2010 Carolina Panthers season The 2010 Carolina Panthers season is the franchise ' s 16th season in the National Football League , and their 9th under head coach John Fox . They entered the season trying to improve on their 8 – 8 record from 2009 , but failed to do so with a record of 2 – 14 and were officially eliminated from postseason contention in Week 11 . In Week 16 the team clinched the NFL ' s worst record of the year and will own the # 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft . On December 31st 2010 , it was announced that the contracts of coach John Fox and his entire coaching staff would not be renewed . Offseason . NFL Draft . The Panthers did not have a first round pick in the 2010 draft as it was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in a deal that got the Panthers a second and fourth round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft . The Panthers also traded their fifth round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for defensive tackle Tank Tyler , and their sixth round pick to the Cleveland Browns for defensive tackle Louis Leonard . The Panthers acquired a sixth round pick from the Oakland Raiders from a trade in the 2009 draft that sent a 2009 seventh round pick to the Raiders . Schedule . Preseason . The Panthers preseason schedule was announced on March 31 , 2010 . Regular season results . Week 1 : at New York Giants . The Panthers began their season at New Meadowlands Stadium for an NFC duel with the New York Giants . In the first quarter , Carolina got the stadium ' s very first points with kicker John Kasay nailing a 21 - yard field goal . The Giants would answer with quarterback Eli Manning making a 26 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Hakeem Nicks . In the second quarter , the Panthers slowly retook the lead with Kasay hitting a 52 and a 43 - yard field goal . The Giants responded with Manning getting a 19 - yard touchdown pass to Nicks , but the Panthers replied with quarterback Matt Moore making a 19 - yard TD pass to wide receiver Steve Smith . In the third quarter , the Panthers fell behind when kicker Lawrence Tynes made a 32 - yard field goal , which was extended further with Manning making a 5 - yard TD pass to Nicks , followed in the 4th quarter by running back Ahmad Bradshaw getting a 4 - yard touchdown run . After this point , the Panthers tried to score when rookie defensive end Greg Hardy blocked a punt out of the back of the end zone for a safety , but the Giants defense prevented anything else happening . With the loss , the Panthers began the season at 0 – 1 . Week 2 : vs . Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Looking for their first win of the season , the Panthers flew home for a divisional duel against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . In the first quarter , Tampa Bay struck first with Josh Freeman ' s 14 yard touchdown pass to RB Earnest Graham . The Panthers responded with Matt Moore throwing a 37 - yard touchdown pass to WR Steve Smith . The Bucs defense dominated , holding RBs Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams to 43 and 54 yards rushing , respectively . Moore completed 6 out of 16 passes with one touchdown and one interception , while being sacked four times . After losing a fumble , he was benched in favor of rookie Jimmy Clausen in hopes for a rally , however the Bucs defense prevented any further progress . With the loss , the Panthers fell to 0 – 2 for the second straight year . Week 3 : vs . Cincinnati Bengals . Still searching for their first win of the season , the Panthers stayed at home for their Week 3 interconference duel with the Cincinnati Bengals . With quarterback Matt Moore struggling , rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen was given the start . Carolina would trail in the first half as Bengals running back Cedric Benson got a 1 - yard touchdown run in the first quarter , followed by kicker Mike Nugent ' s 33 - yard field goal in the second quarter . The Panthers would strike back in the third quarter as running back Jonathan Stewart got a 1 - yard touchdown run , but Cincinnati would close out the game in the fourth quarter as Nugent nailed a 50 - yard field goal , followed by quarterback Carson Palmer ' s 7 - yard touchdown pass to Benson . With the loss , Carolina fell to 0 – 3 . Week 4 : at New Orleans Saints . Still looking for their first win the Panthers flew to Louisiana Superdome for an NFC South rivalry match against the Saints . In the 1st quarter Carolina trailed early as QB Drew Brees completed a 4 - yard TD pass to WR Lance Moore . Carolina replied with QB Jimmy Clausen making a 55 - yard TD pass to RB Jonathan Stewart . The Panthers trailed when kicker John Carney nailed a 32 - yard field goal , but took the lead when RB DeAngelo Williams made a 39 - yard TD run . Then John Carney made two field goals to give the Panthers a loss . He made a 32 - yard field goal in the 3rd quarter and a 25 - yard field goal in the 4th . With the close loss , the Panthers fell to 0 – 4 . Week 5 : vs . Chicago Bears . Still looking for a win the Panthers played on home ground for an NFC duel with the Bears . In the 1st quarter the Panthers trailed early as RB Matt Forte got an 18 - yard TD run . The Panthers replied with kicker John Kasay making a 24 - yard field goal . The Panthers fell further behind with Forte making a 68 - yard TD run , followed by a 28 - yard field goal from kicker Robbie Gould . In the third quarter the Panthers replied with Kasay making a 53 yard field goal , but in the 4th quarter the Bears pulled away when Gould made a 53 and a 43 - yard field goal . With the loss , Carolina entered their bye week at 0 – 5 . Week 7 : vs . San Francisco 49ers . Coming off their bye week the Panthers played on home ground for an NFC duel with the 49ers . In the first quarter the Panthers trailed early as QB Alex Smith got a 1 - yard TD pass to TE Vernon Davis . The lead was cut when kicker John Kasay nailed a 47 - yard field goal . The 49ers scored with kicker Joe Nedney making a 24 - yard field goal . The Panthers managed to tie the game with QB Matt Moore completing an 18 - yard TD pass to WR David Gettis . They took the lead in the third quarter with Kasay booting a 55 - yard field goal . They eventually trailed again in the fourth quarter with Nedney hitting a 38 - yard field goal , and with DE Ray McDonald returning an interception 31 yards for a touchdown . However the Panthers tied the game for the second time with Moore finding Gettis again on a 23 - yard TD pass . After the game was tied Kasay successfully put away a 37 - yard field goal to give the Panthers their first win of the season out of six games , improving them to 1 - 5 . Week 8 : at St . Louis Rams . Coming off their win over the 49ers the Panthers flew to Edward Jones Dome for an NFC duel with the Rams . In the second quarter the Panthers trailed early as kicker Josh Brown nailed a 33 - yard field goal . This was followed by QB Sam Bradford completing a 2 - yard TD pass to WR Danny Amendola . The Panthers replied with kicker John Kasay making a 44 - yard field goal . The Panthers fell further behind in the fourth quarter with Bradford finding TE Daniel Fells on a 23 - yard TD pass , followed by Brown getting a 41 - yard field goal . The Panthers responded with QB Matt Moore making a 17 - yard TD pass to WR Brandon LaFell . With the loss , Carolina fell to 1 – 6 . Week 9 : vs . New Orleans Saints . Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Rams the Panthers played on home ground for an NFC South rivalry match against the Saints . In the first quarter the Panthers took the lead after kicker John Kasay made a 20 - yard field goal . Then they conceded a large scoring run after QB Drew Brees completed a 7 - yard TD pass to TE Jeremy Shockey . Followed by Brees finding TE Jimmy Graham on a 19 - yard TD pass . The lead was extended by kicker Garrett Hartley as he nailed a 31 and a 36 - yard field goal . The Panthers had more problems after QB Jimmy Clausen ' s pass was intercepted by CB Jabari Greer and returned 24 yards for a touchdown . This was followed by RB Ladell Betts getting a 1 - yard TD run . With the loss , the Panthers fell to 1 – 7 . Week 10 : at Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Trying to break a two - game losing streak the Panthers flew to Raymond James Stadium for an NFC South rivalry match against the Buccaneers . In the 1st quarter the Panthers trailed early as QB Josh Freeman made an 8 - yard TD pass to WR Arrelious Benn . They narrowed the lead with kicker John Kasay hitting a 46 - yard field goal . They struggled further in the second quarter with RB LeGarrette Blount getting a 17 - yard TD run ; but they replied with RB Josh Vaughan making a 2 - yard TD run . Tampa Bay scored again when Freeman found TE Kellen Winslow on a 20 - yard TD pass . The Panthers tried to cut the lead down with Kasay ' s 28 and 48 yard field goals , but the Buccaneers pulled away in the fourth quarter with kicker Connor Barth nailing a 32 - yard field goal , and with RB Cadillac Williams getting a 45 - yard TD run . With the loss , the Panthers fell to 1 – 8 . Week 11 : vs . Baltimore Ravens . Hoping to break their losing streak the Panthers played on home ground for an inter - conference duel with the Ravens . In the first quarter the Panthers trailed early with QB Joe Flacco getting a 56 - yard TD pass to WR T . J . Houshmandzadeh . This was followed by kicker Billy Cundiff nailing a 22 - yard field goal . The Panthers replied with kicker John Kasay making a 45 - yard field goal , but they struggled further with RB Ray Rice getting a 1 - yard TD run . Followed in the third quarter by Cundiff hitting a 33 - yard field goal . The Panthers tried to cut the lead when Kasay made a 40 - yard field goal . This was followed by QB Brian St . Pierre completing an 88 - yard TD pass to WR David Gettis . The Ravens answered back with Cundiff hitting a 49 - yard field goal . The Panthers had further problems with both St . Pierre ' s passes intercepted by Ed Reed ( who later threw a lateral to Dawan Landry ) , and Ray Lewis , in which both of them were returned for a touchdown 23 and 24 yards respectively . With the loss , Carolina fell to 1 – 9 , and was officially eliminated from playoff contention . Additionally , wins from the rest of their division rivals mathematically ensured that Carolina will be locked in a season - ending 4th place finish in the NFC South division . Week 12 : at Cleveland Browns . The Panthers ' eleventh game was an inter - conference duel with the Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium . In the first quarter the Panthers took the lead as RB Mike Goodson got a 26 - yard TD run . They trailed after RB Peyton Hillis got a 9 , 5 and then a 6 - yard TD run in the second quarter . The lead was narrowed when kicker John Kasay made field goals from 43 and 42 yards . This was followed by CB Captain Munnerlyn returning an interception 37 yards for a touchdown . The Panthers got the lead when Kasay hit a 43 - yard field goal . They slightly trailed after kicker Phil Dawson hit a 41 - yard field goal . The Panthers ' hopes for a win got denied as Kasay missed a 42 - yard field goal with the time expiring . With the close loss , the Panthers fell to 1 – 10 . Week 13 : at Seattle Seahawks . The Panthers ' twelfth game was an NFC duel with the Seahawks at Qwest Field . They took the early lead after RB Mike Goodson got a 6 - yard TD run . Followed by RB Jonathan Stewart getting a 3 - yard TD run . They failed to maintain this lead after kicker Olindo Mare made a 24 - yard field goal , followed by Marshawn Lynch getting a 1 - yard TD run , then with MLB Lofa Tatupu returning an interception 26 yards for a touchdown . This was followed by Lynch getting a 1 and a 22 - yard TD run . With the loss , the Panthers fell to 1 – 11 . Week 14 : vs . Atlanta Falcons . The Panthers ' thirteenth game was an NFC South rivalry match against the Falcons . The Panthers trailed early as QB Matt Ryan completed a 4 - yard TD pass to TE Tony Gonzalez , followed by RB Michael Turner getting a 1 - yard TD run , and then with kicker Matt Bryant nailing a 39 - yard field goal . The Panthers scored in the third quarter with RB Mike Goodson getting a 13 - yard TD run , but the Falcons replied as Turner got a 3 - yard TD run . The Panthers cut the lead as kicker John Kasay made a 36 - yard field goal , but fell further behind as Turner got a 4 - yard TD run . With the loss , Carolina fell to 1 – 12 . Week 15 : vs . Arizona Cardinals . The Panthers ' fourteenth game was an NFC duel with the Cardinals at home . In the first quarter the Panthers took the lead as kicker John Kasay hit a 28 and a 29 - yard field goal . This was followed in the second quarter by QB Jimmy Clausen completing a 16 yard touchdown pass to TE Jeff King . The Cardinals answered back with kicker Jay Feely nailing a 23 - yard field goal , but the Panthers increased their lead after Kasay made a 24 and a 43 - yard field goal . The lead was narrowed with Steve Breaston recovering a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown ( With a failed two - point conversion ) and then with Feely getting a 30 - yard field goal , but the Panthers ' defense was enough ; and the help of Jonathan Stewart 137 yard run game , to secure themselves the win . With the win , Carolina improved to 2 – 12 . Week 16 : at Pittsburgh Steelers . Coming off their win over the Cardinals , the Panthers flew to Heinz Field for a Week 16 interconference duel with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night . Carolina trailed in the first quarter as Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham got a 26 - yard field goal . The Panthers continued to struggle in the second quarter as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed a 43 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Wallace , followed by running back Rashard Mendenhall getting a 1 - yard touchdown run and Suisham making a 29 - yard field goal . Pittsburgh continued to increase their lead in the third quarter with Roethlisberger getting a 1 - yard touchdown run . Carolina would close out the game in the fourth quarter with a 27 - yard field goal from kicker John Kasay . With the loss , the Panthers fell to 2 - 13 . Week 17 : at Atlanta Falcons . The Panthers ' final game was a division rivalry rematch against the Falcons . The Panthers trailed early as QB Matt Ryan got a 6 - yard TD pass to TE Tony Gonzalez . Their problems continued after a three - and - out converted into a 55 - yard punt return for a touchdown by Eric Weems ; followed by Ryan completing a 14 - yard TD pass to WR Roddy White . The Panthers tried to cut the lead with kicker John Kasay getting a 23 - yard field goal , but they struggled further as kicker Matt Bryant made a 47 - yard field goal , followed by RB Michael Turner getting a 3 - yard TD run . The Panthers tried to come back but only came away with a touchdown as QB Jimmy Clausen connected to TE Jeff King on a 2 - yard pass . With the loss , the Panthers finished their season on a 2 - 14 record - the second worst in the history of the franchise , and the worst record of any NFL team for the 2010 season .