2008 Carolina Panthers season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 Carolina Panthers 2008 12–4 1st NFC South John Fox Jeff Davidson Mike Trgovac Marty Hurney Jerry Richardson Bank of America Stadium Lost Divisional Playoffs(vs. Cardinals) 13–33 WR Steve SmithOT Jordan GrossDE Julius PeppersLB Jon Beason Panthers seasons The 2008 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 14th season in the National Football League (NFL). They entered the season and improved on their 7–9 record from 2007, winning the NFC South for the first time since 2003 and earning their first playoff berth since 2005. Their 12–4 finish tied their then-best record in franchise history, which occurred in the 1996 season, and later on tied in 2013; however, this would be surpassed by the 2015 club. The second-seeded Panthers were upset at home in the divisional playoffs by the eventual NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals 33–13. Offseason NFL draft 2008 NFL draft Round Pick Player Position School/Club team 1 13 Jonathan Stewart RB Oregon 1 19 Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh 3 67 Charles Godfrey CB Iowa 3 74 Dan Connor LB Penn State 5 141 Gary Barnidge TE Louisville 6 181 Nick Hayden DT Wisconsin 7 221 Hilee Taylor LB North Carolina 7 241 Geoff Schwartz OL Oregon 7 250 Mackenzy Bernadeau G Bentley Free agent signings Position Player Experience College RB LaBrandon Toefield 5 LSU RB DeCori Birmingham 3 Arkansas FB Troy Fleming 4 Tennessee WR D.J. Hackett 4 Colorado WR Muhsin Muhammad 12 Michigan State WR Chris Hannon 2 Tennessee WR Dominique Thompson 3 William & Mary CB Ricardo Colclough 4 Tusculum LB Landon Johnson 4 Purdue S Terrence Holt 5 N.C. State G Rueben Riley 1 Michigan G Keydrick Vincent 7 Mississippi G Milford Brown 6 Florida State G Toniu Fonoti 6 Nebraska DE Tyler Brayton 5 Colorado DT Steve Williams 2 Northwest Missouri State DT Darwin Walker 8 Tennessee DT Ian Scott 5 Florida Roster releases thumb|260px|Carolina on defense against the Chicago Bears in week 2 of the 2008 season Position Player CB Patrick Dendy LB Dan Morgan S Marquand Manuel DT Kris Jenkins DT Kindal Moorehead C Justin Hartwig LG Mike Wahle WR Drew Carter WR Keary Colbert RB DeShaun Foster QB David Carr Staff 2008 Carolina Panthers Owner/founder – Jerry Richardson President – Mark Richardson General manager – Marty Hurney Director of college scouting – Don Gregory Director of pro scouting – Mark Koncz Head coach – John Fox Assistant head coach/running backs – Jim Skipper Offensive coordinator – Jeff Davidson Passing game coordinator/quarterbacks – Mike McCoy Wide receivers – Richard Williamson Offensive line – Dave Magazu Offensive quality control/tight ends – Geep Chryst Defensive coordinator – Mike Trgovac Defensive line – Sal Sunseri Linebackers – Ken Flajole Defensive Backs (Secondary) – Tim Lewis Safeties – Mike Gillhamer Defensive quality control – Sam Mills III Special teams coordinator – Danny Crossman Special teams assistant/assistant strength and conditioning – Matt House Strength and conditioning – Jerry Simmons Assistant Coaches http://www.panthers.com/team/history/assistant-coaches.html Panthers.com https://web.archive.org/web/20130115220107/http://www.panthers.com/team/history/assistant-coaches.html January 15, 2013 January 3, 2014 Final roster 2008 Carolina Panthers 53 5 8 17 Jake Delhomme 12 Josh McCown  3 Matt Moore American football 37 Nick Goings 45 Brad Hoover FB 28 Jonathan Stewart y KR 34 DeAngelo Williams 18 D. J. Hackett 80 Dwayne Jarrett 84 Mark Jones American football RS 81 Kenneth Moore American football y 87 Muhsin Muhammad 89 Steve Smith Sr. 82 Gary Barnidge y 47 Jeff King American football 88 Dante Rosario 65 Mackenzy Bernadeau y G 73 Jeremy Bridges T 69 Jordan Gross T 63 Geoff Hangartner C/G 67 Ryan Kalil C 76 Frank Omiyale T 79 Jeff Otah y T 70 Travelle Wharton G 96 Tyler Brayton DE 78 Nick Hayden y DT 95 Charles Johnson defensive end DE 99 Maʻake Kemoeatu DT 92 Damione Lewis DT 98 J'Vonne Parker DT 90 Julius Peppers DE 66 Hilee Taylor y DE 93 Darwin Walker DT 50 James Anderson American football OLB 52 Jon Beason MLB 55 Donté Curry OLB 58 Thomas Davis Sr. OLB 53 Na'il Diggs OLB 54 Landon Johnson OLB 59 Adam Seward MLB 20 Chris Gamble CB 30 Charles Godfrey American football y FS 43 Chris Harris safety SS 21 Ken Lucas American football CB 31 Richard Marshall defensive back CB 25 Nate Salley FS 26 Quinton Teal SS 23 Dante Wesley CB 27 C. J. Wilson safety CB  7 Jason Baker P  4 John Kasay K 56 Jason Kyle LS  5 Rhys Lloyd American football KOS 11 Jason Carter gridiron football WR IR 57 Dan Connor American football y LB IR 91 Gary Gibson American football DT IR 10 Ryne Robinson WR IR 68 Keydrick Vincent G IR 14 Brett Basanez QB 24 DeCori Birmingham RB 64 Casper Brinkley y DE 38 Joe Fields safety y S 15 Kevin McMahan WR 77 Jonathan Palmer American football T 74 Geoff Schwartz y T 94 Lorenzo Williams American football y DT 53 5 Schedule Preseason Week Date Opponent Results Game Site TV NFL Recap Final score Team record 1 Saturday, Aug. 9 Indianapolis Colts W 23–20 (OT) 1–0 Bank of America Stadium Don Fischer, Mark Herrman, Jeffrey Gorman/Gary Williams, Steve Beuerlein, Pete Yanity Recap 2 Thursday, Aug. 14 Philadelphia Eagles L 24–13 1–1 Lincoln Financial Field Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver, Chris Myers Recap 3 Saturday, Aug. 23 Washington Redskins W 47–3 2–1 Bank of America Stadium Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Kelli Johnson/Gary Williams, Steve Beuerlein, Pete Yanity Recap 4 Thursday, Aug. 28 Pittsburgh Steelers L 19–16 2–2 Heinz Field Gary Williams, Steve Beuerlein, Pete Yanity/Bob Pompeani, Edmund Nelson, Jeff Verszyala Recap Regular season Week Date Opponent Results Game Site NFL Recap Final score Team record 1 September 7, 2008 at San Diego Chargers W 26–24 1–0 Qualcomm Stadium Recap 2 September 14, 2008 Chicago Bears W 20–17 2–0 Bank of America Stadium Recap 3 September 21, 2008 at Minnesota Vikings L 10–20 2–1 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Recap 4 September 28, 2008 Atlanta Falcons W 24–9 3–1 Bank of America Stadium Recap 5 October 5, 2008 Kansas City Chiefs W 34–0 4–1 Bank of America Stadium Recap 6 October 12, 2008 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 3–27 4–2 Raymond James Stadium Recap 7 October 19, 2008 New Orleans Saints W 30–7 5–2 Bank of America Stadium Recap 8 October 26, 2008 Arizona Cardinals W 27–23 6–2 Bank of America Stadium Recap 9 Bye Week 10 November 9, 2008 at Oakland Raiders W 17–6 7–2 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Recap 11 November 16, 2008 Detroit Lions W 31–22 8–2 Bank of America Stadium Recap 12 November 23, 2008 at Atlanta Falcons L 28–45 8–3 Georgia Dome Recap 13 November 30, 2008 at Green Bay Packers W 35–31 9–3 Lambeau Field Recap 14 December 8 (Monday) Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 38–23 10–3 Bank of America Stadium Recap 15 December 14, 2008 Denver Broncos W 30–10 11–3 Bank of America Stadium Recap 16 December 21, 2008 at New York Giants L 28–34 (OT) 11–4 Giants Stadium Recap 17 December 28, 2008 at New Orleans Saints W 33–31 12–4 Louisiana Superdome RecapNOTES: Division games are in bold text. All game dates are on Sunday unless indicated otherwise. Postseason Week Date Opponent Results Game Site NFL Recap Final score Team record Wild Card Bye Week Divisional January 10, 2009 Arizona Cardinals (4) L 13–33 0–1 Bank of America Stadium Recap Standings Regular season results Week 1: at San Diego Chargers Panthers 0 9 7 10 Chargers 0 7 3 14 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 4:15 PM EST/1:15 PM PST Temp: 81 F, Humidity: 63%, Wind WSW 8 mph on 67,115 Walt Anderson Fox Dick Stockton, Brian Baldinger, & Laura Okmin The Carolina Panthers and San Diego Chargers were locked in a defensive battle in the first quarter. John Kasay made three field goals (44, 33, 30) while Philip Rivers connected with Chris Chambers on a 44-yard pass to score. At halftime the score was 9–7, in favor of the Panthers. Nate Kaeding hit a 27-yard field goal to put the Chargers up 10–9, before Chris Gamble recovered a fumble by TE Antonio Gates, giving the Panthers a lead of 16–10. Another John Kasay field goal would make it a two-score game, before Philip Rivers would hit Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson for 24 and 5-yard touchdown passes, respectively. With 0:02 on the game clock, Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme hit tight end Dante Rosario on a 14-yard pass to give the Panthers the win and a 1–0 start. Week 2: vs. Chicago Bears Bears 7 3 7 0 Panthers 0 3 10 7 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 1:00 PM EST 84 F (Cloudy) 73,828 Ron Winter FOX Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan, & Chris Myers thumb|Delhomme and the Panthers leave the field in week 2 The Bears and Panthers squared off and it was defensive. The lone score of the first quarter came when Brandon Lloyd recovered a blocked punt and took it nine yards to score. Each team was able to score a field goal as Robbie Gould and John Kasay hit field goals from 26 and 37 yards, respectively. Jason McKie scored a touchdown for the Bears to open the second half, and John Kasay nailed a 45-yard field goal. Jonathan Stewart was able to get into the endzone for his first career touchdown. In the fourth quarter, another Jonathan Stewart run gave the Carolina Panthers the lead and eventually, the victory. With the win, the Panthers improved to 2–0. Also, WR Muhsin Muhammad (5 receptions for 59 yards) became the 29th player in NFL history to amass 10,000 career receiving yards. Week 3: at Minnesota Vikings Panthers 3 7 0 0 Vikings 0 10 7 3 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 1:00 PM EST/10:00 AM PST None (Domed Stadium) 62,628 John Parry Fox Ron Pitts, Tony Boselli, & Charissa Thompson Coming off their home win over the Bears, the Panthers flew to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for a Week 3 duel with the Minnesota Vikings. This game would also be WR Steve Smith's first game of the year, coming off his 2-game suspension. In the first quarter, Carolina got the early lead with kicker John Kasay getting a 43-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Panthers increased their lead with rookie RB Jonathan Stewart getting a 2-yard TD run. The Vikings responded with kicker Ryan Longwell's 28-yard field goal and CB Antoine Winfield returning a fumble 19 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter, Minnesota took the lead with QB Gus Frerotte completing a 34-yard TD pass to TE Visanthe Shiancoe. In the fourth quarter, the Vikings sealed the win with Longwell nailing a 32-yard field goal. With the loss, Carolina fell to 2–1. Week 4: vs. Atlanta Falcons Falcons 3 6 0 0 Panthers 7 7 3 7 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 1:00 PM EST 80 F (Partly Cloudy) 72,688 Ed Hochuli Fox Ron Pitts, Tony Boselli, & Charissa Thompson Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Vikings, the Panthers went home for a Week 4 NFC South duel with the Atlanta Falcons. In the first quarter, Carolina pounced first with rookie RB Jonathan Stewart getting an 8-yard TD run. The Falcons responded with kicker Jason Elam getting a 33-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Atlanta crept closer as Elam kicked a 33-yard field goal. Carolina would reply with QB Jake Delhomme completing a 56-yard TD pass to WR Steve Smith. The Falcons closed out the half with Elam getting a 44-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Panthers answered with kicker John Kasay nailing a 44-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Carolina closed the game out with Delhomme completing a 36-yard TD pass to WR Muhsin Muhammad. With the win, the Panthers improved to 3–1. During the game, Muhsin Muhammad (8 receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown) became the Panthers All-Time WR Leader in Receptions (600) and TD Receptions (45). Week 5: vs. Kansas City Chiefs Chiefs 0 0 0 0 Panthers 7 14 10 3 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 1:00 PM EST 79 F (Sunny) 72,319 Terry McAulay CBS Kevin Harlan & Rich Gannon Coming off their divisional win over the Falcons, the Panthers stayed at home for a Week 5 interconference duel with the Kansas City Chiefs. In the first quarter, Carolina pounced first as RB DeAngelo Williams got a 10-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Panthers continued its attack as Williams caught a 25-yard TD pass from QB Jake Delhomme and even got a 32-yard TD run. In the third quarter, Carolina increased its lead with kicker John Kasay getting a 32-yard field goal, along with Delhomme completing a 47-yard TD pass to WR Muhsin Muhammad. In the fourth quarter, the Panthers sealed their shutout win with Kasay nailing a 43-yard field goal. With the win, Carolina improved to 4–1. Week 6: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Panthers 0 3 0 0 Buccaneers 14 3 3 7 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida 1:00 PM EST 84 F (Cloudy) 64,211 Carl Cheffers Fox Matt Vasgersian, Brian Baldinger, & Charissa Thompson Coming off their shutout home win over the Chiefs, the Panthers flew to Raymond James Stadium for a Week 6 NFC South duel with Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the first quarter, Carolina trailed early as Buccaneers LB Geno Hayes returned a blocked punt 22 yards for a touchdown, along with QB Jeff Garcia completing a 2-yard TD pass to TE Alex Smith. In the second quarter, the Panthers got on the board with kicker John Kasay getting a 20-yard field goal, yet Tampa Bay answered with kicker Matt Bryant getting a 37-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Buccaneers increased their lead as Bryant nailed a 49-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Tampa Bay sealed the win with RB Earnest Graham getting a 1-yard TD run. With the loss, Carolina fell to 4–2. Week 7: vs. New Orleans Saints Saints 0 7 0 0 Panthers 3 10 14 3 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 1:00 PM EDT 61 F (Sunny) 73,687 Peter Morelli Fox Matt Vasgersian, Brian Baldinger, Brian Billick & Laura Okmin Hoping to rebound from their divisional road loss to the Buccaneers, the Panthers went home for a Week 7 NFC South duel with the New Orleans Saints. In the first quarter, Carolina pounced first as kicker John Kasay got a 39-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Saints took the lead as FB Mike Karney got a 1-yard TD run. The Panthers regained the lead as rookie RB Jonathan Stewart got an 18-yard TD run, along with Kasay getting a 48-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Carolina continued its domination as QB Jake Delhomme completed a 39-yard TD pass to WR Steve Smith, along with a 4-yard TD pass to RB DeAngelo Williams. In the fourth quarter, the Panthers closed out the game as Kasay nailed a 28-yard field goal. With the win, Carolina improved to 5–2. Week 8: vs. Arizona Cardinals Cardinals 3 7 13 0 Panthers 0 3 21 3 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 1:00 p.m. EDT 64 F (Sunny) 72,010 Walt Coleman Fox Matt Vasgersian, Brian Baldinger, & Laura Okmin Coming off their win over the Saints, the Panthers stayed at home for a Week 8 duel with the Arizona Cardinals. In the first quarter, Carolina trailed early as Cardinals kicker Neil Rackers got a 21-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Arizona increased its lead as QB Kurt Warner completed a 5-yard TD pass to WR Anquan Boldin. The Panthers got on the board with kicker John Kasay getting a 23-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Cardinals increased their lead as RB Tim Hightower got a 2-yard TD run. Carolina started to rally as RB DeAngelo Williams got a 15-yard TD run, while QB Jake Delhomme completed an 18-yard TD pass to WR Steve Smith. Arizona responded with Warner completing a 2-yard TD pass to Boldin (with a failed PAT), yet the Panthers got the lead with Delhomme hooking up with Smith again on a 65-yard TD pass. In the fourth quarter, Carolina completed its rally as Kasay nailed a 50-yard field goal. With the win, the Panthers went into their bye week at 6–2. Week 10: at Oakland Raiders Panthers 7 7 0 3 Raiders 0 0 6 0 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California 4:05 PM EST 62 F (Sunny) 47,888 Mike Carey Fox Dick Stockton, Brian Baldinger, Brian Billick, & Laura Okmin Coming off their bye week, the Panthers flew to Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum for a Week 10 interconference duel with the Oakland Raiders. In the first quarter, Carolina pounced first as QB Jake Delhomme completed a 3-yard TD pass to WR Muhsin Muhammad. In the second quarter, the Panthers increased their lead as RB DeAngelo Williams got a 69-yard TD run. In the third quarter, the Raiders responded with kicker Sebastian Janikowski getting a 38-yard and a 45-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Carolina closed the game out with kicker John Kasay nailing a 32-yard field goal. With the win, the Panthers improved to 7–2. Week 11: vs. Detroit Lions Lions 7 9 0 6 Panthers 0 21 3 7 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 1:00 PM EST 52 F (Sunny) 73,349 Bill Leavy Fox Ron Pitts, Tony Boselli, & Charissa Thompson Coming off their road win over the Raiders, the Panthers went home for a Week 11 duel with the winless Detroit Lions. In the first quarter, Carolina trailed early as Lions QB Daunte Culpepper completed a 29-yard TD pass to WR Calvin Johnson. In the second quarter, Detroit increased their lead as kicker Jason Hanson got a 40-yard field goal. The Panthers got on the board as QB Jake Delhomme completed a 15-yard TD pass to TE Jeff King. The Lions would answer with Hanson making a 56-yard field goal, yet Carolina took the lead with RB DeAngelo Williams getting a 56-yard TD run, while rookie RB Jonathan Stewart got a 22-yard TD run. Detroit ended the half with Hanson getting a 27-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Panthers increased their lead as kicker John Kasay nailed a 29-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Lions tried to rally as Culpepper got a 1-yard TD run (with a failed 2-point conversion), yet Carolina pulled away with Williams getting a 4-yard TD run. With the win, the Panthers improved to 8–2. Week 12: at Atlanta Falcons Panthers 0 3 10 15 Falcons 10 7 0 28 Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia 4:15 PM EST None (Domed Stadium) 64,841 Tony Corrente Fox Thom Brennaman & Brian Billick Coming off their record-setting win over the Lions, the Panthers flew to the Georgia Dome for a Week 12 NFC South rematch with the Atlanta Falcons. In the first quarter, Carolina trailed early as Falcons kicker Jason Elam made a 23-yard field goal, while WR Harry Douglas got a 7-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Panthers continued to trail as RB Michael Turner got a 1-yard TD run. Carolina would close out the half as kicker John Kasay got a 23-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Panthers began to make the game interesting. RB DeAngelo Williams would get a 5-yard TD run, followed by Kasay nailing a 21-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Atlanta replied with Turner getting a 4-yard TD run. Carolina answered with QB Jake Delhomme getting a 12-yard TD run (followed up by Williams' 2-point conversion run), but the Falcons responded with Turner's 1-yard TD run, along with Douglas returning a punt 61 yards for a touchdown. The Panthers tried to come back as Delhomme completed a 16-yard TD pass to WR Muhsin Muhammad. However, Atlanta pulled away as Turner got a 16-yard TD run. With the loss, Carolina fell to 8–3. Week 13: at Green Bay Packers Panthers 7 14 0 14 Packers 0 10 11 10 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin 1:00 p.m. EDT 37 F (Cloudy) 70,297 Gene Steratore Fox Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan, & Chris Myers Hoping to rebound from their divisional road loss to the Falcons, the Panthers flew to Lambeau Field for a Week 13 duel with the Green Bay Packers. In the first quarter, Carolina pounced first as RB DeAngelo Williams got a 1-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Packers responded with kicker Mason Crosby getting a 32-yard field goal. The Panthers would answer with QB Jake Delhomme getting a 1-yard TD run. Green Bay replied with QB Aaron Rodgers completing a 6-yard TD pass to WR Donald Driver, yet Carolina ended the half with Williams getting another 1-yard TD run. In the third quarter, the Packers tied the game as Crosby made a 44-yard field goal, while Rodgers completed a 5-yard TD pass to TE Donald Lee (along with a successful 2-point conversion pass to WR Greg Jennings). In the fourth quarter, Green Bay took the lead as Rodgers hooked up with Jennings on a 21-yard TD pass, yet the Panthers answered with Williams getting his third 1-yard TD run. The Packers would retake the lead as Crosby nailed a 19-yard field goal, yet Carolina sealed the victory with Williams getting his fourth 1-yard TD run (setting the single-game franchise record for the most rushing touchdowns). With the win, the Panthers improved to 9–3. Week 14: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Buccaneers 0 3 14 6 Panthers 3 7 7 21 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 8:30 p.m. EST 44 F (Cloudy) ESPN Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Tony Kornheiser, Michele Tafoya, & Suzy Kolber 74,113 Walt Anderson The Panthers would run wild, literally, as they would amass a team record 299 yards on the ground (186 of them from DeAngelo Williams, 115 from Jonathan Stewart). Both Stewart and Williams had two touchdowns apiece, as Tampa Bay failed to tackle the dynamic duo. Steve Smith also had a good day, adding 117 yards and a TD. Although Jake Delhomme was intercepted twice, Tampa was unable to fully capitalize, despite a career day for Antonio Bryant, who finished with 200 yards and two scores. With this victory, Carolina avenged its defeat by Tampa earlier in the season and gained sole possession of first place in the NFC South at 10–3. Week 15: vs. Denver Broncos Broncos 10 0 0 0 Panthers 10 10 7 3 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 4:15 p.m. EST 44 F (Cloudy) CBS Dick Enberg, Randy Cross, & Dan Fouts 73,690 Al Riveron Coming off from their divisional win over the Buccaneers, the Panthers stayed at home for a Week 15 interconference duel with the Denver Broncos. In the first quarter, Carolina trailed early as Broncos QB Jay Cutler completed a 7-yard TD pass to RB P.J. Pope. Carolina soon responded with QB Jake Delhomme completing a 15-yard TD pass to WR Steve Smith. Denver would retake the lead with kicker Matt Prater nailing a 43-yard field goal, yet Carolina answered as kicker John Kasay ties the game with a 39-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Carolina took the lead with rookie RB Jonathan Stewart getting a 2-yard TD run. Carolina closed out the half with Kasay nailing a 44-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Carolina increased its lead with RB DeAngelo Williams's 56-yard TD run for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, Carolina sealed the win with Kasay's 42-yard field goal. With the win, Carolina improves to 11–3. This was the last time the Panthers beat the Broncos until 2022. Week 16: at New York Giants Panthers 7 14 0 7 0 Giants 3 10 7 8 6 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 8:15 p.m. EST 34 F (Clear) NBC Al Michaels, John Madden & Andrea Kremer 78,653 Walt Coleman Coming off their home win over the Broncos, the Panthers flew to Giants Stadium for a crucial Week 16 battle with the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, where the winner would lock up the NFC's #1 seed. This was also Carolina's second appearance on NBC's Sunday Night Football. thumb|250px|Carolina's sideline in week 2 Despite trailing early in the first quarter through Giants kicker John Carney's 32-yard field goal, Carolina would respond with running back DeAngelo Williams' 13-yard touchdown run. New York would regain the lead in the second quarter with running back Brandon Jacobs getting a 2-yard touchdown run, yet the Panthers answered right back with Williams getting a 5-yard and a 1-yard touchdown run. The Giants would close out the first half with Carney nailing a 35-yard field goal. In the third quarter, New York was gaining ground with quarterback Eli Manning completing a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kevin Boss. Carolina would reply in the fourth quarter with Williams getting a 30-yard touchdown run. However, the Giants would tie the game with Jacobs getting a 1-yard touchdown run (followed by Manning's 2-point conversion pass to wide receiver Domenik Hixon). The Panthers would get a late-game drive going and tried to end the game with kicker John Kasay, but his 50-yard attempt sailed wide left. In overtime, New York would take their second possession and end the game with Jacobs' 2-yard touchdown run. Despite falling to 11–4, Carolina would get a playoff berth, due in part to the Cowboys losing to the Ravens. Week 17: at New Orleans Saints Panthers 6 17 7 3 Saints 0 10 0 21 Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 1:00 PM EST None (Domed Stadium) 69,999 Jerome Boger Fox Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa With the division title on the line, the Panthers flew to the Louisiana Superdome for a Week 17 NFC South rematch with the New Orleans Saints. Carolina would get the early first quarter lead as kicker John Kasay got a 45-yard and a 26-yard field goal. The Saints would respond in the second quarter with kicker Garrett Hartley's 21-yard field goal. Afterwards, the Panthers would get a big lead as Kasay made a 34-yard field goal, quarterback Jake Delhomme completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad, and cornerback Dante Wesley returning a fumble 12 yards for a touchdown. New Orleans would end the half with quarterback Drew Brees completing a 26-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marques Colston. In the third quarter, Carolina would add onto their lead with rookie running back Jonathan Stewart's 2-yard touchdown run. However, in the fourth quarter, the Saints rallied to take the lead as Brees completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Robert Meachem, along with a 9-yard and a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Lance Moore. Fortunately, the Panthers got the last laugh as Kasay nailed the game-winning 42-yard field goal. With the win, not only did Carolina close out the regular season at 12–4, but they also won the NFC South division crown and the NFC's #2 seed. Playoffs NFC Divisional Round: vs. Arizona Cardinals Cardinals 14 13 3 3 Panthers 7 0 0 6 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 8:15 PM EST 45 F (Showers) 73,695 Gene Steratore Fox Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, & Tony Siragusa Entering the postseason as the NFC's #2 seed, the Panthers began their playoff run at home in the NFC Divisional round against the #4 Arizona Cardinals, in a rematch of their Week 8 contest. Carolina would get off to a fast first quarter start as rookie running back Jonathan Stewart got a 9-yard touchdown run. However, the Cardinals responded with quarterback Kurt Warner completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to running back Tim Hightower, followed by running back Edgerrin James' 4-yard touchdown run. Arizona would take a huge lead in the second quarter as kicker Neil Rackers got a 49-yard and a 30-yard field goal, followed by Warner's 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. In the third quarter, the Cardinals would add onto their grand lead as Rackers made a 33-yard field goal. Arizona would end its dominating night in the fourth quarter as Rackers nailed a 20-yard field goal. The Panthers would end the game's scoring with quarterback Jake Delhomme completing an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Steve Smith. With the disappointing loss, Carolina's season ended with an overall record of 12–5. The Panthers' offense was plagued by Delhomme's 6 turnovers (5 interceptions and a fumble), Smith being limited to 2 catches for 43 yards & a touchdown, and the running back duo of Williams and Stewart being held to 74 combined rushing yards. References External links Panthers official web site Panthers team page on NFL.com Carolina Panthers Category:Carolina Panthers seasons Category:NFC South championship seasons Carolina Category:2000s in Charlotte, North Carolina