# 2012 Carolina Panthers season

The 2012 season was the Carolina Panthers' 18th in the National Football League (NFL) and their second under head coach Ron Rivera. A day after the Panthers' loss to the Dallas Cowboys, general manager Marty Hurney was fired. Until a new general manager was hired (that hire eventually being Dave Gettleman), director of football operations Brandon Beane served as interim general manager. In a statistical rarity, the team lost the first 13 of their game-opening coin tosses, an event with a 1 in 8,192 probability. In the 13th game, the Panthers asked fans on Facebook to make the call, but the vote ended in a 50/50 tie.

## Logo change

On January 30, 2012, the Panthers unveiled an updated version of the team's logo, the team's first logo change since the Panthers entered the NFL in 1995. The new logo would subsequently be added to the team's uniforms, around the stadium and on merchandise.

## 2012 draft class

The Panthers did not have a 3rd round selection.
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 9 | Luke Kuechly | LB | Boston College |
| 2 | 42 | Amini Silatolu | G | Midwestern State |
| 4 | 103 | Frank Alexander | DE | Oklahoma |
| 4 | 104 | Joe Adams | WR | Arkansas |
| 5 | 143 | Josh Norman | CB | Coastal Carolina |
| 6 | 207 | Brad Nortman | P | Wisconsin |
| 7 | 216 | D.J. Campbell | S | California |

### NOTES

    The team traded its third-round selection to the Chicago Bears in exchange for TE Greg Olsen.
    The Panthers finished with the same record and strength of schedule as the Miami Dolphins. This selection is the 9th, based on a coin toss at the NFL Scouting Combine won by Miami in March.
    The Panthers finished with the same record and strength of schedule as the Miami Dolphins. This selection is the 40th, based on a coin toss at the NFL Scouting Combine in March won by the Miami Dolphins.
    The team traded its sixth-round selection (#180) and their third-round selection in 2013 to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for their fourth-round selection (#103).
    The Panthers received one compensatory pick for the 207 pick overall.

## Season Summary

Looking to improve off of a 6–10 season from rookie coach Ron Rivera and quarterback Cam Newton, the Panthers got off to a tough start. The Panthers began the season with a dismal 2–8 record through their first 10 games. The Panthers played competitively throughout most games the entire season with an exception of a 36–7 loss to the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants where the Panthers fell to a 20–0 deficit early in the game and could not recover. Many would turn to a victory on November 26 in a prime time match up against the struggling Philadelphia Eagles as the turning point in the season for the Panthers. With that win on Monday Night Football, the Panthers would go on to win 5 of their remaining 6 games, rattling off 4 victories in a row to finish the season, with one victory coming against the NFC's #1 seed Atlanta Falcons, the first win in the series for the Panthers since the 2009 season.

## Schedule
### Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 11 | Houston Texans | L 13–26 | 0–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 17 | Miami Dolphins | W 23–17 | 1–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 26 | at New York Jets | W 17–12 | 2–1 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 30 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 16–17 | 2–2 | Heinz Field | Recap |

### Regular season

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 9 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 10–16 | 0–1 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 16 | New Orleans Saints | W 35–27 | 1–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 20 | New York Giants | L 7–36 | 1–2 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 30 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 28–30 | 1–3 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 5 | October 7 | Seattle Seahawks | L 12–16 | 1–4 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 7 | October 21 | Dallas Cowboys | L 14–19 | 1–5 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 28 | at Chicago Bears | L 22–23 | 1–6 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 9 | November 4 | at Washington Redskins | W 21–13 | 2–6 | FedExField | Recap |
| 10 | November 11 | Denver Broncos | L 14–36 | 2–7 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 18 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 21–27 (OT) | 2–8 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 26 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 30–22 | 3–8 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap |
| 13 | December 2 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 21–27 | 3–9 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 9 | Atlanta Falcons | W 30–20 | 4–9 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 16 | at San Diego Chargers | W 31–7 | 5–9 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 23 | Oakland Raiders | W 17–6 | 6–9 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 30 | at New Orleans Saints | W 44–38 | 7–9 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| Buccaneers | 10 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: September 9
* Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 51,533
* Referee: Jerry Hughes
* TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Mike Martz and Kristina Pink
Game information :
First quarter
TB – Mike Williams 6-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 5:20. Buccaneers 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 7:20.
TB – Connor Barth 36-yard field goal, 1:20. Buccaneers 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 2:27.
Second quarter
TB – Connor Barth 20-yard field goal, 2:55. Buccaneers 13–0. Drive: 13 plays, 90 yards, 8:43.
Third quarter
CAR – Brandon LaFell 22-yard pass from Cam Newton (Justin Medlock kick), 8:55. Buccaneers 13–7. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:26.
Fourth quarter
TB – Connor Barth 40-yard field goal, 7:58. Buccaneers 16–7. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 3:12.
CAR – Justin Medlock 21-yard field goal, 2:46. Buccaneers 16–10. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 2:20.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 23/33, 303 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
TB – Josh Freeman – 16/24, 138 yards, 1 TD
Top rushers
CAR – Kealoha Pilares – 1 rush, 5 yards
TB – Doug Martin – 24 rushes, 95 yards
Top receivers
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 7 receptions, 106 yards
TB – Vincent Jackson – 4 receptions, 47 yards :
The Panthers started the season at 0–1 picking up their 4th straight regular season opening loss. Also, the team dropped to 0–11 in games where starting QB Cam Newton turns the ball over as he was picked off twice.

#### Week 2: vs. New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 10 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
| Panthers | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: September 16
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), (Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 72,879
* Referee: Gerald Wright
* TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Mike Martz and Kristina Pink
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Jimmy Graham 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 9:39. Saints 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:21.
CAR – Charles Godfrey 9-yard interception return (Justin Medlock kick), 5:33. Tied 7–7.
NO – Garrett Hartley 22-yard field goal, 1:26. Saints 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 4:07.
Second quarter
NO – Garrett Hartley 53-yard field goal, 7:08. Saints 13–7. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 4:36.
CAR – Jonathan Stewart 17-yard pass from Cam Newton (Justin Medlock kick), 3:33. Panthers 14–13. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 3:35.
CAR – Mike Tolbert 2-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 0:11. Panthers 21–13. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 2:20.
Third quarter
CAR – DeAngelo Williams 3-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 8:17. Panthers 28–13. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:04.
Fourth quarter
NO – Mark Ingram 1-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 12:53. Panthers 28–20. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:35.
CAR – Cam Newton 5-yard run (Justin Hedlock kick), 9:55. Panthers 35–20. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:58.
NO – Drew Brees 1-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 1:55. Panthers 35–27. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 2:54.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 31/49, 325 yards, TD, 2 INT
CAR – Cam Newton – 14/20, 253 yards, TD
Top rushers
NO – Pierre Thomas – 9 rushes, 110 yards
CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 14 carries, 69 yards, TD
Top receivers
NO – Darren Sproles – 13 receptions, 128 yards
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 3 receptions, 104 yards :
With the win, the Panthers improved to 1–1, snapping their 4-game losing streak against the Saints. Also, the team improved to 1–11 in games where Newton has at least 1 turnover.

#### Week 3: vs. New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 10 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 36 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: September 20
* Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), (Clear)
* Game attendance: 73,951
* Referee: Robert Frazer
* TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan
Game information :
First quarter
NYG – Martellus Bennett 14-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 11:38. Giants 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:22.
NYG – Lawrence Tynes 47-yard field goal, 3:46. Giants 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 4:44.
Second quarter
NYG – Andre Brown 1-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 12:03. Giants 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 4:39.
NYG – Lawrence Tynes 49-yard field goal, 3:13. Giants 20–0. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 5:59.
Third quarter
NYG – Lawrence Tynes 30-yard field goal, 12:49. Giants 23–0. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 2:03.
CAR – Cam Newton 1-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 6:25. Giants 23–7. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:24.
NYG – Lawrence Tynes 36-yard field goal, 0:50. Giants 26–7. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 5:53.
Fourth quarter
NYG – Andre Brown 1-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 9:40. Giants 33–7. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:51.
NYG – Lawrence Tynes 27-yard field goal, 1:09. Giants 36–7. Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 3:17.
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning – 27/35, 288 yards, TD
CAR – Cam Newton – 16/30, 242 yards, 3 INT
Top rushers
NYG – Andre Brown – 20 rushes, 113 yards, 2 TD
CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 11 rushes, 50 yards
Top receivers
NYG – Ramses Barden – 9 receptions, 138 yards
CAR – Greg Olsen – 7 receptions, 98 yards :
With the huge loss on Thursday Night Football, the Panthers fell to 1–2. The team also dropped to 1–12 in games where Cam Newton has at least 1 turnover.

#### Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Falcons | 7 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 30 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: September 30
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 69,594
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Greg Olsen 17-yard pass from Cam Newton (Justin Medlock kick), 11:45. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 2:29.
ATL – Roddy White 49-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:26. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 77 yards, 1:30.
Second quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 41-yard field goal, 13:11. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 7 yards, 2:05.
CAR – DeAngelo Williams 13-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 8:44. Panthers 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 4:27.
ATL – Roddy White 14-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 1:49. Falcons 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:40.
Third quarter
ATL – Michael Turner 60-yard pass from Matt Ryan, (Matt Bryant kick), 10:17. Falcons 24–14. Drive: 3 plays, 72 yards, 1:37.
CAR – Cam Newton 4-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 3:16. Falcons 24–21. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 7:01.
Fourth quarter
CAR –Kealoha Pilares 36-yard pass from Cam Newton (Justin Medlock kick), 7:55. Panthers 28–24. Drive: 6 plays, 88 yards, 3:23.
ATL – Matt Bryant 33-yard field goal, 4:57. Panthers 28–27. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 2:58.
ATL – Matt Bryant 40-yard field goal, 0:05. Falcons 30–28. Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 0:54.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 15/24, 212 yards, 2 TD
ATL – Matt Ryan – 25/40, 369 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
CAR – Cam Newton – 9 rushes, 86 yards, TD
ATL – Michael Turner – 13 rushes, 103 yards
Top receivers
CAR – Greg Olsen – 6 receptions, 89 yards, TD
ATL – Roddy White – 8 receptions, 169 yards, 2 TD :
With their 5th straight loss to the Falcons, the Panthers fell to 1–3. Also, for the first time the team lost a game after Newton did not record a turnover.

#### Week 5: vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 3 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 16 |
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 12 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: October 7
* Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), (Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 72,676
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Kristina Pink
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Stephen Hauschka 22-yard field goal, 10:29. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 3:33.
Second quarter
SEA – Stephen Hauschka 36-yard field goal, 8:29. Seahawks 6–0. Drive: 12 plays, 50 yards, 6:58.
CAR – Justin Medlock 32-yard field goal, 0:02. Seahawks 6–3. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 2:44.
Third quarter
CAR – Captain Munnerlyn 33-yard interception return (Justin Medlock kick), 12:26. Panthers 10–6.
SEA – Golden Tate 13-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Stephen Hauschka kick), 0:35. Seahawks 13–10. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 2:02.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Stephen Hauschka 44-yard field goal, 10:27. Seahawks 16–10. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 3:33.
CAR – Jon Ryan ran out of end zone for a safety, 0:59. Seahawks 16–12.
Top passers
SEA – Russell Wilson – 19/25, 221 yards, TD, 2 INT
CAR – Cam Newton – 12/29, 141 yards
Top rushers
SEA – Marshawn Lynch – 21 rushes, 85 yards
CAR – Cam Newton – 7 rushes, 42 yards
Top receivers
SEA – Sidney Rice – 5 receptions, 67 yards
CAR – Brandon LaFell – 3 receptions, 44 yards :
With the loss, the Panthers head into their bye week at 1–4. Also, the team dropped to 1–13 in games where Newton has a least a turnover.

#### Week 7: vs. Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 19 |
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: October 21
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 73,981
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
DAL – Dan Bailey 19-yard field goal, 14:16. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 18 plays, 91 yards, 10:40.
CAR – Brandon LaFell 5-yard pass from Cam Newton (Justin Medlock kick), 0:14. Panthers 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:00.
Third quarter
DAL – Miles Austin 26-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 7:38. Cowboys 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 63 yards, 1:54.
DAL – Dan Bailey 49-yard field goal, 2:13. Cowboys 13–7. Drive: 6 plays, 9 yards, 3:27.
Fourth quarter
CAR – Mike Tolbert 2-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 11:38. Panthers 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:20.
DAL – Dan Bailey 28-yard field goal, 3:25. Cowboys 16–14. Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 4:07.
DAL – Dan Bailey 38-yard field goal, 0:53. Cowboys 19–14. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 1:15.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo – 24/34, 227 yards, TD
CAR – Cam Newton – 21/37, 233 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
DAL – Felix Jones – 15 rushes, 44 yards
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 10 rushes, 35 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Miles Austin – 5 receptions, 97 yards, TD
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 7 receptions, 83 yards :
With the loss, the Panthers fell to 1–5 and also to 1–14 in games when Newton records a turnover.

#### Week 8: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 3 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 22 |
| Bears | 7 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 23 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: October 28
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C), cloudy – wind gusts to 25mph
* Game attendance: 62,254
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Game information :
First quarter
CHI – Matt Forte 13-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 4:32. Bears 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 49 yards, 1:52.
CAR – Justin Medlock 34-yard field goal, 2:01. Bears 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 64 yards, 2:31.
Second quarter
CAR – Louis Murphy fumble recovery in end zone (Justin Medlock kick), 14:45. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 3 plays, 16 yards, 0:48.
CAR – Justin Medlock 31-yard field goal, 4:36. Panthers 13–7. Drive: 17 plays, 58 yards, 8:19.
Third quarter
CAR – Justin Medlock 22-yard field goal, 6:47. Panthers 16–7. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 6:32.
CAR – Justin Medlock 43-yard field goal, 1:30. Panthers 19–7. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:02.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Kellen Davis 12-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 6:52. Panthers 19–14. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 3:26.
CHI – Tim Jennings 25-yard interception return (run failed), 6:44. Bears 20–19.
CAR – Justin Medlock 45-yard field goal, 2:27. Panthers 22–20. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 4:17.
CHI – Robbie Gould 41-yard field goal, 0:00. Bears 23–22. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 2:27.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 20/39, 314 yards, 2 INT
CHI – Jay Cutler – 19/28, 186 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
CAR – Cam Newton – 5 rushes, 37 yards
CHI – Matt Forte – 15 rushes, 70 yards
Top receivers
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 7 receptions, 118 yards
CHI – Brandon Marshall – 9 receptions, 98 yards :
With the surprising loss, the Panthers dropped to 1–6. Also, the team moves to 1–15 in games where Newton has a turnover.

#### Week 9: at Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Redskins | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
* Date: November 4
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 79,767
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Game information :
First quarter
WAS – Kai Forbath 47-yard field goal, 4:20. Redskins 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 6:45.
CAR – DeAngelo Williams 30-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 0:24. Panthers 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:56.
Second quarter
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. 19-yard pass from Cam Newton, 0:57. Panthers 14–3. Drive: 12 plays, 98 yards, 4:16.
Third quarter
WAS – Kai Forbath 25-yard field goal, 6:02. Panthers 14–6. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 5:00.
Fourth quarter
CAR – Cam Newton 1-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 12:46. Panthers 21–6. Drive: 3 plays, 91 yards, 1:31.
WAS – Evan Royster 2-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 1:28. Panthers 21–13. Drive: 13 plays, 60 yards, 2:54.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 13/23, 201 yards, TD
WAS – Robert Griffin III – 23/39, 215 yards
Top rushers
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 10 rushes, 51 yards
WAS – Alfred Morris – 13 rushes, 76 yards
Top receivers
CAR – Armanti Edwards – 1 reception, 82 yards
WAS – Logan Paulsen – 5 receptions, 59 yards :
With the win, the Panthers improved to 2–6. The team also improves to 7–1 in games where Newton does not turn the ball over. Because this was the Redskins' last home game before the 2012 election, the Redskins Rule incorrectly predicted that Mitt Romney would win the election, or Barack Obama would win the election while losing the popular vote.

#### Week 10: vs. Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 7 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 36 |
| Panthers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: November 11
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 73,939
* Referee: Alberto Riveron
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Greg Olsen 4-yard pass from Cam Newton (Justin Medlock kick), 6:46. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 3:04.
DEN – Brandon Stokley 10-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 1:32. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 2:16.
Second quarter
DEN – Trindon Holliday 76-yard punt return (Matt Prater kick), 14:40. Broncos 14–7.
DEN – Matt Prater 53-yard field goal, 10:12. Broncos 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 3:26.
Third quarter
DEN – Tony Carter 40-yard interception return (Matt Prater kick), 9:59. Broncos 24–7.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Matt Prater 27-yard field goal, 14:17. Broncos 27–7. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 3:25.
DEN – Cam Newton sacked in endzone by Mike Adams for a safety, 10:32. Broncos 29–7.
CAR – Greg Olsen 5-yard pass from Cam Newton, 5:09. Broncos 29–14. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 4:22.
DEN – Ronnie Hillman 5-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 3:23. Broncos 36–14. Drive: 4 plays, 54 yards, 1:46.
Top passers
DEN – Peyton Manning – 27/38, 301 yards, TD
CAR – Cam Newton – 21/36, 241 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
DEN – Willis McGahee – 14 rushes, 56 yards
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 8 rushes, 31 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Demaryius Thomas – 9 receptions, 135 yards
CAR – Greg Olsen – 9 receptions, 102 yards, 2 TD :
With the loss, the Panthers fell to 2–7. The team also drops to 1–16 in games where Newton has a turnover.

#### Week 11: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Buccaneers | 10 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 27 |
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: November 18
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), (Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 72,603
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio
Game information :
First quarter
TB – Nate Byham 3-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 8:46. Buccaneers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 3:33.
TB – Connor Barth 51-yard field goal, 5:21. Buccaneers 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 2:19.
CAR – Captain Munnerlyn 74-yard interception return (Justin Medlock kick), 0:35. Buccaneers 10–7.
Second quarter
CAR – Jonathan Stewart 1-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 8:53. Panthers 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 4:09.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
CAR – Brandon LaFell 29-yard pass from Cam Newton (Justin Medlock kick), 6:00. Panthers 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:34.
TB – Connor Barth 40-yard field goal, 4:03. Panthers 21–13. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 1:57.
TB – Vincent Jackson 24-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Josh Freeman-Vincent Jackson pass), 0:12. Tied 21–21. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 0:50.
Overtime
TB – Dallas Clark 15-yard pass from Josh Freeman, 10:40. Buccaneers 27–21. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:20.
Top passers
TB – Josh Freeman – 25/46, 248 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
CAR – Cam Newton – 16/29, 252 yards, TD
Top rushers
TB – Doug Martin – 24 rushes, 138 yards
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 15 rushes, 43 yards, TD
Top receivers
TB – Vincent Jackson – 6 receptions, 94 yards, TD
CAR – Brandon LaFell – 5 receptions, 93 yards, TD :
With the loss, the Panthers fell to 2–8. Also, QB Cam Newton suffered being swept by all 3 division rival teams as the team dropped to 7–2 in games where he does not have a turnover.

#### Week 12: at Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 14 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 30 |
| Eagles | 3 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 22 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Date: November 26
* Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 36 °F (2 °C), clear
* Game attendance: 69,144
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
Game information :
First quarter
PHI – Alex Henery 36-yard field goal, 11:12. Eagles 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 3:48.
CAR – Gary Barnidge 24-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 6:12. Panthers 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 5:00.
CAR – Brandon LaFell 43-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 3:36. Panthers 14–3. Drive: 3 plays, 55 yards, 0:43.
Second quarter
PHI – Alex Henery 41-yard field goal, 14:15. Panthers 14–6. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:21.
PHI – Bryce Brown 65-yard run (pass failed), 10:56. Panthers 14–12. Drive: 2 plays, 68 yards, 0:42.
PHI – Alex Henery 45-yard field goal, 3:20. Eagles 15–14. Drive: 9 plays, 35 yards, 5:03.
Third quarter
CAR – Cam Newton 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 9:13. Panthers 21–15. Drive: 11 plays, 95 yards, 5:47.
PHI – Bryce Brown 5-yard run (Alex Henery kick), 3:30. Eagles 22–21. Drive: 3 plays, 69 yards, 1:07.
Fourth quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 23-yard field goal, 12:40. Panthers 24–22. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 3:36.
CAR – Cam Newton 2-yard run (kick failed), 4:40. Panthers 30–22. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 3:55.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 18/28, 306 yards, 2 TD
PHI – Nick Foles – 16/21, 119 yards
Top rushers
CAR – Cam Newton – 14 rushes, 52 yards, 2 TD
PHI – Bryce Brown – 19 rushes, 178 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
CAR – Brandon LaFell – 3 receptions, 74 yards, TD
PHI – Jeremy Maclin – 5 receptions, 55 yards :
With the win the Panthers improved to 3–8 and also 8–2 in games where Newton does not have a turnover.

#### Week 13: at Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Chiefs | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: December 2
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 62,860
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Mike Martz and Kristina Pink
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Peyton Hillis 2-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 11:49. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 3:11.
CAR – Greg Olsen 47-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 8:46. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:03.
KC – Ryan Succop 42-yard field goal, 3:20. Chiefs 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 5:26.
Second quarter
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. 23-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 13:27. Panthers 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:31.
KC – Tony Moeaki 1-yard pass from Brady Quinn (Ryan Succop kick), 0:00. Chiefs 17–14. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 7:25.
Third quarter
KC – Jonathan Baldwin 3-yard pass from Brady Quinn (Ryan Succop kick), 2:52. Chiefs 24–14. Drive: 17 plays, 87 yards, 9:56.
Fourth quarter
CAR – Louis Murphy 8-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 13:21. Chiefs 24–21. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:31.
KC – Ryan Succop 52-yard field goal, 4:54. Chiefs 27–21. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 2:36.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 15/27, 232 yards, 3 TD
KC – Brady Quinn – 19/23, 201 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
CAR – Cam Newton – 7 rushes, 78 yards
KC – Jamaal Charles – 27 rushes, 127 yards
Top receivers
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 5 receptions, 120 yards, TD
KC – Dwayne Bowe – 4 receptions, 64 yards :
With the loss, the Panthers dropped to 3–9 securing them their 3rd straight losing season. They also dropped in records to 0–2 against the AFC West and 8–3 when Newton does not turn the ball over.

#### Week 14: vs. Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 20 |
| Panthers | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 30 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: December 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), (Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 73,292
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson, Charles Davis and Kristina Pink
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Greg Olsen 25-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 7:49. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 7:11.
Second quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 24-yard field goal, 10:55. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 17 plays, 72 yards, 9:17.
CAR – Graham Gano 41-yard field goal, 4:58. Panthers 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:45.
CAR – Graham Gano 31-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 16–0. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 3:35.
Third quarter
CAR – Cam Newton 72-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 11:01. Panthers 23–0. Drive: 4 plays, 86 yards, 2:08.
ATL – Roddy White 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:48. Panthers 23–7. Drive: 13 plays, 84 yards, 6:13.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Julio Jones 11-yard pass from Matt Ryan (pass failed), 13:57. Panthers 23–13. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 3:41.
CAR – DeAngelo Williams 53-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 4:11. Panthers 30–13. Drive: 4 plays, 60 yards, 2:08.
ATL – Michael Turner 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 0:53. Panthers 30–20. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 3:18.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 34/49, 342 yards, 2 TD, INT
CAR – Cam Newton – 23/35, 287 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers – 6 rushes, 43 yards
CAR – Cam Newton – 9 rushes, 116 yards, TD
Top receivers
ATL – Roddy White – 9 receptions, 117 yards, TD
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 7 receptions, 109 yards :
With the upset win, the Panthers improved to 4–9 and snapped their 5-game losing streak to the Falcons. Also, the team improved to 9–3 in games where Newton does not have a turnover.

#### Week 15: at San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 21 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: December 16
* Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST/1:05 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 53,832
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Heath Evans and Jill Savage
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 8:29. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:31.
CAR – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 4:54. Panthers 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 1:36.
CAR – DeAngelo Williams 45-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 0:58. Panthers 21–0. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:42.
Second quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 33-yard field goal, 0:06. Panthers 24–0. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 1:29.
Third quarter
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. 4-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 8:56. Panthers 31–0. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 4:44.
Fourth quarter
SD – Antonio Gates 9-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 14:02. Panthers 31–7. Drive: 5 plays, 38 yards, 2:07.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 19/33, 231 yards, 2 TD
SD – Philip Rivers – 16/23, 121 yards, TD
Top rushers
CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 22 rushes, 93 yards
SD – Curtis Brinkley – 6 rushes, 42 yards
Top receivers
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 6 receptions, 57 yards, TD
SD – Malcom Floyd – 2 receptions, 39 yards :
With the win, the Panthers improved to 5–9 and 10–3 when Newton does not have a turnover. It also leaves the Panthers 1–2 against the AFC West.

#### Week 16: vs. Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: December 23
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), (Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 73,026
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Steve Beuerlein
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. 23-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 3:12. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 88 yards, 5:02.
Second quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 21-yard field goal, 6:25. Panthers 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 6:07.
CAR – Cam Newton 3-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 0:17. Panthers 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, 29 yards, 1:04.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 31-yard field goal, 13:18. Panthers 14–6. Drive: 7 plays, 5 yards, 1:42.
CAR – Graham Gano 51-yard field goal, 2:46. Panthers 17–6. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 2:22.
Top passers
OAK – Matt Leinart – 16/32, 115 yards, INT
CAR – Cam Newton – 18/29, 179 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
OAK – Darren McFadden – 17 rushes, 33 yards
CAR – Cam Newton – 12 rushes, 60 yards, TD
Top receivers
OAK – Darrius Heyward-Bey – 2 receptions, 38 yards
CAR – Greg Olsen – 6 receptions, 53 yards :
With the win, the Panthers improved to 6–9 and 2–16 when Newton turns the ball over at least once. Also, the team finished the season 2–2 against the AFC West.

#### Week 17: at New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 3 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 44 |
| Saints | 0 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: December 30
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,124
* Referee: Alberto Riveron
* TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Mike Martz and Krista Voda
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 20-yard field goal, 5:41. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 76 yards, 7:06.
Second quarter
CAR – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 8:18. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 82 yards, 1:12.
NO – Marques Colston 7-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 5:14. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 3:04.
NO – Jonathan Vilma 18-yard interception return (Garrett Hartley kick), 4:31. Saints 14–10.
CAR – Graham Gano 31-yard field goal, 0:39. Saints 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 3:52.
NO – Garrett Hartley 53-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 17–13. Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 0:39.
Third quarter
NO – Jimmy Graham 19-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 10:45. Saints 24–13. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:15.
CAR – DeAngelo Williams 54-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 8:48. Saints 24–20. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:57.
CAR – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 2:29. Panthers 27–24. Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 1:18.
Fourth quarter
CAR – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 10:16. Panthers 34–24. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:36.
CAR – DeAngelo Williams 12-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 8:23. Panthers 41–24. Drive: 1 play, 12 yards, 0:06.
NO – Marques Colston 9-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 5:10. Panthers 41–31. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 3:13.
CAR – Graham Gano 42-yard field goal, 4:08. Panthers 44–31. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:02.
NO – Darren Sproles 33-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 2:52. Panthers 44–38. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:16.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 16/33, 248 yards, INT
NO – Drew Brees – 29/43, 396 yards, 4 TD, INT
Top rushers
CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 21 rushes, 210 yards, 2 TD
NO – Mark Ingram – 10 rushes, 39 yards
Top receivers
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 3 receptions, 73 yards
NO – Lance Moore – 4 receptions, 121 yards :
With the win the Panthers finished 7–9, good enough for 2nd place in the NFC South, and swept the Saints for the first time since 2008. Also, the team improved to 3–16 in games when Newton had a turnover. Also, Newton was one touchdown shy of being a 4th QB to have at least 20 passing touchdowns in his first 2 seasons as his total record of passing touchdowns stood at 19 while his rushing touchdowns stood at 8 leaving him with a failed improvement finishing with 27 total touchdowns.

## Standings

NFC South :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(1)}$ Atlanta Falcons | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 3–3 | 9–3 | 419 | 299 | L1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 357 | 363 | W4 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 461 | 454 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 4–8 | 389 | 394 | W1 |