honor Wild card berths (2) Division championships (6) Conference championships (2) Retired numbers Media Current league affiliations
