# 2001 Carolina Panthers season

The 2001 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 7th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the 3rd and final under head coach George Seifert. They tried to improve upon their 7–9 record in 2000, and make it to the playoffs for the second time in franchise history; however, the Panthers instead suffered one of the worst seasons in NFL history, en route to going 1–15.
The Panthers defeated the Minnesota Vikings in their opening game of the season, and then became the first team in the Super Bowl era to lose fifteen consecutive games afterwards. The Panthers were the only team since the expansion to 16 games in 1978 to have won their opener and lose the remainder of the season until the 2020 Jacksonville Jaguars became the second team to accomplish this feat.
The Panthers consequently beat the record for most consecutive losses during a single NFL season that had been shared by the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1980 New Orleans Saints, 1981 Baltimore Colts and 1990 New England Patriots. This record has since been broken by two winless teams: the 2008 Detroit Lions and 2017 Cleveland Browns. The 2001 Panthers also became the seventh team to finish 1–15.
By the end of the season, the Panthers had become so incapacitated that only about 16,000 fans showed up to see them play in their finale against the New England Patriots, who eventually went on to win Super Bowl XXXVI. Coincidentally, the Panthers would face the Patriots two seasons later in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Following their terrible season, head coach George Seifert was fired and replaced by New York Giants defensive coordinator John Fox.
Despite having the worst record in the league, the Panthers did not have the number-one overall draft pick in the 2002 NFL draft due to the debut season of the expansion Houston Texans; nonetheless, they used the second overall pick to draft defensive end Julius Peppers, the first Panthers draftee to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This feat would be repeated in 2023, when the Panthers traded their number-one overall draft pick to the Chicago Bears.
In 2015, the Panthers went 15–1, becoming the first team in NFL history to have both 15 losses and 15 wins in a season; the 2023 team also went on to have a 15 loss season, finishing 2–15. To date, this remains the Panthers' worst season in franchise history.

## Offseason
### NFL Draft

2001 Carolina Panthers draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 11 | Dan Morgan * | Linebacker | Miami (FL) |
| 2 | 44 | Kris Jenkins * | Defensive tackle | Maryland |
| 3 | 74 | Steve Smith * | Wide receiver | Utah |
| 4 | 106 | Chris Weinke | Quarterback | Florida State |
| 5 | 143 | Jarrod Cooper | Defensive back | Kansas State |
| 6 | 175 | Dee Brown | Running back | Syracuse |
| 7 | 211 | Louis Williams | Center | Louisiana State |
| 7 | 227 | Mike Roberg | Tight end | Idaho |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

### Undrafted free agents

2001 Undrafted Free Agents of note :
| Player | Position | College |
| Nick Goings | Running back | Pittsburgh |
| Nathan Hodel | Long snapper | Illinois |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 9 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 24–13 | 1–0 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | Recap |
| 2 | September 23 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 16–24 | 1–1 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 3 | September 30 | Green Bay Packers | L 7–28 | 1–2 | Ericsson Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | October 7 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 14–24 | 1–3 | 3Com Park | Recap |
| 5 | October 14 | New Orleans Saints | L 25–27 | 1–4 | Ericsson Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 21 | at Washington Redskins | L 14–17 (OT) | 1–5 | FedExField | Recap |
| 7 | October 28 | New York Jets | L 12–13 | 1–6 | Ericsson Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | November 4 | at Miami Dolphins | L 6–23 | 1–7 | Pro Player Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 11 | at St. Louis Rams | L 14–48 | 1–8 | Dome at America's Center | Recap |
| 10 | November 18 | San Francisco 49ers | L 22–25 (OT) | 1–9 | Ericsson Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 25 | Atlanta Falcons | L 7–10 | 1–10 | Ericsson Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | December 2 | at New Orleans Saints | L 23–27 | 1–11 | Louisiana Superdome | Recap |
| 13 | December 9 | at Buffalo Bills | L 24–25 | 1–12 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 15 | December 23 | St. Louis Rams | L 32–38 | 1–13 | Ericsson Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 30 | Arizona Cardinals | L 7–30 | 1–14 | Ericsson Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | January 6 | New England Patriots | L 6–38 | 1–15 | Ericsson Stadium | Recap |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |||||||

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: September 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (played indoors)
* Game attendance: 64,108
* Referee: Wayne McKreight
* TV announcers (Fox): Ray Bentley, Jeff Lageman, and Mike Goldberg
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. 93-yard kickoff return (John Kasay kick), 14:43. Panthers 7–0.
Second quarter
CAR – John Kasay 23-yard field goal, 11:43. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 3:34.
Third quarter
MIN – Daunte Culpepper 7-yard run (Gary Anderson kick), 9:09. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 51 yards, 3:09.
MIN – Cris Carter 12-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (kick blocked), 6:05. Vikings 13–10. Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 2:03.
CAR – Muhsin Muhammad 16-yard pass from Chris Weinke (John Kasay kick), 2:53. Panthers 17–13. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:12.
Fourth quarter
CAR – Chris Weinke 1-yard run (John Kasay kick), 9:52. Panthers 24–13. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 3:45.
Top passers
CAR – Chris Weinke – 13/22, 223 yards, TD, INT
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 22/38, 236 yards, TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
CAR – Nick Goings – 25 rushes, 86 yards
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 12 rushes, 57 yards, TD
Top receivers
CAR – Wesley Walls – 3 receptions, 74 yards
MIN – Byron Chamberlain – 7 receptions, 83 yards :
This would be Carolina's only victory of the 2001 season. The Panthers would not win again until week 1 of the 2002 season.

#### Week 2: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
| Falcons | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: September 23
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: None (played indoors)
* Game attendance: 47,804
* Referee: Bob McElwee
* TV announcers (Fox): Ray Bentley, Jeff Lageman, Matt Morrison
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
ATL – Tony Martin 12-yard pass from Chris Chandler (Jay Feely kick), 7:20. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 7:08.
CAR – John Kasay 30-yard field goal, 2:41. Falcons 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 3:44.
Second quarter
CAR – Chris Weinke 5-yard run (John Kasay kick), 8:34. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 14 plays, 76 yards, 7:32.
ATL – Jay Feely 25-yard field goal, 1:38. Tied 10–10. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 5:43.
Third quarter
ATL – Jamal Anderson 94-yard pass from Chris Chandler (Jay Feely kick), 11:06. Falcons 17–10. Drive: 1 play, 94 yards, 0:13.
CAR – John Kasay 26-yard field goal, 2:30. Falcons 17–13. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 2:20.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Michael Vick 2-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 12:36. Falcons 24–13. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:54.
CAR – John Kasay 31-yard field goal, 5:37. Falcons 24–16. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 5:36.
Top passers
CAR – Chris Weinke – 27/41, 276 yards
ATL – Chris Chandler – 11/14, 244 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
CAR – Nick Goings – 15 rushes, 57 yards
ATL – Jamal Anderson – 25 rushes, 98 yards
Top receivers
CAR – Muhsin Muhammad – 10 receptions, 132 yards
ATL – Jamal Anderson – 1 reception, 94 yards, TD :

#### Week 3: vs. Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 0 | 6 | 15 | 7 | 28 |
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: September 30
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C)
* Game attendance: 73,120
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Bill Maas, Paul Butler
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
CAR – Wesley Walls 3-yard pass from Chris Weinke (John Kasay kick), 13:44. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 3:51.
GB – Ryan Longwell 42-yard field goal, 8:26. Panthers 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 3:50.
GB – Ryan Longwell 46-yard field goal, 0:58. Panthers 7–6. Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 5:11.
Third quarter
GB – Bill Schroeder 12-yard pass from Brett Favre (Antonio Freeman pass from Brett Favre), 12:20. Packers 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:18.
GB – Bubba Franks 6-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 8:30. Packers 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 2:36.
Fourth quarter
GB – Corey Bradford 5-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 12:23. Packers 28–7. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:46.
Top passers
GB – Brett Favre – 25/39, 308 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
CAR – Chris Weinke – 18/30, 160 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
GB – Ahman Green – 19 rushes, 53 yards
CAR – Richard Huntley – 5 rushes, 19 yards
Top receivers
GB – Ahman Green – 6 receptions, 75 yards
CAR – Donald Hayes – 4 receptions, 52 yards :

#### Week 4: at San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| 49ers | 0 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
at 3Com Park, San Francisco, California
* Date: October 7
* Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT/5:30 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C)
* Game attendance: 66,944
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, and Suzy Kolber
* Recap

#### Week 5: vs. New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 10 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
| Panthers | 0 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 25 |
at Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: October 14
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 72,049
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (Fox): Ray Bentley, John Jurkovic, Paul Butler
* Recap

#### Week 6: at Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Panthers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Redskins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 17 |
at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland
* Date: October 21
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 74,480
* Referee: Bill Carollo
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Tim Green, Dave Feldman
* Recap

#### Week 7: vs. New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
| Panthers | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 12 |
at Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: October 28
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C)
* Game attendance: 72,642
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Craig James, Beasley Reece
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Rashard Anderson 94-yard fumble return (kick failed), 8:27. Panthers 6–0.
NYJ – Chris Hayes 7-yard blocked punt return (John Hall kick), 1:46. Jets 7–6.
Second quarter
CAR – John Kasay 45-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 9–7. Drive: 1 play, 0 yards, 0:02.
Third quarter
CAR – John Kasay 45-yard field goal, 12:10. Panthers 12–7. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:36.
NYJ – John Hall 43-yard field goal, 7:52. Panthers 12–10. Drive: 8 plays, 36 yards, 4:18.
Fourth quarter
NYJ – John Hall 34-yard field goal, 4:53. Jets 13–12. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 2:00.
Top passers
NYJ – Vinny Testaverde – 21/34, 181 yards, 3 INT
CAR – Chris Weinke – 12/34, 76 yards, INT
Top rushers
NYJ – Curtis Martin – 27 rushes, 159 yards
CAR – Richard Huntley – 14 rushes, 52 yards
Top receivers
NYJ – Laveranues Coles – 7 receptions, 91 yards
CAR – Donald Hayes – 3 receptions, 23 yards :
Both offenses struggled throughout the game as the Jets gained 358 yards of total offense, but turned the ball over four times; conversely, the Panthers only had one turnover, but only gained 162 yards of total offense. Carolina scored first, with Rashard Anderson recovering a fumble and returning it 94 yards for a touchdown, but John Kasay missed the extra point. New York would respond late in the second quarter, with Chris Hayes returning a blocked punt 7 yards for a touchdown. The Panthers would score six unanswered points with a pair of 45-yard field goals from Kasay to go up 12–7 early in the third. However, Kasay's missed extra point would prove to be costly as the Jets would respond with two field goals of their own to win 13–12.

#### Week 8: at Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Dolphins | 3 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 23 |
at Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Florida
* Date: November 4
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 72,597
* Referee: Ron Blum
* TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Bill Maas, Joe Zagacki
* Recap

#### Week 9: at St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Rams | 21 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 48 |
at Dome at America's Center, St. Louis, Missouri
* Date: November 11
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (played indoors)
* Game attendance: 66,069
* Referee: Johnny Grier
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Brian Baldinger
* Recap

#### Week 10: vs. San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 25 |
| Panthers | 7 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 22 |
at Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: November 18
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 72,665
* Referee: Gerry Austin
* TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Tim Green, Paul Butler
* Recap

#### Week 11: vs. Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: November 25
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C)
* Game attendance: 72,234
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (Fox): Ray Bentley, Jeff Lageman, D.J. Johnson
* Recap

#### Week 12: at New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 23 |
| Saints | 0 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 27 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: December 2
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (played indoors)
* Game attendance: 70,020
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (Fox): Scott Graham, Sean Jones, Joe Trahan
* Recap

#### Week 13: at Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 3 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Bills | 3 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 25 |
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: December 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C)
* Game attendance: 44,549
* Referee: Bill Carollo
* TV announcers (Fox): Curt Menefee, Ray Bentley, Bob Trimble
* Recap

#### Week 15: vs. St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 7 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 38 |
| Panthers | 7 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 32 |
at Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: December 23
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C)
* Game attendance: 72,438
* Referee: Gerry Austin
* TV announcers (Fox): Curt Menefee, Brian Baldinger
* Recap

#### Week 16: vs. Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 7 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 30 |
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: December 30
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C)
* Game attendance: 72,025
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV announcers (Fox): Ray Bentley, Jeff Lageman, Paul Butler
* Recap

#### Week 17: vs. New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 10 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 38 |
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
at Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: January 6, 2002
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 36 °F (2 °C)
* Game attendance: 71,907
* Referee: Tom White
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Craig James, Beasley Reece
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Adam Vinatieri 19-yard field goal, 10:04. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 4:13.
NE – Ty Law 46-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:58. Patriots 10–0.
Second quarter
CAR – John Kasay 29-yard field goal, 6:25. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 4:19.
Third quarter
NE – Troy Brown 68-yard punt return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 8:30. Patriots 17–3.
CAR – John Kasay 40-yard field goal, 4:46. Patriots 17–6. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 2:09.
NE – Antowain Smith 32-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:29. Patriots 24–6. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 2:37.
Fourth quarter
NE – Jermaine Wiggins 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:38. Patriots 31–6. Drive: 3 plays, 9 yards, 0:09.
NE – Otis Smith 76-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 5:45. Patriots 38–6.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 17/29, 198 yards, TD, 2 INT
CAR – Chris Weinke – 15/36, 144 yards, 3 INT
Top rushers
NE – Antowain Smith – 21 rushes, 81 yards, TD
CAR – Richard Huntley – 21 rushes, 168 yards
Top receivers
NE – David Patten – 4 receptions, 54 yards
CAR – Brad Hoover – 4 receptions, 44 yards :
With the loss, the Panthers lost their 15th game in a row and finished the season at 1–15. The Panthers finished with the worst record in the NFL, but only received the second overall pick in the 2002 NFL draft due to the first overall pick being awarded to the Houston Texans, an expansion team. This would be the last game the Panthers played as a member of the NFC West as they were moved to the newly formed NFC South starting next season. Carolina was joined by New Orleans, Atlanta (both also coming from the NFC West), and Tampa Bay (from the NFC Central, which was renamed to the NFC North).
Head coach George Seifert would be fired the following day, finishing his tenure at Carolina with a record of 16–32 and zero playoff appearances.

## Standings

NFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(1)}$ St. Louis Rams | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 503 | 273 | W6 |
| $^{(5)}$ San Francisco 49ers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 409 | 282 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 333 | 409 | L4 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 291 | 377 | L2 |
| Carolina Panthers | 1 | 15 | 0 | .063 | 253 | 410 | L15 |