2011 Carolina Panthers season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 Carolina Panthers 2011 6–10 3rd NFC South Ron Rivera Jerry Richardson Marty Hurney Bank of America Stadium Did not qualify WR Steve SmithC Ryan KalilQB Cam Newton Panthers seasons The 2011 season was the Carolina Panthers' 17th in the National Football League (NFL) and their first under head coach Ron Rivera. In Week 16 of the 2010 season, the team clinched the NFL's worst record of that year and was given the #1 pick in the 2011 NFL draft, with which the team selected Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner. They improved on their 2–14 record from 2010, and finished 6–10, missing the playoffs for the third year in a row. Despite their losing record, Carolina made many improvements. According to Football Outsiders, the Panthers had the biggest year-to-year offensive improvement in their history: they were worst in 2010, and moved up to 4th offensively in 2011, according to Football Outsiders statistical formulas. In addition, Football Outsiders states that Carolina had the best running game in their calculations' history. This was due to the addition of Cam Newton's running ability to the high-quality running tandem of running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.http://www.footballoutsiders.com/dvoa-ratings/2012/final-2011-dvoa-ratings#comment-862025 Football Outsiders: Final 2011 DVOA Ratings January 2, 2012 September 26, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210926153605/https://www.footballoutsiders.com/dvoa-ratings/2012/final-2011-dvoa-ratings#comment-862025 dead The rushing attack eclipsed that of the previous record holder, the 2000 St. Louis Rams. In the process, Carolina became the first team in NFL history to have three players with 700 or more yards rushing in the same season: Williams with 836 yards, Stewart with 761 yards, and Newton with 706 yards. The Panthers also set the team record for net yards with 6,237, breaking the record originally set by the 2004 team. Carolina's defense, however, was ranked last in the league, according to Football Outsiders. They allowed the fifth-most total yards in the league on defense in 2011, and the sixth-most points. Their pass defense gave up 7.6 yards per pass attempt (tied for worst in the league), and their 6.2 yards allowed per play was tied for third-worst in the league.Pro-Football-Reference.com: 2011 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics 3 Offseason Free Agency Key Free Agent re-signings DE Charles Johnson: 6 years, $72 million, $30 million signing bonus. RB DeAngelo Williams: 5 years, $43 million, $21 million signing bonus. LB Jon Beason: 5 years, $50 million LB James Anderson: 5 years, $22 million, $8.5 million guaranteed. LB Thomas Davis: received a 5-year extension Other Free Agents acquisitions K Olindo Mare (Seahawks): 3 years, $12 million, $4 million signing bonus. TE Ben Hartsock (Jets): 2 years, terms unknown TE Jeremy Shockey (Saints): 1 year, terms unknown WR Legedu Naanee (Chargers): 1 year, terms unknown LB Omar Gaither (Eagles): 1 year, term unknown TE Greg Olsen ( trade w/ Bears): 4 years, $24 million. Carolina traded a 2012 third round draft pick to acquire the tight end QB Derek Anderson (Cardinals): 1 year, terms unknown] Draft 2011 NFL draft 2011 Carolina Panthers 1 1 Cam Newton Quarterback Auburn yes yes 3 65 Terrell McClain Defensive tackle South Florida yes 3 97 Sione Fua Defensive tackle Stanford Compensatory selection yes 4 98 Brandon Hogan Cornerback West Virginia yes 5 132 Kealoha Pilares Wide receiver Hawaii yes 6 166 Lawrence Wilson Linebacker Connecticut no 6 203 Zachary Williams Center Washington State Compensatory selection yes 7 244 Lee Ziemba Offensive tackle Auburn Compensatory selection yes yes no Draft Notes The Panthers traded its second-round selection (#33 overall) to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2010 third round selection (#89 overall; used to select WR Armanti Edwards). Compensatory selection. The Panthers traded its original seventh-round selection (#204 overall) to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for long snapper J. J. Jansen. Staff Carolina Panthers 2011 staff Front office Owner – Jerry Richardson President – Danny Morrison General manager – Marty Hurney Director of football operations – Brandon Beane Director of team administration – Rob Rogers Football operations manager – Bryan Porter Football operations assistant – Mike Anderson Director of pro scouting – Mark Koncz Director of college scouting – Don Gregory National scout – Jeff Morrow National scout – Mike Szabo Director of player development – Mark Carrier Executive assistant to the head coach – Linda O'Hora Head coaches Head coach – Ron Rivera Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Rob Chudzinski Quarterbacks – Mike Shula Running backs – John Settle Wide receivers – Fred Graves Tight ends – Pete Hoener Offensive line – John Matsko Assistant offensive line – Ray Brown Offensive quality control – Scott Turner Offensive consultant – Ricky Proehl Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Sean McDermott Defensive line – Eric Washington Linebackers – Warren Belin Defensive backfield – Ron Meeks Defensive quality control/assistant defensive line – Sam Mills III Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Brian Murphy Administrative assistant to the coaching staff – Bobby Babich Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Joe Kenn Assistant strength and conditioning – Adam Feit Roster 2011 Carolina Panthers 53 18 7  3 Derek Anderson American football  2 Jimmy Clausen  1 Cam Newton y 47 Richie Brockel FB 28 Jonathan Stewart 32 Josh Vaughan 34 DeAngelo Williams 86 Darvin Adams y 19 Seyi Ajirotutu 14 Armanti Edwards PR 11 Brandon LaFell 81 Kealoha Pilares y KR 89 Steve Smith Sr. (C) 84 Ben Hartsock 88 Greg Olsen American football 80 Jeremy Shockey 77 Byron Bell y T 73 Mackenzy Bernadeau G 62 Jeff Byers C 69 Jordan Gross T (C) 63 Geoff Hangartner G 67 Ryan Kalil C 70 Travelle Wharton G 75 Lee Ziemba y T 93 Antwan Applewhite DE 76 Greg Hardy DE 95 Charles Johnson defensive end DE 99 Frank Kearse y DT 68 Andre Neblett DT 92 Eric Norwood DE 78 Ogemdi Nwagbuo DT 61 DeMario Pressley DT 71 Jason Shirley DT 50 James Anderson American football OLB 55 Dan Connor American football MLB 59 Omar Gaither MLB 98 Thomas Keiser y OLB 57 Jordan Senn OLB 54 Jason Williams American football OLB 91 Kion Wilson OLB 27 Darius Butler CB 20 Chris Gamble CB 30 Charles Godfrey American football SS (C) 21 Brandon Hogan y CB 23 Sherrod Martin FS 37 Jonathan Nelson American football y FS 29 Jordan Pugh FS/SS 25 R. J. Stanford CB 22 Josh Thomas cornerback y CB  7 Jason Baker P (C)  5 Adi Kunalic y K 10 Olindo Mare K 44 J. J. Jansen LS 82 Gary Barnidge TE IR 52 Jon Beason MLB IR (C) 60 Bryant Browning y T/G IR 58 Thomas Davis Sr. OLB IR (C) 96 Ron Edwards American football DT IR 94 Sione Fua y DT IR 12 David Gettis WR IR 33 Mike Goodson RB IR 25 Cletis Gordon CB IR 97 Terrell McClain y DT IR 41 Captain Munnerlyn CB IR 17 Legedu Naanee WR IR 79 Jeff Otah T IR 53 Jason Phillips linebacker MLB IR 74 Geoff Schwartz T IR 65 Garry Williams gridiron football T IR 56 Thomas Williams American football MLB IR 64 Zack Williams American football y G IR 66 Roger Allen III G/T 72 Garrett Chisolm y G 46 Phillip Dillard LB 24 Kory Sheets RB 85 Greg Smith tight end y TE 36 Reggie Sullivan CB 35 Chip Vaughn S Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 August 13, 2011 New York Giants W 20–10 1–0 Bank of America Stadium Recap 2 August 19, 2011 at Miami Dolphins L 10–20 1–1 Sun Life Stadium Recap 3 August 25, 2011 at Cincinnati Bengals L 13–24 1–2 Paul Brown Stadium Recap 4 September 1, 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers L 17–33 1–3 Bank of America Stadium Recap Regular season Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 11 at Arizona Cardinals L 21–28 0–1 University of Phoenix Stadium Recap 2 September 18 Green Bay Packers L 23–30 0–2 Bank of America Stadium Recap 3 September 25 Jacksonville Jaguars W 16–10 1–2 Bank of America Stadium Recap 4 October 2 at Chicago Bears L 29–34 1–3 Soldier Field Recap 5 October 9 New Orleans Saints L 27–30 1–4 Bank of America Stadium Recap 6 October 16 at Atlanta Falcons L 17–31 1–5 Georgia Dome Recap 7 October 23 Washington Redskins W 33–20 2–5 Bank of America Stadium Recap 8 October 30 Minnesota Vikings L 21–24 2–6 Bank of America Stadium Recap 9Bye 10 November 13 Tennessee Titans L 3–30 2–7 Bank of America Stadium Recap 11 November 20 at Detroit Lions L 35–49 2–8 Ford Field Recap 12 November 27 at Indianapolis Colts W 27–19 3–8 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap 13 December 4 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 38–19 4–8 Raymond James Stadium Recap 14 December 11 Atlanta Falcons L 23–31 4–9 Bank of America Stadium Recap 15 December 18 at Houston Texans W 28–13 5–9 Reliant Stadium Recap 16 December 24, 2011 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 48–16 6–9 Bank of America Stadium Recap 17 January 1 at New Orleans Saints L 17–45 6–10 Mercedes-Benz Superdome RecapNote: Intra-division opponents are in bold' text. Season summary Week 1 at Cardinals 2011 Arizona Cardinals season Carolina Panthers 2011 2; text-align:center collapsed Week One: Carolina Panthers (0–0) at Arizona Cardinals (0–0) September 11 1:15 p.m. MDT Panthers 7 7 7 0 Cardinals 7 0 7 14 University of Phoenix Stadium • Glendale, Arizona 60,627 Indoors (roof closed) Carl Cheffers Fox Sam Rosen, Chad Pennington, and Jody Jackson Gamebook Panthers Cam Newton24/37, 422 Yds, 2 TD, INT DeAngelo Williams12 Rush, 30 Yds Steve Smith8 Rec, 178 Yds, 2 TD Cardinals Kevin Kolb18/27, 309 Yds, 2 TD Chris Wells18 Rush, 90 Yds, TD Early Doucet3 Rec, 105 Yds, TD CAR ARI collapsed 1 8:45 Cardinals 6 54 3:42 RushTD Chris Wells 7 good Jay Feely run/pass good/failed/incomplete 0 7 1 7:11 Panthers 3 80 1:34 RecTD Steve Smith Cam Newton 77 good Olindo Mare run/pass good/failed/incomplete 7 7 2 0:06 Panthers 4 74 0:57 RecTD Steve Smith Cam Newton 26 good Olindo Mare run/pass good/failed/incomplete 14 7 3 10:40 Cardinals 1 48 0:12 RecTD Jeff King Kevin Kolb 48 good Jay Feely run/pass good/failed/incomplete 14 14 3 5:49 Panthers 8 80 4:51 RushTD Cam Newton 1 good Olindo Mare run/pass good/failed/incomplete 21 14 4 10:48 Cardinals 5 90 2:13 RecTD Early Doucet Kevin Kolb 70 good Jay Feely run/pass good/failed/incomplete 21 21 4 7:15 Cardinals PuntTD Patrick Peterson 89 good Jay Feely run/pass good/failed/incomplete 21 28 21 28 The Panthers opened up their regular season on the road against the Cardinals. Cam Newton came into the game amid numerous questions and after a mixed-performance 1–3 preseason. Newton surprisingly threw for 422 pass yards, an NFL record for a rookie in his first start. The Panthers came into the 3rd quarter leading 14–7, Newton having thrown 2 touchdown passes, each to Steve Smith. The Panthers came into the 4th quarter tied at 21. On a 4th & 13 at the Cardinals 47-yard line, the Panthers were forced to punt. Patrick Peterson returned the ball into the endzone for an 89-yard touchdown return. With 1:19 left, 4th and 5, at the Cardinals 6-yard line, game on the line, Cam Newton threw a short 4-yard pass to Mike Goodson which wasn't enough for the Panthers despite an amazing debut by Panthers rookie QB Cam Newton. With the loss the Panthers fell to 0–1 and lost their 3rd consecutive regular season opener. Week 2 Green Bay Packers at Carolina Panthers Packers 0 7 16 7 Panthers 10 3 0 10 September 18 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 1:00 p.m. EST 73,167 64 F, Cloudy Alberto Riveron Ron Pitts and Jim Mora Fox The Panthers' first home game of the season was a duel against the defending super bowl champions, the Green Bay Packers. Cam Newton threw for once again another 400+ yard game, becoming the first rookie ever to do so and only the 6th quarterback in NFL history to accomplish such a feat. Newton picked up where he left off against the Cardinals with an early score with 9:26 left in the 1st quarter of the game. The Panthers led 13–7 at halftime, stunning the defending Super Bowl champions. However, Green Bay came back when Aaron Rodgers threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Greg Jennings to put the Packers up 14–13. A big game-changer was when there was 9:31 left in the 3rd quarter of the game. Cam Newton found Steve Smith, but Smith fumbled the football and Charles Woodson picked it up. Another big game changer was on a 4th and 4 at the Packers 6-yard line with 3:23 left in the game, score being 23–16 Packers, Cam Newton tried to scramble for the first down, but was 2 yards shy. The Packers won the game, 30–23, a much closer game than expected, but the Panthers still fell to 0–2 on the season. Week 3 Jacksonville Jaguars at Carolina Panthers Jaguars 0 10 0 0 Panthers 2 3 3 8 September 25 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 1:00 p.m. EST 71,704 74 F, Heavy Rain Bill Leavy Spero Dedes and Steve Beuerlein CBS Game Recap, Stats yes 1 7:33 CAR Safety, Blaine Gabbert tackled by Greg Hardy in end zone Panthers 2–0 2 14:12 CAR Olindo Mare 42 yard field goal Panthers 5–0 2 7:41 JAC Josh Scobee 53 yard field goal Panthers 5–3 2 :00 JAC Mike Thomas 36 yard pass from Blaine Gabbert (Josh Scobee kick) Jaguars 10–5 3 2:24 CAR Olindo Mare 32 yard field goal Jaguars 10–8 4 4:20 CAR Greg Olsen 16 yard pass from Cam Newton (Greg Olsen pass from Cam Newton) Panthers 16–10 yes The Panthers came into Week 3 in need of a win in order to save their season. This game was against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had gone 8–8 last season and were 1–1 to start the season in 2011. The Jaguars benched Luke McCown and started rookie Blaine Gabbert after McCown's disastrous four interceptions in a devastating 32–3 loss to the New York Jets. The Panthers started the game by sacking Gabbert and getting a safety, to lead 2–0. With the score 5–3, one of the more memorable moments during the season occurred. A heavy rain started coming down, blanketing the stadium and flooding the concrete decks. Players slipped and slid all over the place, with water going everywhere. Most dramatically, the excess water on the stadium's upper deck poured onto the lower deck which poured onto the field. Although the field had a drainage system, it was not designed for such an amount of water at once. Moments later, a Gabbert pass was picked off by Carolina's Sherrod Martin. However, for those watching the game on TV it was difficult to tell who picked the pass off or where he was. The reason was CBS' main camera feed was covered with so many raindrops that identifying specific players on the field was nearly impossible. Viewers, therefore, had to rely on the call from play-by-play announcer Spero Dedes as to what was happening on the play. Subsequent replays gave them a clearer picture. With 0:06 left in the 1st half, Gabbert threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Mike Thomas which was both the first career touchdown pass by Gabbert and the first touchdown pass for the Jaguars in the 2011 season. Jacksonville went up 10–5 at halftime; however, Carolina came back. With 6:05 left in the 4th quarter, and the rain not coming down anymore although the field, players, and fans were still soaked, Cam Newton found Steve Smith for a gain of 13 yards. With 4:27 left, on a 3rd and 2, Newton found his new tight end, Greg Olsen, for a 16-yard touchdown pass to put the Panthers up 14–10. They made the 2-point conversion which put them ahead 16–10. Then, at the Panthers 35-yard line, with 0:06 remaining on the game clock, on the last play of the game, Gabbert's pass was tipped and incomplete. Not only was it the Panthers' first win of the season, it was also the first time since 2008 that they defeated an AFC team as well as the first time they won a game in September. The win put them at 1–2. Week 4 Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears Panthers 3 17 0 9 Bears 10 14 0 10 October 2 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 1:00 p.m. EST 62,135 60 F, Sunny Terry McAulay Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, and Laura Okmin Fox In order to keep their season alive, the Panthers were in need of a win against the Bears for their first 2–2 or above start since 2008. Cam Newton threw for another 374 pass yards, his highest game total for the season. Things started rough for the Panthers when Newton threw a pass to D.J. Moore which was taken back the other way for a Chicago Bears touchdown that put the Bears ahead, 10–3. With the Panthers trailing 17–10, on a 4th and 5, forced to punt, Devin Hester beat the Panthers special teams' for a 69-yard punt return, which broke the NFL record for punt return touchdowns (11). At halftime, the Panthers were trailing 24–20. The third quarter was scoreless. But in the fourth quarter, with 14:17 remaining, Jay Cutler threw a pass to Charles Godfrey for an interception which the Panthers converted into a field goal. With 1:55 left on the game clock, Panthers trailing by 1, 23–24, on a fourth-and-10 at their own 42, Cam Newton threw a deep pass to Legedu Naanee which was incomplete. Matt Forte sealed the Bears' victory on the very next play from the Bears' 43 when he ran for 40 yards down to the Panthers' 3. The Bears won, 34–29. Newton was nominated for the Pepsi Rookie Of The Week awards. With the loss, the Panthers fell to 1–3. Week 5 New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers Saints 10 10 3 7 Panthers 6 7 7 7 October 9 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 1:00 p.m. EST 72,679 68 F, Cloudy John Parry Dick Stockton and John Lynch Fox yes 1 13:50 NO Jed Collins 1 yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick) Saints 7–0 1 6:15 NO John Kasay 23 yard field goal Saints 10–0 1 2:52 CAR Steve Smith 54 yard pass from Cam Newton (kick blocked) Saints 10–6 2 5:27 NO Mark Ingram II 1 yard run (John Kasay kick) Saints 17–6 2 3:47 CAR DeAngelo Williams 69 yard run (Olindo Mare kick) Saints 17–13 2 :00 NO John Kasay 46 yard field goal Saints 20–13 3 10:47 NO John Kasay 37 yard field goal Saints 23–13 3 3:43 CAR Cam Newton 1 yard run (Olindo Mare kick) Saints 23–20 4 12:32 CAR Greg Olsen 5 yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick) Panthers 27–23 4 :50 NO Pierre Thomas 6 yard run from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick) Saints 30–27 yes The Panthers came into Week 5 again craving a win to get their season back on track. This time they were facing the former super bowl champions, the New Orleans Saints. The Saints were leading 10–0 with 3:04 left in the first quarter when Cam Newton threw a pass to wide receiver Steve Smith for a 54-yard touchdown after the touchdown Roman Harper was called for unnecessary roughness in the endzone. There was a short fight after the play, and Olindo Mare extra point try was blocked. With 4:01 left in the second quarter, the Panthers were trailing 17–6. Not when DeAngelo Williams took a left pitch from Cam Newton for a 69-yard score, Williams' first touchdown since 2009. Right before halftime, with 0:10 left, Sean Payton was trying to get the field goal unit out on the field for a John Kasay 46-yard field goal. Ron Rivera took a timeout because he thought he had too many men on the field, which cost them a field goal which put the Saints up, 20–13. With 2:36 left in the third quarter, on a 2nd and 8, score 23–20 Saints, Drew Brees was intercepted by Sherrod Martin. Off of the interception, with 12:40 left in the game, on a 3rd and goal, Newton found Greg Olsen for a 5-yard touchdown to put the Panthers up 27–23. With 0:56 left in the game, Brees threw a short pass to Pierre Thomas for a six-yard score. Saints go up, 30–27. With 0:27 left, on a fourth-and-10, Cam Newton's pass is incomplete, intended for Greg Olsen, but there was a pass interference call on Roman Harper which set up a Panthers first down. Then, on a 3rd and 12 with 0:05 remaining, Cam Newton's pass, intended for Steve Smith is incomplete. With the close loss the Panthers fell to 1–4 on the season, though only being outscored 119–132 on the season. Week 6 Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons Panthers 3 7 7 0 Falcons 7 7 0 17 October 16 Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia 1:00 p.m. EST 69,047 indoors (dome) Pete Morelli Dick Stockton and John Lynch Fox With the loss, the Panthers fell to 1–5. Week 7 Washington Redskins at Carolina Panthers Redskins 0 6 7 7 Panthers 3 6 14 10 October 23 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 1:00 p.m. EST 73,245 62 F, Sunny Jerome Boger Chris Myers and Tim Ryan Fox The Panthers came into this game with a 1–5 record, hoping to come back and fight to stay in the race for the playoffs. The Panthers held the lead just about the whole game as Cam Newton had 256 passing yards (& tied Vince Young's record for Most Rush TD by QB in Single Season for a rookie) for a Carolina win. With the win, the Panthers rose to 2–5. Week 8 Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers Vikings 7 7 7 3 Panthers 0 14 7 0 October 30 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 1:00 p.m. EST 72,095 54 F, Sunny Ed Hochuli Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa Fox The Panthers almost sent the game to overtime, however, Olindo Mare missed a 31-yard field goal. With the loss, the Panthers fell to 2–6 heading into their bye week. Week 10 Tennessee Titans at Carolina Panthers Titans 14 3 3 10 Panthers 0 0 0 3 November 13 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 1:00 p.m. EST 72,409 57 F, Cloudy Walt Coleman Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots CBS With the loss, the Panthers fell to 2–7. Week 11 Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions Panthers 10 17 0 8 Lions 0 14 14 21 November 20 Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan 1:00 p.m. EST 63,633 indoors (dome) Gene Steratore Dick Stockton, John Lynch, and Jennifer Hale Fox yes 1 3:55 CAR Olindo Mare 27 yard field goal Panthers 3–0 1 :35 CAR Steve Smith 15 yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick) Panthers 10–0 2 14:04 DET Kevin Smith 28 yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick) Panthers 10–7 2 13:50 CAR Kealoha Pilares 101 yard kickoff return (Olindo Mare kick) Panthers 17–7 2 9:32 CAR Cam Newton 11 yard run (Olindo Mare kick) Panthers 24–7 2 2:57 DET Titus Young 3 yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick) Panthers 24–14 2 :00 CAR Olindo Mare 31 yard field goal Panthers 27–14 3 10:28 DET Nate Burleson 16 yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick) Panthers 27–21 3 5:57 DET Tony Scheffler 17 yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick) Lions 28–27 4 8:02 DET Kevin Smith 4 yard run (Jason Hanson kick) Lions 35–27 4 4:59 CAR Cam Newton 4 yard run (Steve Smith pass from Cam Newton) Tie 35–35 4 2:32 DET Brandon Pettigrew 7 yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick) Lions 42–35 4 2:00 DET Kevin Smith 19 yard run (Jason Hanson kick) Lions 49–35 yes With the surprising loss, the Panthers fell to 2–8 but Cam Newton broke Vince Young's record for Most Rush TD by QB in Single Season by a rookie. Week 12 Carolina Panthers at Indianapolis Colts Panthers 3 7 7 10 Colts 0 10 3 6 November 27 Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana 1:00 p.m. EST 63,928 indoors (roof closed) Tony Corrente Chris Myers, Tim Ryan, and Jaime Maggio Fox With the win, the Panthers improved to 3–8 and secured the Colts' 0–4 record against the NFC. Week 13 Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Panthers 14 10 7 7 Buccaneers 3 9 0 7 December 4 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida 1:00 p.m. EST 56,270 79 F, Cloudy Gene Steratore Ron Pitts, Jim Mora, and Drea Avent Fox Cam Newton broke Steve Grogan's record for Most Rush TD by QB in Single Season (a record that stood for 35 years). With the win, the Panthers improved to 4–8. Week 14 Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers Falcons 7 0 10 14 Panthers 7 16 0 0 December 11 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 1:00 p.m. EST 72,680 43 F, Sunny Walt Anderson Ron Pitts, Jim Mora, and Drea Avent Fox yes 1 5:29 ATL Roddy White 5 yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick) Falcons 7–0 1 :03 CAR Jeremy Shockey 6 yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick) Tie 7–7 2 7:12 CAR Safety, Matt Ryan tackled by Antwan Applewhite in end zone Panthers 9–7 2 6:51 CAR DeAngelo Williams 74 yard run (Olindo Mare kick) Panthers 16–7 2 3:03 CAR Greg Olsen 44 yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick) Panthers 23–7 3 10:55 ATL Matt Bryant 30 yard field goal Panthers 23–10 3 8:55 ATL Jacquizz Rodgers 31 yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick) Panthers 23–17 4 12:42 ATL Julio Jones 17 yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick) Falcons 24–23 4 4:17 ATL Julio Jones 75 yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick) Falcons 31–23 yes With their 4th straight loss to the Falcons, the Panthers fell to 4–9 securing them their second consecutive losing season. Week 15 Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans Panthers 7 14 0 7 Texans 0 0 6 7 December 18 Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas 1:00 p.m. EST 71,540 indoors (roof closed) Jeff Triplette Ron Pitts, Jim Mora, and Drea Avent Fox With the win, the Panthers improved to 5–9. Also it was the first time in franchise history they defeated the Texans. Week 16 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers Buccaneers 0 10 0 6 Panthers 10 10 21 7 December 24 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 1:00 p.m. EST 70,363 51 F, Partly Cloudy Carl Cheffers Sam Rosen, Chad Pennington, and Jody Jackson Fox yes 1 10:12 CAR DeAngelo Williams 8 yard run (Olindo Mare kick) Panthers 7–0 1 8:27 CAR Olindo Mare 21 yard field goal Panthers 10–0 2 14:07 TB Arrelious Benn 4 yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick) Panthers 10–7 2 13:06 CAR Brandon LaFell 91 yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick) Panthers 17–7 2 5:33 TB Connor Barth 42 yard field goal Panthers 17–10 2 :25 CAR Olindo Mare 19 yard field goal Panthers 20–10 3 11:55 CAR DeAngelo Williams 22 yard run (Olindo Mare kick) Panthers 27–10 3 3:24 CAR Jonathan Stewart 11 yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick) Panthers 34–10 3 :24 CAR Cam Newton 49 yard run (Olindo Mare kick) Panthers 41–10 4 14:53 CAR Jeremy Shockey 8 yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick) Panthers 48–10 4 11:08 TB Josh Freeman 1 yard run (pass failed) Panthers 48–16 yes With the win, the Panthers improved to 6–9 and swept the Buccaneers. Week 17 Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints Panthers 7 10 0 0 Saints 14 10 14 7 January 1 Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 1:00 p.m. EST 73,065 indoors (dome) Ed Hochuli Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver Fox The Panthers lost to the Saints, 45–17, dropping their record to 6–10, instead of the hopeful 7–9. This was still an improvement from their 2–14 record last season. The Panthers were 6–0 when Cam Newton did not have any turnovers. Standings Notes and references Carolina Category:Carolina Panthers seasons Carolina