2017 Carolina Panthers season - wikipedia 2017 Carolina Panthers season 2017 Carolina Panthers season Head coach Ron Rivera General manager Marty Hurney ( interim ) Owner Jerry Richardson Home field Bank of America Stadium Results Record 11 -- 5 Division place 2nd NFC South Playoff finish Lost Wild Card Playoffs ( at Saints ) 26 -- 31 Pro Bowlers K Graham Gano MLB Luke Kuechly G Trai Turner OLB Thomas Davis Sr. AP All - Pros MLB Luke Kuechly G Andrew Norwell T Daryl Williams ← 2016 Panthers seasons 2018 → The 2017 season was the Carolina Panthers ' 23rd in the National Football League and the seventh under head coach Ron Rivera. During the offseason, the team 's notable free agent signings included Matt Kalil, Captain Munnerlyn and Julius Peppers. The latter spent his first eight seasons with the Panthers. On July 17, 2017, the team announced Dave Gettleman had been relieved as general manager. His predecessor, Marty Hurney, was hired as interim GM a day later. For the first time since 2011, the Panthers did not play the Seattle Seahawks during the regular season. The Panthers rebounded after a disappointing 2016 campaign, where they finished 6 -- 10 and last in the NFC South. 2017 saw the Panthers qualify for the playoffs with a 11 -- 5 record. However, they lost to the Saints 31 -- 26 in the Wild Card round. Contents 1 Offseason 1.1 Signings 1.2 Releases 2 Draft 3 Staff 4 Final roster 5 Preseason 5.1 Schedule 6 Regular season 6.1 Schedule 6.2 Game summaries 6.2. 1 Week 1 : at San Francisco 49ers 6.2. 2 Week 2 : vs. Buffalo Bills 6.2. 3 Week 3 : vs. New Orleans Saints 6.2. 4 Week 4 : at New England Patriots 6.2. 5 Week 5 : at Detroit Lions 6.2. 6 Week 6 : vs. Philadelphia Eagles 6.2. 7 Week 7 : at Chicago Bears 6.2. 8 Week 8 : at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6.2. 9 Week 9 : vs. Atlanta Falcons 6.2. 10 Week 10 : vs. Miami Dolphins 6.2. 11 Week 12 : at New York Jets 6.2. 12 Week 13 : at New Orleans Saints 6.2. 13 Week 14 : vs. Minnesota Vikings 6.2. 14 Week 15 : vs. Green Bay Packers 6.2. 15 Week 16 : vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6.2. 16 Week 17 : at Atlanta Falcons 6.3 Standings 6.3. 1 Division 6.3. 2 Conference 7 Postseason 7.1 Schedule 7.2 Game summaries 7.2. 1 NFC Wild Card Playoffs : at # 4 New Orleans Saints 8 References 9 External links Offseason Signings Pos. Player Age 2016 Team Contract OT Matt Kalil 27 Minnesota Vikings 5 years, $55.5 million CB Captain Munnerlyn 29 Minnesota Vikings 4 years, $17 million WR Russell Shepard 26 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3 years, $10 million SS Mike Adams 36 Indianapolis Colts 2 years, $4.2 million OLB Julius Peppers 37 Green Bay Packers 1 year, $3.5 million DT Kyle Love 30 Carolina Panthers 2 years, $2.2 million WR Charles Johnson 28 Minnesota Vikings 1 year, $1.6 million OG Chris Scott 29 Carolina Panthers 1 year, $980,000 CB Teddy Williams 28 Carolina Panthers 1 year, $855,000 Releases Pos. Player Age 2017 Team DT Paul Soliai 33 TBD FS Michael Griffin 32 TBD Ryan Wendell 31 TBD WR LaRon Byrd 27 TBD DT Chas Alecxih 28 TBD Draft Main article : 2017 NFL Draft 2017 Carolina Panthers Draft Round Selection Player Position College 8 Christian McCaffrey WR / RB Stanford 40 Curtis Samuel WR / RB Ohio State 64 Taylor Moton OT Western Michigan 77 Daeshon Hall DE Texas A&M 5 152 Corn Elder CB Miami 6 192 Alexander Armah FB / DE West Georgia 7 233 Harrison Butker Georgia Tech Notes The Panthers traded their third - round selection ( No. 72 overall ) and defensive end Kony Ealy to the New England Patriots for New England 's second - round selection ( No. 64 overall ). Staff 2017 Carolina Panthers staff Front office Owner -- Jerry Richardson general manager -- Marty Hurney ( Interim ) Senior Executive Scout -- Don Gregory Director of Player Personnel -- Mark Koncz Director of Team Administration -- Rob Rogers Director of Pro Scouting -- Matt Allen Director of College Scouting -- Jeff Morrow National Scout -- Mike Szabo Head coaches Head Coach -- Ron Rivera Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator -- Mike Shula Running Game Coordinator -- John Matsko Quarterbacks -- Ken Dorsey Assistant Quarterbacks -- Cameron Turner Running Backs -- Jim Skipper Wide Receivers -- Lance Taylor Assistant Wide Receivers -- Jerricho Cotchery Tight Ends -- Pete Hoener Offensive Line -- Ray Brown Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator -- Steve Wilks Defensive Line -- Eric Washington Assistant Defensive Line -- Sam Mills III Linebackers -- Al Holcomb Secondary -- Curtis Fuller Defensive Backs / Nickels -- Jeff Imamura Assistant Defensive Backs / Safeties -- Richard Rodgers Special teams coaches Special Teams Coordinator -- Thomas McGaughey Assistant Special Teams -- Chase Blackburn Strength and conditioning Strength and Conditioning -- Joe Kenn Final roster 2017 Carolina Panthers final roster Quarterbacks 3 Derek Anderson 4 Garrett Gilbert 1 Cam Newton Running backs 40 Alexander Armah FB 34 Cameron Artis - Payne 22 Christian McCaffrey 28 Jonathan Stewart 43 Fozzy Whittaker Wide receivers 11 Brenton Bersin 12 Kaelin Clay 14 Mose Frazier 17 Devin Funchess 19 Russell Shepard Tight ends 88 Greg Olsen 84 Ed Dickson Offensive linemen 76 Blaine Clausell T 75 Matt Kalil T 67 Ryan Kalil C 69 Tyler Larsen C 72 Taylor Moton T 68 Andrew Norwell G 65 Amini Silatolu G 70 Trai Turner G 73 Greg Van Roten C 60 Daryl Williams T Defensive linemen 97 Mario Addison DE 92 Vernon Butler DT 91 Bryan Cox Jr. DE 96 Wes Horton DE 95 Charles Johnson DE 98 Star Lotulelei DT 93 Kyle Love DT 77 Zach Moore DE 90 Julius Peppers DE 99 Kawann Short DT Linebackers 58 Thomas Davis Sr. OLB 57 Andrew Gachkar OLB 53 Ben Jacobs OLB 59 Luke Kuechly MLB 55 David Mayo MLB 54 Shaq Thompson OLB Defensive backs 29 Mike Adams SS 24 James Bradberry CB 31 Jairus Byrd FS 20 Kurt Coleman FS 23 LaDarius Gunter CB 42 Colin Jones FS 41 Captain Munnerlyn CB 27 Kevon Seymour CB 26 Daryl Worley CB Special teams 9 Graham Gano K 44 J.J. Jansen LS 5 Michael Palardy P Reserve lists 18 Damiere Byrd WR ( IR ) 36 Demetrious Cox SS ( IR ) 35 Corn Elder CB ( IR ) 71 Dan France T ( IR ) 79 Drew Iddings DT ( IR ) 94 Daeshon Hall DE ( IR ) 12 Charles Johnson WR ( IR ) 32 Cole Luke CB ( IR ) 82 Chris Manhertz TE ( IR ) 52 Jared Norris OLB ( IR ) 2 Fred Ross WR ( IR ) 10 Curtis Samuel WR ( IR ) 80 Scott Simonson TE ( IR ) 74 John Theus T ( IR ) 21 Teddy Williams CB ( IR ) 61 David Yankey G ( IR ) Practice squad 16 Rasheed Bailey WR 85 Evan Baylis TE 49 Richie Brown LB 8 Austin Duke WR 64 Dorian Johnson G 15 Jamaal Jones WR 71 Efe Obada DE 25 Damian Parms SS 33 Zack Sanchez CB 37 Dezmen Southward SS 86 Kent Taylor TE Rookies in italics 53 Active, 18 Inactive, 11 Practice squad Preseason Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com recap August 9 Houston Texans W 27 -- 17 1 -- 0 Bank of America Stadium Recap August 19 at Tennessee Titans L 27 -- 34 1 -- 1 Nissan Stadium Recap August 24 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 24 -- 23 2 -- 1 EverBank Field Recap August 31 Pittsburgh Steelers L 14 -- 17 2 -- 2 Bank of America Stadium Recap Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com recap September 10 at San Francisco 49ers W 23 -- 3 1 -- 0 Levi 's Stadium Recap September 17 Buffalo Bills W 9 -- 3 2 -- 0 Bank of America Stadium Recap September 24 New Orleans Saints L 13 -- 34 2 -- 1 Bank of America Stadium Recap October 1 at New England Patriots W 33 -- 30 3 -- 1 Gillette Stadium Recap 5 October 8 at Detroit Lions W 27 -- 24 4 -- 1 Ford Field Recap 6 October 12 Philadelphia Eagles L 23 -- 28 4 -- 2 Bank of America Stadium Recap 7 October 22 at Chicago Bears L 3 -- 17 4 -- 3 Soldier Field Recap 8 October 29 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 17 -- 3 5 -- 3 Raymond James Stadium Recap 9 November 5 Atlanta Falcons W 20 -- 17 6 -- 3 Bank of America Stadium Recap 10 November 13 Miami Dolphins W 45 -- 21 7 -- 3 Bank of America Stadium Recap 11 Bye 12 November 26 at New York Jets W 35 -- 27 8 -- 3 MetLife Stadium Recap 13 December 3 at New Orleans Saints L 21 -- 31 8 -- 4 Mercedes - Benz Superdome Recap 14 December 10 Minnesota Vikings W 31 -- 24 9 -- 4 Bank of America Stadium Recap 15 December 17 Green Bay Packers W 31 -- 24 10 -- 4 Bank of America Stadium Recap 16 December 24 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 22 -- 19 11 -- 4 Bank of America Stadium Recap 17 December 31 at Atlanta Falcons L 10 -- 22 11 -- 5 Mercedes - Benz Stadium Recap Note : Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1 : at San Francisco 49ers Week One : Carolina Panthers at San Francisco 49ers -- Game summary Total Panthers 7 6 10 0 23 49ers 0 0 0 at Levi 's Stadium, Santa Clara, California Date : September 10 Game time : 4 : 25 p.m. EDT / 1 : 25 p.m. PDT Game weather : 87 ° F ( 31 ° C ), clear Game attendance : 70,178 Referee : Clete Blakeman TV announcers ( Fox ) : Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager Recap, Gamebook show Game information First quarter CAR -- Russell Shepard 40 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 3 : 10. Panthers 7 -- 0. Drive : 3 plays, 42 yards, 1 : 35. Second quarter CAR -- Graham Gano 39 - yard field goal, 3 : 28. Panthers 10 -- 0. Drive : 8 plays, 27 yards, 3 : 04. CAR -- Graham Gano 36 - yard field goal, 0 : 05. Panthers 13 -- 0. Drive : 7 plays, 37 yards, 0 : 42. Third quarter CAR -- Jonathan Stewart 9 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 11 : 32. Panthers 20 -- 0. Drive : 5 plays, 28 yards, 3 : 01. CAR -- Graham Gano 20 - yard field goal, 3 : 14. Panthers 23 -- 0. Drive : 11 plays, 40 yards, 6 : 53. SF -- Robbie Gould 44 - yard field goal, 0 : 13. Panthers 23 -- 3. Drive : 10 plays, 49 yards, 3 : 03. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers CAR -- Cam Newton -- 14 / 25, 171 yards, 2 TD, INT SF -- Brian Hoyer -- 24 / 35, 193 yards, INT Top rushers CAR -- Jonathan Stewart -- 18 rushes, 65 yards SF -- Carlos Hyde -- 9 rushes, 45 yards Top receivers CAR -- Russell Shepard -- 2 receptions, 53 yards, TD SF -- Pierre Garcon -- 6 receptions, 81 yards The Panthers started off their season by making their first return to Levi 's Stadium since losing to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. Late in the first quarter Cam Newton threw a 40 - yard touchdown to Russell Sheppard followed by a Graham Gano field goal. The Panthers scored six more points in the second quarter with two field goals. In the third Jonathan Stewart scored a touchdown, followed by another Gano field goal. With 3 : 14 left to go in the third quarter, Gano made his third field goal of the day making the score 23 -- 0. Robbie Gould 's kick with thirteen seconds to go gave the 49ers their first points of the game. Neither the Panthers or 49ers scored in the fourth quarter, resulting in Carolina defeating San Francisco 23 -- 3. They improved to 1 -- 0. Week 2 : vs. Buffalo Bills Week Two : Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers -- Game summary Total Bills 0 0 0 Panthers 0 9 at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina Date : September 17 Game time : 1 : 00 pm. EDT Game weather : 83 ° F ( 28 ° C ), sunny Game attendance : 74,122 Referee : Walt Coleman TV announcers ( CBS ) : Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon Recap, Gamebook show Game information First quarter CAR -- Graham Gano 34 - yard field goal, 8 : 54. Panthers 3 -- 0. Drive : 13 plays, 59 yards, 6 : 11. Second quarter CAR -- Graham Gano 28 - yard field goal, 2 : 06. Panthers 6 -- 0. Drive : 10 plays, 46 yards, 6 : 51. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter BUF -- Steven Hauschka 45 - yard field goal, 11 : 15. Panthers 6 -- 3. Drive : 9 plays, 30 yards, 4 : 18. CAR -- Graham Gano 20 - yard field goal, 2 : 38. Panthers 9 -- 3. Drive : 15 plays, 73 yards, 8 : 34. Top passers BUF -- Tyrod Taylor -- 17 / 25, 125 yards CAR -- Cam Newton -- 20 / 32, 228 yards Top rushers BUF -- Tyrod Taylor -- 8 rushes, 55 yards CAR -- Jonathan Stewart -- 15 rushes, 40 yards Top receivers BUF -- LeSean McCoy -- 6 receptions, 34 yards CAR -- Kelvin Benjamin -- 6 receptions, 77 yards In the Panthers home opener, Carolina 's defense allowed only three points for the second straight week, and Graham Gano converted three field goals as the Panthers held on to defeat the Buffalo Bills 9 -- 3 to remain undefeated. With seconds remaining in the game, Tyrod Taylor 's 4th - and - 11 pass sailed off diving rookie Zay Jones ' fingertips, costing them the game winning touchdown. The Panthers improved to 2 -- 0. Week 3 : vs. New Orleans Saints Week Three : New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers -- Game summary Total Saints 7 10 7 10 34 Panthers 7 0 13 at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina Date : September 24 Game time : 1 : 00 pm. EDT Game weather : 82 ° F ( 28 ° C ), sunny Game attendance : 73,775 Referee : Bill Vinovich TV announcers ( Fox ) : Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Kristina Pink Recap, Gamebook show Game information First quarter CAR -- Graham Gano 32 - yard field goal, 6 : 23. Panthers 3 -- 0. Drive : 15 plays, 61 yards, 8 : 41. NO -- Michael Thomas 5 - yard pass from Drew Brees ( Wil Lutz kick ), 0 : 29. Saints 7 -- 3. Drive : 13 plays, 75 yards, 5 : 57. Second quarter CAR -- Graham Gano 48 - yard field goal, 10 : 52. Saints 7 -- 6. Drive : 8 plays, 45 yards, 4 : 36. NO -- Brandon Coleman 11 - yard pass from Drew Brees ( Wil Lutz kick ), 5 : 48. Saints 14 -- 6. Drive : 4 plays, 24 yards, 2 : 08. NO -- Wil Lutz 33 - yard field goal, 0 : 05. Saints 17 -- 6. Drive : 10 plays, 54 yards, 4 : 43. Third quarter NO -- Ted Ginn Jr. 40 - yard pass from Drew Brees ( Wil Lutz kick ), 11 : 18. Saints 24 -- 6. Drive : 8 plays, 75 yards, 3 : 51. CAR -- Cam Newton 3 - yard run ( Graham Gano kick ), 1 : 26. Saints 24 -- 13. Drive : 7 plays, 83 yards, 4 : 11. Fourth quarter NO -- Wil Lutz 50 - yard field goal, 12 : 03. Saints 27 -- 13. Drive : 7 plays, 44 yards, 4 : 21. NO -- Alvin Kamara 25 - yard run ( Wil Lutz kick ), 4 : 50. Saints 34 -- 13. Drive : 4 plays, 35 yards, 2 : 16. Top passers NO -- Drew Brees -- 22 / 29, 220 yards, 3 TD CAR -- Cam Newton -- 17 / 26, 167 yards, 3 INT Top rushers NO -- Mark Ingram -- 14 rushes, 56 yards CAR -- Jonathan Stewart -- 12 rushes, 57 yards Top receivers NO -- Michael Thomas -- 7 receptions, 87 yards, TD CAR -- Christian McCaffrey -- 9 receptions, 101 yards The Saints were too much for the Panthers as they handed them their first loss of the season, 34 -- 13. The Panthers fell to 2 -- 1. Week 4 : at New England Patriots Week Four : Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots -- Game summary Total Panthers 14 6 10 33 Patriots 13 0 14 30 at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts Date : October 1 Game time : 1 : 00 pm. EDT Game weather : 61 ° F ( 16 ° C ), sunny Game attendance : 65,878 Referee : Jerome Boger TV announcers ( Fox ) : Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews Recap, Gamebook show Game information First quarter NE -- Stephen Gostkowski 41 - yard field goal, 11 : 47. Patriots 3 -- 0. Drive : 8 plays, 52 yards, 3 : 13. CAR -- Graham Gano 32 - yard field goal, 7 : 41. Tied 3 -- 3. Drive : 8 plays, 61 yards, 4 : 06. Second quarter NE -- Chris Hogan 2 - yard pass from Tom Brady ( Stephen Gostkowski kick ), 12 : 39. Patriots 10 -- 3. Drive : 11 plays, 74 yards, 5 : 32. CAR -- Fozzy Whittaker 28 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 9 : 41. Tied 10 -- 10. Drive : 6 plays, 75 yards, 2 : 58. NE -- Stephen Gostkowski 35 - yard field goal, 4 : 30. Patriots 13 -- 10. Drive : 12 plays, 57 yards, 5 : 11. CAR -- Devin Funchess 10 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 0 : 26. Panthers 17 -- 13. Drive : 9 plays, 84 yards, 4 : 04. NE -- Stephen Gostkowski 58 - yard field goal, 0 : 00. Panthers 17 -- 16. Drive : 4 plays, 35 yards, 0 : 26. Third quarter CAR -- Devin Funchess 16 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( kick failed, wide left ), 2 : 47. Panthers 23 -- 16. Drive : 11 plays, 68 yards, 6 : 30. Fourth quarter CAR -- Cam Newton 7 - yard run ( Graham Gano kick ), 12 : 58. Panthers 30 -- 16. Drive : 6 plays, 64 yards, 2 : 50. NE -- Dion Lewis 8 - yard run ( Stephen Gostkowski kick ), 8 : 46. Panthers 30 -- 23. Drive : 9 plays, 75 yards, 4 : 12. NE -- Danny Amendola 1 - yard pass from Tom Brady ( Stephen Gostkowski kick ), 3 : 09. Tied 30 -- 30. Drive : 10 plays, 49 yards, 4 : 18. CAR -- Graham Gano 48 - yard field goal, 0 : 00. Panthers 33 -- 30. Drive : 10 plays, 46 yards, 3 : 09. Top passers CAR -- Cam Newton -- 22 / 29, 316 yards, 3 TD, INT NE -- Tom Brady -- 32 / 45, 307 yards, 2 TD Top rushers CAR -- Jonathan Stewart -- 14 rushes, 68 yards NE -- Mike Gillislee -- 12 rushes, 49 yards Top receivers CAR -- Kelvin Benjamin -- 4 receptions, 104 yards NE -- Rob Gronkowski -- 4 receptions, 80 yards In the first quarter, both Carolina and New England managed to only kick field goals. New England scored the first touchdown in the second quarter. Carolina answered with a touchdown by Fozzy Whitaker which tied the game again. The Patriots later scored with another Stephen Gostkowski field goal. Devin Funchess caught a ten - yard pass from Newton to give the Panthers a 17 -- 13 lead. With four seconds remaining in the half Gostkowski kicked a 58 - yard field goal, making the halftime score 17 -- 16. Carolina had the only score in the third quarter with a Funchess touchdown but Gano missed the extra point. The Panthers started the fourth quarter with Cam Newton rushing for a touchdown, increasing the lead to 30 -- 16. New England managed to score twice, tying the game at 30. With seconds left, Graham Gano kicked the game winning field goal. The Panthers won 33 -- 30 ( their first win in Foxborough since 1995 ) and improved to 3 -- 1. Week 5 : at Detroit Lions Week Five : Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions -- Game summary Total Panthers 14 10 0 27 Lions 7 0 14 24 at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan Date : October 8 Game time : 1 : 00 pm. EDT Game weather : Played indoors ( dome stadium ) Game attendance : 64,288 Referee : Craig Wrolstad TV announcers ( Fox ) : Kenny Albert, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver Recap, Gamebook show Game information First quarter DET -- Matt Prater 30 - yard field goal. Lions 3 -- 0. Drive : 8 plays, 63 yards, 3 : 28. CAR -- Graham Gano 21 - yard field goal. Tied 3 -- 3. Drive : 6 plays, 61 yards, 3 : 01. Second quarter DET -- Zach Zenner 1 - yard run. ( Matt Prater kick ). Lions 10 -- 3. Drive : 9 plays, 78 yards, 5 : 19. CAR -- Christian McCaffrey 6 - yard pass from Cam Newton. ( Graham Gano kick ). Tied 10 -- 10. Drive : 5 plays, 75 yards, 2 : 28. CAR -- Devin Funchess 10 - yard pass from Cam Newton. ( Graham Gano kick ). Panthers 17 -- 10. Drive : 11 plays, 73 yards, 4 : 10. Third quarter CAR -- Kelvin Benjamin 31 - yard pass from Cam Newton. ( Graham Gano kick ). Panthers 24 -- 10. Drive : 8 plays, 75 yards, 4 : 17. CAR -- Graham Gano 44 - yard field goal. Panthers 27 -- 10. Drive : 4 plays, 3 yards, 1 : 09. Fourth quarter DET -- Darren Fells 4 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ). Panthers 27 -- 17. Drive : 8 plays, 69 yards, 3 : 10. DET -- Darren Fells 20 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ). Panthers 27 -- 24. Drive : 6 plays, 53 yards, 0 : 51. Top passers CAR -- Cam Newton -- 26 / 33, 355 yards, 3 TDs DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 23 / 35, 229 yards, 2 TDs Top rushers CAR -- Jonathan Stewart -- 18 rushes, 21 yards DET -- Ameer Abdullah -- 10 rushes, 31 yards Top receivers CAR -- Ed Dickson -- 5 receptions, 175 yards DET -- Marvin Jones -- 6 receptions, 54 yards Carolina and Detroit were tied with 3 points apiece at the end of the first quarter. Early in the second, the Lions scored a touchdown, making the score 3 -- 10. The Panthers answered back with a Christian McCaffery touchdown, tying the game again. Devin Funchess scored a touchdown towards the end of the quarter, giving the Panthers a 17 -- 10 lead. The Panthers started the second half with Cam Newton throwing a 31 - yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin. Gano later made a 44 - yard field goal to extend the lead to 27 -- 10 going into the fourth quarter. Matthew Stafford threw a touchdown a pass to Fells, cutting the Panthers lead to 27 -- 17. The Lions scored again with another Fells touchdown. The Panthers held on and won 27 -- 24, improving to 4 -- 1. Week 6 : vs. Philadelphia Eagles Week Six : Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers -- Game summary Total Eagles 7 11 7 28 Panthers 7 6 7 23 at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina Date : October 12 Game time : 8 : 25 pm. EDT Game weather : 72 ° F ( 22 ° C ), cloudy Game attendance : 74,373 Referee : Pete Morelli TV announcers ( CBS / NFLN / Amazon Video ) : Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely Recap, Gamebook show Game information First quarter PHI -- Jake Elliott 50 - yard field goal, 6 : 57. Eagles 3 -- 0. Drive : 11 plays, 63 yards, 5 : 18. CAR -- Graham Gano 39 - yard field goal, 2 : 17. Tie 3 -- 3. Drive : 9 plays, 33 yards, 4 : 40. Second quarter CAR -- Cam Newton 16 - yard rush ( Graham Gano kick ), 10 : 34. Panthers 10 -- 3. Drive : 4 plays, 43 yards, 1 : 59. PHI -- Zach Ertz 1 - yard pass from Carson Wentz ( Jake Elliott kick ), 2 : 32. Tie 10 -- 10. Drive : 7 plays, 12 yards, 3 : 56. Third quarter PHI -- Zach Ertz 17 - yard pass from Carson Wentz ( LeGarrette Blount rush ), 13 : 59. Eagles 18 -- 10. Drive : 2 plays, 17 yards, 0 : 08. CAR -- Graham Gano 20 - yard field goal, 11 : 19. Eagles 18 -- 13. Drive : 8 plays, 23 yards, 2 : 40. PHI -- Jake Elliott 48 - yard field goal, 8 : 02. Eagles 21 -- 13. Drive : 7 plays, 44 yards, 3 : 17. CAR -- Graham Gano 46 - yard field goal, 3 : 23. Eagles 21 -- 16. Drive : 7 plays, 37 yards, 2 : 38. Fourth quarter PHI -- Nelson Agholor 24 - yard pass from Carson Wentz ( Jake Elliott kick ), 14 : 55. Eagles 28 -- 16. Drive : 6 plays, 75 yards, 3 : 28. CAR -- Christian McCaffrey 1 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 8 : 04. Eagles 28 -- 23. Drive : 13 plays, 75 yards, 6 : 51. Top passers PHI -- Carson Wentz -- 15 / 27, 217 yards, 3 TD CAR -- Cam Newton -- 22 / 39, 183 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers PHI -- LeGarrette Blount -- 11 rushes, 57 yards CAR -- Cam Newton -- 11 rushes, 71 yards, TD Top receivers PHI -- Alshon Jeffery -- 3 receptions, 66 yards CAR -- Kelvin Benjamin -- 7 receptions, 80 yards On Thursday Night Football, both teams wore their Color Rush uniforms. The Eagles beat the Panthers 28 -- 23, and Carolina fell to 4 -- 2. Week 7 : at Chicago Bears Week Seven : Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears -- Game summary Total Panthers 0 0 0 Bears 7 10 0 0 17 at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois Date : October 22 Game time : 1 : 00 pm. EDT / 12 : 00 p.m. CDT Game weather : 70 ° F ( 21 ° C ), cloudy with periods of rain, thunder possible Game attendance : 61,256 Referee : Walt Anderson TV announcers ( CBS ) : Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn Recap, Gamebook show Game information First quarter CHI -- Eddie Jackson 75 - yard fumble return ( Connor Barth kick ), 8 : 59. Bears 7 -- 0. Second quarter CHI -- Eddie Jackson 76 - yard interception return ( Connor Barth kick ), 12 : 28. Bears 14 -- 0. CAR -- Graham Gano 36 - yard field goal, 3 : 18. Bears 14 -- 3. Drive : 16 plays, 56 yards, 9 : 10. CHI -- Connor Barth 19 - yard field goal, 1 : 10. Bears 17 -- 3. Drive : 5 plays, 74 yards, 2 : 08. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers CAR -- Cam Newton -- 21 / 34, 211 yards, 2 INT CHI -- Mitchell Trubisky -- 4 / 7, 107 yards Top rushers CAR -- Cam Newton -- 9 rushes, 50 yards CHI -- Jordan Howard -- 21 rushes, 65 yards Top receivers CAR -- Christian McCaffrey -- 7 receptions, 36 yards CHI -- Zach Miller -- 2 receptions, 29 yards The Panthers lost for a second straight week by managing to score only one field goal in Chicago. The Bears beat Carolina 17 -- 3, and they fell to 4 -- 3. Week 8 : at Tampa Bay buccaneers Week Eight : Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Game summary Total Panthers 7 0 7 17 Buccaneers 0 0 0 at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida Date : October 29 Game time : 1 : 00 pm. EDT Game weather : 63 ° F ( 17 ° C ), cloudy Game attendance : 58,545 Referee : Walt Coleman TV announcers ( Fox ) : Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin Recap, Gamebook show Game information First quarter CAR -- Jonathan Stewart 1 - yard run ( Graham Gano kick ), 1 : 34. Panthers 7 -- 0. Drive : 17 plays, 82 yards, 8 : 38. Second quarter CAR -- Graham Gano 28 - yard field goal, 0 : 17. Panthers 10 -- 0. Drive : 9 plays, 41 yards, 2 : 11. Third quarter TB -- Patrick Murray 41 - yard field goal, 4 : 49. Panthers 10 -- 3. Drive : 8 plays, 31 yards, 3 : 27. Fourth quarter CAR -- Kelvin Benjamin 25 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 8 : 48. Panthers 17 -- 3. Drive : 5 plays, 48 yards, 2 : 44. Top passers CAR -- Cam Newton -- 18 / 32, 154 yards, TD, INT TB -- Jameis Winston -- 21 / 38, 210 yards, 2 INT Top rushers CAR -- Cam Newton -- 11 rushes, 44 yards TB -- Doug Martin -- 18 rushes, 71 yards Top receivers CAR -- Christian McCaffrey -- 5 receptions, 49 yards TB -- Mike Evans -- 5 receptions, 60 yards The Panthers bounced back after a two - week losing streak, and beat their division rivals 17 -- 3. Carolina improved to 5 -- 3. Week 9 : vs. Atlanta Falcons Week Nine : Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers -- Game summary Total Falcons 10 0 0 7 17 Panthers 0 14 6 0 20 at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina Date : November 5 Game time : 1 : 00 pm. EST Game weather : 61 ° F ( 16 ° C ), cloudy Game attendance : 74,244 Referee : Tony Corrente TV announcers ( Fox ) : Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews Recap, Gamebook show Game information First quarter ATL -- Matt Bryant 53 - yard field goal, 12 : 16. Falcons 3 -- 0. Drive : 5 plays, 40 yards, 2 : 44. ATL -- Mohamed Sanu 6 - yard pass from Matt Ryan ( Matt Bryant kick ), 3 : 30. Falcons 10 -- 0. Drive : 8 plays, 61 yards, 4 : 38. Second quarter CAR -- Christian McCaffrey 4 - yard run ( Graham Gano kick ), 1 : 55. Falcons 10 -- 7. Drive : 6 plays, 50 yards, 2 : 35. CAR -- Cam Newton 9 - yard run ( Graham Gano kick ), 0 : 23. Panthers 14 -- 10. Drive : 4 plays, 31 yards, 0 : 52. Third quarter CAR -- Graham Gano 31 - yard field goal, 9 : 03. Panthers 17 -- 10. Drive : 10 plays, 62 yards, 5 : 57. CAR -- Graham Gano 45 - yard field goal, 1 : 38. Panthers 20 -- 10. Drive : 9 plays, 45 yards, 5 : 48. Fourth quarter ATL -- Tevin Coleman 19 - yard pass from Matt Ryan ( Matt Bryant kick ), 3 : 25. Panthers 20 -- 17. Drive : 7 plays, 92 yards, 2 : 01. Top passers ATL -- Matt Ryan -- 24 / 38, 313 yards, 2 TD, INT CAR -- Cam Newton -- 13 / 24, 137 yards Top rushers ATL -- Devonta Freeman -- 11 rushes, 46 yards CAR -- Cam Newton -- 9 rushes, 86 yards, TD Top receivers ATL -- Julio Jones -- 6 receptions, 118 yards CAR -- Devin Funchess -- 5 receptions, 86 yards This was the Panthers ' first game without wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who was traded to Buffalo days earlier. In this game, neither team scored in the same quarter. The Falcons were the only team to score in the first quarter, and led 10 -- 0 going into the second. It was vice versa in the second, as Carolina scored two touchdowns for a four point lead at the half. Atlanta was scoreless again in the third but Carolina scored on two Graham Gano field goals, making it 20 - 10. Atlanta had the only score of the fourth quarter, but Carolina survived and won 20 -- 17. Their record improved to 6 -- 3. Week 10 : vs. miami Dolphins Week Ten : Miami Dolphins at Carolina Panthers -- Game summary Total Dolphins 0 7 7 7 21 Panthers 14 21 7 45 at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina Date : November 13 Game time : 8 : 30 pm. EST Game weather : 49 ° F ( 9 ° C ), clear Game attendance : 72,790 Referee : Gene Steratore TV announcers ( ESPN ) : Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters Recap, Gamebook show Game information First quarter CAR -- Graham Gano 40 - yard field goal, 1 : 50. Panthers 3 -- 0. Drive : 11 plays, 42 yards, 5 : 33. Second quarter CAR -- Christian McCaffrey 4 - yard run ( Graham Gano kick ), 6 : 59. Panthers 10 -- 0. Drive : 12 plays, 85 yards, 6 : 17. MIA -- Julius Thomas 2 - yard pass from Jay Cutler ( Cody Parkey kick ), 2 : 12. Panthers 10 -- 7. Drive : 10 plays, 75 yards, 4 : 47. CAR -- Ed Dickson 7 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 0 : 19. Panthers 17 -- 7. Drive : 4 plays, 20 yards, 0 : 22. Third quarter CAR -- Devin Funchess 28 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 11 : 50. Panthers 24 -- 7. Drive : 8 plays, 78 yards, 3 : 10. CAR -- Cameron Artis - Payne 12 - yard run ( Graham Gano kick ), 7 : 15. Panthers 31 -- 7. Drive : 4 plays, 48 yards, 2 : 19. MIA -- Kenyan Drake 66 - yard run ( Cody Parkey kick ), 5 : 47. Panthers 31 -- 14. Drive : 3 plays, 75 yards, 1 : 28. CAR -- Christian McCaffrey 2 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 3 : 07. Panthers 38 -- 14. Drive : 4 plays, 87 yards, 2 : 40. Fourth quarter CAR -- Devin Funchess 32 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 8 : 20. Panthers 45 -- 14. Drive : 11 plays, 83 yards, 6 : 43. MIA -- Jarvis Landry 9 - yard pass from Jay Cutler ( Cody Parkey kick ), 4 : 05. Panthers 45 -- 21. Drive : 10 plays, 75 yards, 4 : 15. Top passers MIA -- Jay Cutler -- 22 / 37, 213 yards, 2 TD, INT CAR -- Cam Newton -- 21 / 35, 254 yards, 4 TD Top rushers MIA -- Kenyan Drake -- 7 rushes, 82 yards, TD CAR -- Jonathan Stewart -- 17 rushes, 110 yards Top receivers MIA -- DeVante Parker -- 6 receptions, 66 yards CAR -- Devin Funchess -- 5 receptions, 92 yards, 2 TD In this Monday Night Football game, the Panthers beat the Dolphins 45 -- 21 and improved to 7 -- 3. Week 12 : at New York Jets Week Twelve : Carolina Panthers at New York Jets -- Game summary Total Panthers 9 6 17 35 Jets 7 7 10 27 at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey Date : November 26 Game time : 1 : 00 pm. EST Game weather : 47 ° F ( 8 ° C ), sunny Game attendance : 77,562 Referee : Carl Cheffers TV announcers ( Fox ) : Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager Recap, Gamebook show Game information First quarter CAR -- Graham Gano 40 - yard field goal, 9 : 55. Panthers 3 -- 0. Drive : 12 plays, 48 yards, 5 : 05. NYJ -- Chandler Catanzaro 31 - yard field goal, 5 : 13. Tied 3 -- 3. Drive : 10 plays, 55 yards, 4 : 42. Second quarter CAR -- Cam Newton 1 - yard run ( kick failed ), 10 : 02. Panthers 9 -- 3. Drive : 8 plays, 86 yards, 4 : 14. CAR -- Graham Gano 33 - yard field goal, 3 : 59. Panthers 12 -- 3. Drive : 5 plays, 34 yards, 2 : 11. NYJ -- Robby Anderson 33 - yard pass from Josh McCown ( Chandler Catanzaro kick ), 1 : 12. Panthers 12 -- 10. Drive : 6 plays, 65 yards, 1 : 00. Third quarter NYJ -- Robby Anderson 54 - yard pass from Josh McCown ( Chandler Catanzaro kick ), 5 : 41. Jets 17 -- 12. Drive : 2 plays, 68 yards, 0 : 37. CAR -- Jonathan Stewart 2 - yard run ( pass failed ), 1 : 12. Panthers 18 -- 17. Drive : 9 plays, 75 yards, 4 : 29. Fourth quarter NYJ -- Chandler Catanzaro 19 - yard field goal, 14 : 01. Jets 20 -- 18. Drive : 10 plays, 74 yards, 2 : 11. CAR -- Luke Kuechly 34 - yard fumble return ( Cam Newton run ), 12 : 05. Panthers 26 -- 20. CAR -- Kaelin Clay 60 - yard punt return ( pass failed ), 9 : 54. Panthers 32 -- 20. NYJ -- Jermaine Kearse 3 - yard pass from Josh McCown ( Chandler Catanzaro kick ), 5 : 32. Panthers 32 -- 27. Drive : 8 plays, 75 yards, 4 : 22. CAR -- Graham Gano 45 - yard field goal, 0 : 21. Panthers 35 -- 27. Drive : 11 plays, 48 yards, 5 : 11. Top passers CAR -- Cam Newton -- 11 / 28, 168 yards NYJ -- Josh McCown -- 19 / 36, 307 yards, 3 TD Top rushers CAR -- Christian McCaffrey -- 7 rushes, 62 yards NYJ -- Bilal Powell -- 9 rushes, 34 yards Top receivers CAR -- Devin Funchess -- 7 receptions, 108 yards NYJ -- Jermaine Kearse -- 7 receptions, 105 yards, TD In the first quarter Carolina and New York scored only a field goal each. In the second quarter, Cam Newton scored a 1 yard touchdown but Graham Gano missed the extra point. Gano redeemed himself with another field goal, giving the Panthers a nine - point lead. Robby Anderson caught a 33 - yard pass from Josh McCown, plus the extra point from Chandler Catanzaro, and Carolina led, 12 -- 10. In the third New York scored a touchdown, and Jets led by 17 -- 12. But Carolina answered with a Jonathan Stewart touchdown and took a 18 -- 17 lead. Early in the fourth Catanzaro kicked a field goal, putting the Jets back on top, 20 -- 18. Later the Panthers blitzed McCown and forced a fumble, which was recovered by Luke Kuechly who recovered it for a 34 - yard touchdown. The Jets punted after their next drive fizzled and Kaelin Clay returned it 60 yards, making the score 32 -- 20. Jermaine Kearse scored a touchdown for the Jets, and Catanzaro 's extra point cut the Panthers ' lead to 5. With 0 : 21 to go in the fourth quarter, Gano kicked a field goal and Carolina won by a final score of 35 -- 27. The Panthers record improved to 8 -- 3. Their win knocked the Jets and Giants out of playoff contention. Week 13 : at New Orleans Saints Week Thirteen : Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints -- Game summary Total Panthers 7 7 0 7 21 Saints 7 14 7 31 at Mercedes - Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana Date : December 3 Game time : 4 : 25 pm. EST / 3 : 25 pm. CST Game weather : Played indoors ( dome stadium ) Game attendance : 73,171 Referee : John Hussey TV announcers ( Fox ) : Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews Recap, Gamebook show Game information First quarter NO -- Alvin Kamara 2 - yard run ( Wil Lutz kick ), 10 : 15. Saints 7 -- 0. Drive : 11 plays, 70 yards, 4 : 45. CAR -- Jonathan Stewart 2 - yard run ( Graham Gano kick ), 5 : 09. Tied 7 -- 7. Drive : 10 plays, 75 yards, 5 : 06. Second quarter NO -- Mark Ingram Jr. 3 - yard run ( Wil Lutz kick ), 11 : 32. Saints 14 -- 7. Drive : 3 plays, 84 yards, 1 : 36. NO -- Michael Thomas 10 - yard pass from Drew Brees ( Wil Lutz kick ), 7 : 21. Saints 21 -- 7. Drive : 6 plays, 31 yards, 3 : 18. CAR -- Christian McCaffrey 21 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 1 : 56. Saints 21 -- 14. Drive : 4 plays, 45 yards, 1 : 54. Third quarter NO -- Alvin Kamara 20 - yard run ( Wil Lutz kick ), 8 : 10. Saints 28 -- 14. Drive : 8 plays, 67 yards, 5 : 04. Fourth quarter NO -- Wil Lutz 31 - yard field goal, 6 : 08. Saints 31 -- 14. Drive : 6 plays, 34 yards, 2 : 47. CAR -- Devin Funchess 24 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 3 : 57. Saints 31 -- 21. Drive : 5 plays, 75 yards, 2 : 11. Top passers CAR -- Cam Newton -- 17 / 27, 183 yards, 2 TD NO -- Drew Brees -- 25 / 34, 269 yards, TD Top rushers CAR -- Cam Newton -- 6 rushes, 51 yards NO -- Mark Ingram Jr. -- 14 rushes, 85 yards, TD Top receivers CAR -- Christian McCaffrey -- 5 receptions, 33 yards, TD NO -- Mark Ingram Jr. -- 6 receptions, 37 yards The Panthers and Saints were tied at 7 -- 7 going into the second quarter. Mark Ingram scored a touchdown with a Wil Lutz extra point, and the Saints led by seven. The Saintsd score again to lead by 14. At the end of the second Christian McCaffery scored a touchdown, and with the extra point by Graham Gano, Carolina was down by seven at the half. Alvin Kamara scored a touchdown ( Lutz kick ) in the third, again increasing New Orleans ' lead to 14 points. In the fourth quarter New Orleans scored 3 and Carolina scored 7. The Saints were too much for Carolina and won 31 -- 21. Carolina fell to 8 -- 4. Week 14 : vs. Minnesota Vikings Week Fourteen : Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers -- Game summary Total Vikings 7 6 0 11 24 Panthers 7 7 10 7 31 at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina Date : December 10 Game time : 1 : 00 pm. EST Game weather : 41 ° F ( 5 ° C ), sunny Game attendance : 73,728 Referee : Terry McAulay TV announcers ( CBS ) : Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson Recap, Gamebook show Game information First quarter CAR -- Jonathan Stewart 60 - yard run ( Graham Gano kick ), 11 : 06. Panthers 7 -- 0. Drive : 3 plays, 69 yards, 1 : 35. MIN -- Kyle Rudolph 18 - yard pass from Case Keenum ( Kai Forbath kick ), 6 : 33. Tied 7 -- 7. Drive : 10 plays, 75 yards, 4 : 27. Second quarter CAR -- Jonathan Stewart 1 - yard run ( Graham Gano kick ), 14 : 22. Panthers 14 -- 7. Drive : 14 plays, 89 yards, 7 : 12. MIN -- Kai Forbath 30 - yard field goal, 5 : 08. Panthers 14 -- 10. Drive : 9 plays, 62 yards, 4 : 03. MIN -- Kai Forbath 22 - yard field goal, 0 : 09. Panthers 14 -- 13. Drive : 11 plays, 64 yards, 2 : 26. Third quarter CAR -- Devin Funchess 18 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 8 : 51. Panthers 21 -- 13. Drive : 10 plays, 75 yards, 6 : 18. CAR -- Graham Gano 41 - yard field goal, 6 : 57. Panthers 24 -- 13. Drive : 4 plays, 8 yards, 1 : 37. Fourth quarter MIN -- Adam Thielen 52 - yard pass from Case Keenum ( Blake Bell pass from Case Keenum ), 5 : 47. Panthers 24 -- 21 Drive : 4 plays, 73 yards, 1 : 28. MIN -- Kai Forbath 27 - yard field goal, 3 : 11. Tied 24 -- 24. Drive : 4 plays, − 3 yards, 1 : 29. CAR -- Jonathan Stewart 1 - yard run ( Graham Gano kick ), 1 : 50. Panthers 31 -- 24. Drive : 5 plays, 75 yards, 1 : 20. Top passers MIN -- Case Keenum -- 27 / 44, 280 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT CAR -- Cam Newton -- 13 / 25, 137 yards, TD, INT Top rushers MIN -- Jerick McKinnon -- 7 rushes, 46 yards CAR -- Jonathan Stewart -- 16 rushes, 103 yards, 3 TD Top receivers MIN -- Adam Thielen -- 6 receptions, 105 yards, TD CAR -- Devin Funchess -- 3 receptions, 59 yards, TD In a game featuring two of the NFC 's best teams, Carolina was able to hold off the Vikings and win 31 -- 24. The Panthers improved to 9 -- 4. Week 15 : vs. green Bay Packers Week Fifteen : Green Bay Packers at Carolina Panthers -- Game summary Total Packers 7 7 7 24 Panthers 7 14 7 31 at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina Date : December 17 Game time : 1 : 00 pm. EST Game weather : 51 ° F ( 11 ° C ), partly cloudy Game attendance : 74,447 Referee : Craig Wrolstad TV announcers ( Fox ) : Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews Recap, Gamebook show Game information First quarter CAR -- Christian McCaffrey 7 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 6 : 02. Panthers 7 -- 0. Drive : 15 plays, 85 yards, 7 : 35. GB -- Davante Adams 13 - yard pass from Aaron Rodgers ( Mason Crosby kick ), 0 : 04. Tied 7 -- 7. Drive : 11 plays, 75 yards, 5 : 57. Second quarter CAR -- Graham Gano 33 - yard field goal, 9 : 06. Panthers 10 -- 7. Drive : 12 plays, 61 yards, 5 : 58. GB -- Randall Cobb 33 - yard pass from Aaron Rodgers ( Mason Crosby kick ), 0 : 39. Packers 14 -- 10. Drive : 4 plays, 58 yards, 1 : 29. Third quarter CAR -- Greg Olsen 30 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 11 : 39. Panthers 17 -- 14. Drive : 7 plays, 73 yards, 3 : 26. CAR -- Damiere Byrd 18 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 7 : 28. Panthers 24 -- 14. Drive : 7 plays, 49 yards, 3 : 28. GB -- Mason Crosby 28 - yard field goal, 1 : 27. Panthers 24 -- 17. Drive : 12 plays, 47 yards, 3 : 51. Fourth quarter CAR -- Damiere Byrd 13 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 12 : 29. Panthers 31 -- 17. Drive : 8 plays, 75 yards, 3 : 59. GB -- Richard Rodgers 24 - yard pass from Aaron Rodgers ( Mason Crosby kick ), 2 : 48. Panthers 31 -- 24. Drive : 6 plays, 76 yards, 1 : 11. GB -- Aaron Rodgers -- 26 / 45, 290 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT CAR -- Cam Newton -- 20 / 31, 242 yards, 4 TD Top rushers GB -- Aaron Jones -- 3 rushes, 47 yards CAR -- Christian McCaffrey -- 12 rushes, 63 yards Top receivers GB -- Randall Cobb -- 7 receptions, 84 yards, TD CAR -- Greg Olsen -- 9 receptions, 116 yards, TD The Panthers spoiled Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers ' return by intercepting three passes and winning 31 -- 24. They also improved to 10 -- 4. A few hours after the game ended, owner Jerry Richardson announced he was putting the Panthers up for sale. Week 16 : vs. Tampa Bay buccaneers Week Sixteen : Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers -- Game summary Total Buccaneers 6 7 19 Panthers 9 7 22 at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina Date : December 24 Game time : 1 : 00 pm. EST Game weather : 55 ° F ( 13 ° C ), cloudy Game attendance : 71,463 Referee : Jerome Boger TV announcers ( Fox ) : Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Kristina Pink Recap, Gamebook show Game information First quarter CAR -- Graham Gano 25 - yard field goal, 8 : 13. Panthers 3 -- 0. Drive : 7 plays, 26 yards, 3 : 55. TB -- Patrick Murray 31 - yard field goal, 2 : 24. Tied 3 -- 3. Drive : 11 plays, 63 yards, 5 : 49. Second quarter CAR -- Graham Gano 28 - yard field goal, 8 : 38. Panthers 6 -- 3. Drive : 10 plays, 71 yards, 4 : 58. TB -- Patrick Murray 41 - yard field goal, 2 : 58. Tied 6 -- 6. Drive : 6 plays, 61 yards, 2 : 18. CAR -- Damiere Byrd 103 - yard kickoff return ( kick failed ), 2 : 43. Panthers 12 -- 6. TB -- Patrick Murray 21 - yard field goal, 0 : 02. Panthers 12 -- 9. Drive : 9 plays, 72 yards, 2 : 41. Third quarter TB -- Bobo Wilson 18 - yard pass from Jameis Winston ( Patrick Murray kick ), 10 : 27. Buccaneers 16 -- 12. Drive : 3 plays, 49 yards, 1 : 01. CAR -- Graham Gano 30 - yard field goal, 4 : 49. Buccaneers 16 -- 15. Drive : 12 plays, 68 yards, 5 : 38. Fourth quarter TB -- Patrick Murray 26 - yard field goal, 14 : 57. Buccaneers 19 -- 15. Drive : 10 plays, 67 yards, 4 : 52. CAR -- Cam Newton 2 - yard run ( Graham Gano kick ), 0 : 35. Panthers 22 -- 19. Drive : 10 plays, 59 yards, 2 : 25. Top passers TB -- Jameis Winston -- 21 / 27, 367 yards, TD CAR -- Cam Newton -- 16 / 25, 160 yards, INT Top rushers TB -- Peyton Barber -- 13 rushes, 51 yards CAR -- Cam Newton -- 14 rushes, 52 yards, TD Top receivers TB -- Mike Evans -- 6 receptions, 107 yards CAR -- Brenton Bersin -- 3 receptions, 45 yards With the close win, the Panthers clinched a playoff spot for the fourth time in five years. They also improved to 11 -- 4. Week 17 : at Atlanta Falcons Week Seventeen : Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons -- Game summary Total Panthers 0 7 0 10 Falcons 7 0 6 9 22 at Mercedes - Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia Date : December 31 Game time : 4 : 25 pm. EST Game weather : Played indoors ( retractable roof closed ) Game attendance : 74,141 Referee : Bill Vinovich TV announcers ( Fox ) : Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews Recap, Gamebook show Game information First quarter ATL -- Devonta Freeman 19 - yard pass from Matt Ryan ( Matt Bryant kick ), 10 : 39. Falcons 7 -- 0. Drive : 10 plays, 75 yards, 4 : 28. Second quarter CAR -- Devin Funchess 4 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 0 : 55. Tied 7 -- 7. Drive : 16 plays, 78 yards, 8 : 25. Third quarter ATL -- Matt Bryant 30 - yard field goal, 6 : 35. Falcons 10 -- 7. Drive : 13 plays, 68 yards, 6 : 55. ATL -- Matt Bryant 42 - yard field goal, 3 : 49. Falcons 13 -- 7. Drive : 5 plays, 15 yards, 2 : 00. Fourth quarter ATL -- Matt Bryant 30 - yard field goal, 14 : 15. Falcons 16 -- 7. Drive : 8 plays, 60 yards, 3 : 26. CAR -- Graham Gano 42 - yard field goal, 10 : 38. Falcons 16 -- 10. Drive : 7 plays, 51 yards, 3 : 37. ATL -- Matt Bryant 56 - yard field goal, 6 : 43. Falcons 19 -- 10. Drive : 8 plays, 37 yards, 3 : 57. ATL -- Matt Bryant 33 - yard field goal, 2 : 31. Falcons 22 -- 10. Drive : 4 plays, 8 yards, 1 : 41. Top passers CAR -- Cam Newton -- 14 / 34, 180 yards, TD, 3 INT ATL -- Matt Ryan -- 28 / 45, 317 yards, TD Top rushers CAR -- Cam Newton -- 11 rushes, 59 yards ATL -- Tevin Coleman -- 11 rushes, 23 yards ATL -- Devonta Freeman -- 11 rushes, 23 yards Top receivers CAR -- Devin Funchess -- 2 receptions, 48 yards, TD ATL -- Devonta Freeman -- 9 receptions, 85 yards, TD The Panthers went to Atlanta with a chance to win the NFC South. If Tampa Bay beat New Orleans and Carolina won, the Panthers would win the title. Despite Tampa 's victory over the Saints, the Panthers lost 10 -- 22, making the Saints NFC South champions. The Panthers ended the regular season with an 11 -- 5 record. Standings Division NFC South view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK New Orleans Saints 11 5 0. 688 4 -- 2 8 -- 4 448 326 L1 Carolina Panthers 11 5 0. 688 3 -- 3 7 -- 5 363 327 L1 Atlanta Falcons 10 6 0. 625 4 -- 2 9 -- 3 353 315 W1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5 11 0. 313 1 -- 5 3 -- 9 335 382 W1 Conference NFC # Team Division PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK Division leaders Philadelphia Eagles East 13 0. 813 5 -- 1 10 -- 2. 461. 433 L1 Minnesota Vikings North 13 0. 813 5 -- 1 10 -- 2. 492. 447 W3 Los Angeles Rams West 11 5 0. 688 4 -- 2 7 -- 5. 504. 460 L1 New Orleans Saints South 11 5 0. 688 4 -- 2 8 -- 4. 535. 483 L1 Wild Cards 5 Carolina Panthers South 11 5 0. 688 3 -- 3 7 -- 5. 539. 500 L1 6 Atlanta Falcons South 10 6 0. 625 4 -- 2 9 -- 3. 543. 475 W1 Did not qualify for the playoffs 7 Detroit Lions North 9 7 0. 563 5 -- 1 8 -- 4. 496. 368 W1 8 Seattle Seahawks West 9 7 0. 563 4 -- 2 7 -- 5. 492. 444 L1 9 Dallas Cowboys East 9 7 0. 563 5 -- 1 7 -- 5. 496. 438 W1 10 Arizona Cardinals West 8 8 0. 500 3 -- 3 5 -- 7. 488. 406 W2 11 Green Bay Packers North 7 9 0. 438 2 -- 4 5 -- 7. 539. 357 L3 12 Washington Redskins East 7 9 0. 438 1 -- 5 5 -- 7. 539. 429 L1 13 San Francisco 49ers West 6 10 0. 375 1 -- 5 3 -- 9. 512. 438 W5 14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 5 11 0. 313 1 -- 5 3 -- 9. 555. 375 W1 15 Chicago Bears North 5 11 0. 313 0 -- 6 1 -- 11. 559. 500 L1 16 New York Giants East 13 0. 188 1 -- 5 1 -- 11. 531. 458 W1 Tiebreakers ^ Jump up to : Philadelphia claimed the No. 1 seed over Minnesota based on winning percentage vs. common opponents. Philadelphia 's cumulative record against Carolina, Chicago, LA Rams and Washington was 5 -- 0, compared to Minnesota 's 4 -- 1 cumulative record against the same four teams. ^ Jump up to : LA Rams claimed the No. 3 seed over New Orleans based on head - to - head victory. ^ Jump up to : New Orleans clinched the NFC South division over Carolina based on head - to - head sweep. ^ Jump up to : Detroit finished ahead of Dallas and Seattle based on conference record, while Seattle finished ahead of Dallas based on head - to - head victory. ^ Jump up to : Green Bay finished ahead of Washington based on record vs. common opponents. Green Bay 's cumulative record against Dallas, Minnesota, New Orleans and Seattle was 2 -- 3, compared to Washington 's 1 -- 4 cumulative record against the same four teams. ^ Jump up to : Tampa Bay finished ahead of Chicago based on head - to - head victory. Jump up ^ 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. Postseason See also : 2017 -- 18 NFL playoffs Schedule Playoff round Date Opponent ( seed ) Result Record Game site NFL.com recap Wild Card January 7, 2018 at New Orleans Saints ( 4 ) L 26 -- 31 0 -- 1 Mercedes - Benz Superdome Recap Game summaries NFC Wild Card playoffs : at # 4 New Orleans Saints NFC Wild Card Playoffs : ( # 5 ) Carolina Panthers at ( # 4 ) New Orleans Saints -- Game summary Total Panthers 0 9 14 26 Saints 7 14 7 31 at Mercedes - Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana Date : January 7 Game time : 4 : 40 p.m. EST / 3 : 40 p.m. CST Game weather : Played indoors ( dome stadium ) Game attendance : 73,186 Referee : Tony Corrente TV announcers ( Fox ) : Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews Recap, Gamebook show Game information 1st quarter NO -- Ted Ginn Jr. 80 - yard pass from Drew Brees ( Wil Lutz kick ), 1 : 46. Saints 7 -- 0. Drive : 2 plays, 80 yards, 0 : 18. 2nd quarter CAR -- Graham Gano 27 - yard field goal, 14 : 12. Saints 7 -- 3. Drive : 6 plays, 66 yards, 2 : 34. NO -- Josh Hill 9 - yard pass from Drew Brees ( Wil Lutz kick ), 9 : 04. Saints 14 -- 3. Drive : 9 plays, 75 yards, 5 : 08. CAR -- Graham Gano 39 - yard field goal, 2 : 47. Saints 14 -- 6. Drive : 12 plays, 54 yards, 6 : 17. NO -- Zach Line 1 - yard run ( Wil Lutz kick ), 0 : 43. Saints 21 -- 6. Drive : 8 plays, 75 yards, 2 : 04. CAR -- Graham Gano 58 - yard field goal, 0 : 00. Saints 21 -- 9. Drive : 5 plays, 35 yards, 0 : 43. 3rd quarter CAR -- Graham Gano 29 - yard field goal, 10 : 58. Saints 21 -- 12. Drive : 9 plays, 64 yards, 4 : 02. NO -- Wil Lutz 57 - yard field goal, 6 : 05. Saints 24 -- 12. Drive : 10 plays, 36 yards, 4 : 53. 4th quarter CAR -- Greg Olsen 14 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 12 : 47. Saints 24 -- 19. Drive : 8 plays, 68 yards, 3 : 45. NO -- Alvin Kamara 2 - yard run ( Wil Lutz kick ), 5 : 08. Saints 31 -- 19. Drive : 5 plays, 62 yards, 3 : 02. CAR -- Christian McCaffrey 56 - yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick ), 4 : 09. Saints 31 -- 26. Drive : 3 plays, 75 yards, 0 : 59. Top passers CAR -- Cam Newton -- 24 / 40, 349 yards, 2 TD NO -- Drew Brees -- 23 / 33, 376 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers CAR -- Jonathan Stewart -- 11 rushes, 51 yards NO -- Alvin Kamara -- 10 rushes, 23 yards, TD Top receivers CAR -- Greg Olsen -- 8 receptions, 107 yards, TD NO -- Michael Thomas -- 8 receptions, 131 yards Carolina looked to beat New Orleans for the first time all season. Carolina 's defense played better than in the past games, holding the Saints dynamic running backs to under 100 yards combined. Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw a crucial interception late, but the Panthers comeback fell just short and they lost 26 -- 31. The Panthers ended the Wild Card Weekend with an 11 -- 6 record. References Jump up ^ http://www.panthers.com/news/article-2/Dave-Gettleman-no-longer-general-manager/0002c6ae-e370-4b1a-9af8-50e52943984c Jump up ^ Stites, Adam ( March 10, 2017 ). `` Panthers trade Kony Ealy to Patriots to move up a round in 2017 NFL Draft ''. SBNation.com. Retrieved March 10, 2017. Jump up ^ http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/21240301/kelvin-benjamin-carolina-panthers-traded-buffalo-bills External links Official website Carolina Panthers Founded in 1995 Based and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina Franchise Franchise Team history Seasons Coaches Players Expansion draft First - round draft picks Starting quarterbacks Records and statistics Broadcasters Stadiums Memorial Stadium Bank of America Stadium Culture and lore Jerry Richardson David Tepper Sir Purr Cardiac Cats Carolina Topcats `` Sweet Caroline '' ( song ) Rivalries Atlanta Falcons Tampa Bay Buccaneers Seattle Seahawks Hall of Honor Mike McCormack Sam Mills PSL Owners Wild card berths ( 2 ) 2005 2017 Division championships ( 6 ) 2003 2008 2013 2014 2015 Conference championships ( 2 ) 2003 2015 Retired numbers 51 Media Broadcasters Mick Mixon Eugene Robinson Bill Rosinski TV : WCCB Radio : WBT Current league affiliations League : National Football League Conference : National Football Conference Division : South Division Seasons ( 24 ) 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Carolina Panthers seasons 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Italics indicates Super Bowl appearance 2017 NFL season AFC East North South West East North South West NFC Buffalo Baltimore Houston Denver Dallas Chicago Atlanta Arizona Miami Cincinnati Indianapolis Kansas City NY Giants Detroit Carolina LA Rams New England Cleveland Jacksonville LA Chargers Philadelphia Green Bay New Orleans San Francisco NY Jets Pittsburgh Tennessee Oakland Washington Minnesota Tampa Bay Seattle Draft NFL playoffs NFL Honors Pro Bowl Super Bowl LII Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2017_Carolina_Panthers_season&oldid=864223093 '' Categories : 2017 National Football League season by team Carolina Panthers seasons 2017 in sports in North Carolina Talk Contents About Wikipedia Italiano Edit links This page was last edited on 15 October 2018, at 22 : 03 ( UTC ). 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Question: who did the panthers lose to in the playoffs last year
Answer: the Saints