2016 Carolina Panthers season
The 2016 season was the Carolina Panthers' 22nd in the National Football League and their sixth under head coach Ron Rivera. It was also the team's 20th season at Bank of America Stadium. The previous year, the Panthers achieved their highest win total in franchise history with a 15–1 record, but lost to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. They entered the 2016 season as the defending NFC champions and NFC South champions and hope to repeat as NFC champions. After a 1–5 start, their worst start since 2012, the Panthers finished the season  at 6–10, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2012. The Panthers struggled throughout the season with injuries and loss of star players via free agency and retirement. The Panthers became the first team in NFL history to go 15–1 and miss the playoffs the following year and the first Super Bowl runners up to miss the next year's playoffs since the 2008 Patriots. They also failed to win the NFC South for the first time in three seasons. This was also the first team to have at least 15 wins and finish last in their division the  following season. They were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16 when they lost to the Atlanta Falcons 33-16. Offseason. The Panthers had the most explosive offense in the NFL in the regular season, thanks mostly to MVP Cam Newton. They continued to score easily in the playoffs, posting 31 and 49 against the Seahawks and Cardinals, respectively. However, they were limited to just 10 points in the Super Bowl. Was it just arrogance stemming from the fact that Carolina believed it could easily defeat the underdog Broncos? Perhaps, but a greater reason is that the liabilities the Panthers  have on this side of the ball were exposed. The two tackles were horrible versus Denver. Michael Oher and Mike Remmers were seen as the weakest starters on the roster entering the season, but they weren't tested very much because Carolina somehow avoided teams ranked in the top 10 of sacks. That includes its playoff battles as well - until the Broncos, who easily manufactured sacks. Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware abused Oher and Remmers mercilessly, and entering this offseason, it was clear that Carolina would have to do something about the position. Unfortunately for Newton, no tackles were added  this spring. In fact, Oher was given a massive extension for some strange reason, so he will continue to be the blind-side protector. However, Daryl Williams, a 2015 fourth-rounder, could displace Remmers. Williams barely played last year, but he can't possibly be worse of a player than his counterpart. All isn't lost in terms of the offensive line, however. The Panthers are much better inside. In fact, they have one of the top interior offensive fronts in the NFL. Andrew Norwell and Trai Turner were both excellent last year, while Ryan Kalil is one of the  best centers in the entire league. All three players will reprise their roles from this past season. Though the offensive line hasn't changed, the Panthers figure to be better on this side of the ball this upcoming season. That's because they'll have Kelvin Benjamin back from injury. Benjamin, the team's top receiver, missed all of 2015 because of a torn ACL. It's truly remarkable that Newton was able to claim the MVP award without Benjamin, and it's also scary to think how much more lethal he'll be with his talented, 6-foot-5 wideout . Benjamin is just one Pro Bowl-caliber player Newton will be able to throw to this year. The other is Greg Olsen, one of the better tight ends in the NFL. Olsen is coming off a career year in which he caught 77 passes for 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns. His numbers are bound to decline in 2016 with Benjamin back, but Olsen will still be as dangerous as ever. He and Benjamin will make things easier for Newton's other targets, including Ted Ginn, Philly Brown and 2015 second-rounder Devin Funchess, who didn't get to do much  as a rookie. Funchess caught 31 balls, but figures to have more of a role in 2016. He has been a star at OTAs. Meanwhile, the running game will remain the same. For the second year in a row, Jonathan Stewart got off to a slow start, but exploded following the bye. Perhaps that'll happen again - Carolina has a Week 7 bye - but what is quite apparent is that Stewart won't play all 16 games. Stewart missed six contests in the past two years combined and played just 15 total games the two seasons prior to that. If  he misses time again, 2015 fifth-rounder Cameron Artis-Payne will handle the workload. Artis-Payne gained 4.1 yards per carry as a rookie, exactly matching Stewart's figure. 2016 Carolina Panthers Defense: The Panthers had a shocking offseason, and it had nothing to do with the team's failure to upgrade the offensive tackle position. Rather, Carolina inexplicably released Josh Norman after offering their All-Pro cornerback the franchise tag earlier in the spring. It was perhaps the most inexplicable thing to happen in free agency since the Elvis Dumervil fax machine incident. Norman is arguably the top cornerback  in the NFL right now, and Carolina dismissing him because of a contract dispute is utterly appalling. The Panthers already had some issues at cornerback, given that aging Charles Tillman was also a free agent. The Panthers had next to nothing at the position entering the draft, which would explain why they spent three of their first four choices on cornerbacks. Carolina selected two tall, long corners who tested well at the Combine in James Bradberry and Daryl Worley and then took a flier on Zack Sanchez, perhaps the polar opposite of Bradberry and Worley. At least one of them  will pan out, but it'll be a difficult learning curve, given that they'll have to battle Julio Jones, Mike Evans and Brandin Cooks in six games as rookies. Cornerback is the weakest part of Carolina's defense by far. Even the safety spot, which wasn't a strength at all last year, is much better. Kurt Coleman enjoyed an excellent season, and unlike Norman, he'll be back. His partner, Roman Harper, wasn't as good. Harper is no longer on the roster, however, as he'll be replaced by Tre Boston, who was solid in relief last  year. The Panthers didn't really lose anyone else this offseason unless Dwan Edwards counts. Edwards shouldn't, as he performed horribly as a depth defensive tackle last year. Besides, Carolina used its first-round pick on Vernon Butler anyway. Butler is a highly athletic lineman who reminded some of Muhammad Wilkerson. He'll eventually start once Star Lotulelei moves on. Lotulelei is a quality run-stuffer, but pales in comparison to Kawann Short, who is a terrific interior player. Short does it all; he plays the run very well and does an even better job of putting heat on  the quarterback. While Short is the best player Carolina has up front, Charles Johnson isn't too far behind. Johnson had a mediocre regular season because he was bothered by a hamstring injury, but he should have a big bounce-back campaign if healthy. Johnson will start across from Kony Ealy, who will step into the lineup in the wake of Jared Allen's retirement. Ealy didn't perform well in the regular season, but had a huge performance in the Super Bowl, registering three sacks. Of course, Carolina's best overall player on this side of the ball is  Luke Kuechly. Arguably the best linebacker in the NFL, Kuechly had an incredible season, and at 25, he's just entering the prime of his career. He'll be accompanied by two talented linebackers, Shaq Thompson and Thomas Davis. The latter has been a great player for a long time, while Thompson looked great in limited action this past season. He'll continue to be a two-down player until Davis retires or leaves via free agency. Thomas, 33, is set to hit the open market after the 2017 campaign. Draft. Notes Schedule. Regular season. Note: Intra-division opponents are  in bold text. Game summaries. Week 1: at Denver Broncos. NFL Kickoff game The Panthers were up 17–7 in the fourth quarter which saw the Broncos put up 14 points. Down 21–20, Graham Gano attempted a potential game winning 50 yard kick but the ball flew wide left, handing the Panthers a 0–1 start to the season. Week 2: vs. San Francisco 49ers. In their home opener, the Panthers looked to win their first game of the season. Carolina went into the fourth quarter with a 21-point lead over the 49ers; with about eight minutes left in the game , San Francisco managed to get within seven of tying the game. Carolina ended up scoring three more times before the game finished and won 46–27, improving to 1–1 on the year. Week 3: vs. Minnesota Vikings. The Panthers' fourteen home game winning streak came to an end after losing to Minnesota. They fell to 1–2 as Cam Newton was sacked eight times by the Minnesota defense and threw three picks. Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons. It was not Carolina's day as the defense had a very hard time putting pressure on Matt Ryan, who threw for 500 yards and  four touchdowns, one of them to Julio Jones, who had a monster game, catching 12 passes for 300 yards. It was another rough day for Newton, who left the game with a concussion in the fourth quarter, allowing backup QB Derek Anderson into action. Anderson threw both a pair of touchdowns and interceptions as the Panthers would drop to 1–3. Week 5: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After being held scoreless in the first half, the Panthers scored two touchdowns in the third quarter. Tampa Bay followed up with a touchdown to tie the game. Late in the fourth quarter, the  Buccaneers made a field goal to win 17–14. With the loss the Panthers fall to 1–4. Week 6: at New Orleans Saints. With Cam Newton returning from a concussion, the Panthers urged a late comeback and tied the game at 38–38, but New Orleans kicker Wil Lutz hit the gamewinner to seal the 41–38 victory for the Saints. With the loss the Panthers drop to 1–5, their worst record since 2012. Week 7: Bye week. No game. Carolina had their bye week on Week 7. Week 8: vs. Arizona Cardinals. The Panthers returned from their bye week for a rematch  of the previous year's NFC Championship game, in which the Panthers defeated the Cardinals 49–15. The Panthers went up 24–7 before halftime and maintained their lead to win the game 30–20, giving them their second win of the season and a 2–5 record. The game was flexed out of a 4:25 time slot. Week 9: at Los Angeles Rams. After the Panthers went into the fourth quarter with a seven-point lead, Graham Gano kicked a field goal making it 10–0. After both teams kicked field goals, and with less than two minutes left in the game, Los Angeles  scored a touchdown, but the Panthers manage to win 13–10 improving to 3–5. Week 10: vs. Kansas City Chiefs. The Panthers went into the fourth quarter with a 17–3 lead over the Chiefs but things changed when Cairo Santos kicked a field goal, and Eric Berry had a pick six. Santos makes another field goal, tying the game at 17. In the Panthers' last possession of the game, the ball was stripped out of Kelvin Benjamin's hands and Kansas City gets the ball back. Santos makes the game-winning field goal for the Chiefs, and the Panthers fall to  3–6. Week 11: vs. New Orleans Saints. After their embarrassing 17-point comeback loss four days prior, the Panthers hosted the Saints in a Thursday Night 'Color Rush' Matchup. Just like in the Chiefs game, the Panthers went into the fourth quarter holding New Orleans to only three points. They had a 23–3 lead but the Saints managed to rally and get within three with 5:11 left in the game. Late in the fourth quarter star linebacker Luke Kuechly left the game and was evaluated for a concussion. The Panthers were able to hold off New Orleans and win 23–20 , improving to 4–6. Week 12: at Oakland Raiders. Carolina had a rough start in the first half, only scoring seven points, and went into halftime seventeen points behind Oakland. They turned things around and had an explosive third quarter scoring eighteen points giving them a one-point lead over the Raiders. In the fourth quarter the Panthers went on to score seven but the Raiders answered back tying the game. In their last possession of the game the ball was taken from Cam Newton giving Oakland the ball back. Carolina could not hold on as Oakland kicked a field goal  winning the game. They fall to 4–7. Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks. The Panthers were defeated by the Seahawks 40–7, and fell to 4–8. Week 14: vs. San Diego Chargers. The Panthers managed to win at home, defeating San Diego 28–16. They improved to 5–8. Week 15: at Washington Redskins. In their second "Monday Night Football" game of the season, the Panthers took on the Washington Redskins at FedExField in Landover, Maryland. Carolina defeated Washington 26–15, and kept their slim chances of making the playoffs alive by improving to 6–8. Week 16: vs. Atlanta Falcons. With the loss, the Panthers  fell to 6–9, officially eliminating them from the playoffs. They are the first team to go 15–1 the previous season and miss the playoffs the next season, as well as the first Super Bowl runner-up to miss the playoffs since the 2008 Patriots. Week 17: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Carolina attempted to win on a game-winning 2-point attempt but Newton's pass failed, giving the Bucs a narrow 17–16 victory. The Panthers finish the season at 6–10, the worst record for a team that went 15–1 the previous season.