2023 Carolina Panthers season

The 2023 season was the Carolina Panthers' 29th in the National Football League (NFL), their third and final under the leadership of general manager Scott Fitterer and their only under head coach Frank Reich. The Panthers started 0–6 for the first time since 1998. Following the team's Week 12 loss to the Tennessee Titans, not only did the Panthers fail to improve upon their 7–10 record from 2022, but they also fired Reich and named Chris Tabor as interim head coach.^[1] Reich's firing marks the third firing of a head coach in five years and the second firing in two years for the franchise. Following a Week 13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Panthers were eliminated from playoff contention for the sixth consecutive season.^[2]

2023 Carolina Panthers season
Owner	David Tepper
General manager	Scott Fitterer
Head coach	Frank Reich (fired November 27; 1–10 record) Chris Tabor (interim; 1–5 record)
Home field	Bank of America Stadium
Results
Record	2–15
Division place	4th NFC South
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	DE Derrick Brown
Uniform
← 2022 Panthers seasons 2024 →

The team acquired the number one overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft from the Chicago Bears in a trade involving wide receiver D. J. Moore,^[3] which they used to draft Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.^[4] Young is the third quarterback drafted by the Panthers in the first round, following Kerry Collins in 1995, and Cam Newton in 2011 (also taken first overall). As a result of the deal, the Bears ended up getting the #1 overall pick from Carolina in the 2024 Draft, and selected QB Caleb Williams.

In Weeks 17 and 18, they were shut out by the Jacksonville Jaguars^[5] and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, becoming the first team since the 2008 Cleveland Browns to be shutout in back-to-back games.^[6] They finished with an abysmal 2–15 record, the worst record in the league, and tying the 2001 team for most losses in a regular season.^[7] The Panthers dubiously failed to hold a fourth quarter lead in any game during the season, with both of their wins coming on game-winning field goals as time expired with the team trailing by 1 point beforehand.^[8]

The Carolina Panthers drew an average home attendance of 71,635 in 8 home games in the 2023 NFL season.

Draft

Main article: 2023 NFL draft

2023 Carolina Panthers Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	1	Bryce Young	QB	Alabama	From Chicago
	9	Traded to the Chicago Bears[A]
2	39	Jonathan Mingo	WR	Ole Miss
	61	Traded to the Chicago Bears[A]			From San Francisco[B]
3	76	Traded to the New England Patriots[C]
	80	D. J. Johnson	OLB	Oregon	From Pittsburgh
4	114	Chandler Zavala	G	NC State
5	145	Jammie Robinson	S	Florida State
6	187	Traded to the New England Patriots[C]
7	226	Traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars[D]

Notes

1. Carolina acquired the No. 1 overall pick from the Chicago Bears in exchange for wide receiver D. J. Moore, the No. 9 overall pick, a second-round pick (No. 61 overall) in the 2023 draft, a first-round pick in 2024, and a second-round pick in 2025.
2. San Francisco traded second, third, and fourth-round selections and a 2024 fifth-round selection to Carolina in exchange for running back Christian McCaffrey.
3. Carolina traded a sixth-round selection to New England in exchange for cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
4. Carolina traded a seventh-round selection and a 2024 sixth-round selection to Jacksonville in exchange for wide receiver Laviska Shenault.

2023 Carolina Panthers undrafted free agents

Name	Position	College	Ref.
Austin Ajiake	MLB	UNLV	[9]
Nico Bolden	S	Kent State
J. D. DiRenzo	OT	Rutgers	[10]
Ayinde "Ace" Eley	ILB	Georgia Tech	[11]
Nash Jensen	G	North Dakota State	[9]
Ricky Lee	OT	North Carolina A&T
Eku Leota	OLB	Auburn
Mark Milton	CB	Baylor
Travez Moore	OLB	Arizona State
Camerun Peoples	RB	Appalachian State
Bumper Pool	MLB	Arkansas
Jalen Redmond	DE	Oklahoma
Colby Richardson	CB	LSU
Josh Vann	WR	South Carolina
Rejzohn Wright	CB	Oregon State

Staff

2023 Carolina Panthers staff

Front office Owner – David Tepper President – Kristi Coleman General manager – Scott Fitterer Assistant general manager – Dan Morgan Vice president of football administration – Samir Suleiman Vice president of player personnel – Adrian Wilson Director of player personnel – Cole Spencer Senior personnel executive – Jeff Morrow Director of football operations – Mike Anderson Director of college scouting – Jared Kirksey Director of pro scouting – Rob Hanrahan Assistant director of pro scouting – Tyler Ramsey Director of football analytics – Taylor Rajack Vice president of team development – Brian Decker Head coaches Head coach – Frank Reich; fired on November 27 Interim head coach/special teams coordinator – Chris Tabor Assistant head coach/running backs – Duce Staley; fired on November 27 Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Thomas Brown Passing game coordinator – Parks Frazier Quarterbacks – Josh McCown; fired on November 27 Wide receivers – Shawn Jefferson Tight ends – John Lilly Offensive line – James Campen Assistant offensive line – Robert Kugler Offensive assistant – Mike Bercovici Offensive assistant – Jamel Mutunga Offensive quality control/assistant to the head coach – Tyler Boyles

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Ejiro Evero Defensive line – Todd Wash Linebackers – Peter Hansen Outside linebackers – Tem Lukabu Secondary/cornerbacks – Jonathan Cooley Safeties – Bert Watts Assistant defensive backs – DeAngelo Hall Senior defensive assistant – Dom Capers Defensive assistant – Mayur Chaudhari Defensive quality control – Bobby Maffei Special teams coaches Assistant special teams – Devin Fitzsimmons Strength and conditioning Head athletic trainer – Kevin King Strength and conditioning – Jeremy Scott Strength and conditioning assistant – Thomas Barbeau Human performance assistant – Timothy Rabas

Final roster

2023 Carolina Panthers roster

Quarterbacks (QB) 14 Andy Dalton  9 Bryce Young Running backs (RB)  3 Raheem Blackshear 30 Chuba Hubbard  6 Miles Sanders Wide receivers (WR) 17 D. J. Chark 88 Terrace Marshall Jr. 11 Ihmir Smith-Marsette 86 Michael Strachan 19 Adam Thielen Tight ends (TE) 84 Stephen Sullivan 80 Ian Thomas 82 Tommy Tremble

Offensive linemen (OL) 56 Bradley Bozeman C 65 J. D. DiRenzo T 79 Ikem Ekwonu T 69 Gabe Jackson G 66 Nash Jensen G 61 Ricky Lee T 73 Ilm Manning T 68 Cade Mays C 72 Taylor Moton T 74 David Sharpe T Defensive linemen (DL) 95 Derrick Brown DE 93 LaBryan Ray DE 91 Nick Thurman DE 99 Shy Tuttle NT 96 DeShawn Williams DE 71 Chris Wormley DE

Linebackers (LB)  0 Brian Burns OLB 58 Tae Davis ILB 97 Yetur Gross-Matos OLB 54 Kamu Grugier-Hill ILB 98 Marquis Haynes OLB 52 D. J. Johnson OLB 40 Deion Jones ILB 46 Eku Leota OLB 49 Frankie Luvu ILB Defensive backs (DB) 24 Vonn Bell SS 21 Jeremy Chinn CB 27 Alex Cook SS 42 Sam Franklin Jr. SS 20 Shaquill Griffin CB 23 C. J. Henderson CB 13 Troy Hill CB  8 Jaycee Horn CB 26 Donte Jackson CB 29 D'Shawn Jamison CB 22 Jammie Robinson FS 25 Xavier Woods FS Special teams 10 Johnny Hekker P 44 J. J. Jansen LS  4 Eddy Piñeiro K

Practice squad 34 Mike Boone RB 77 Deonte Brown G 41 Spencer Brown RB 18 Jalen Camp WR 33 Tarik Cohen RB 43 Ace Eley LB 41 Matthias Farley FS 31 Lamar Jackson CB 85 Jordan Matthews WR 37 A. J. Parker CB 78 Jayden Peevy DE 48 Chris Pierce TE 87 Cam Sims WR 76 Badara Traore T 92 Raequan Williams DE 83 Derek Wright WR (PS/I) 16 Matthew Wright K Reserve 94 Henry Anderson NT (IR) 90 Amaré Barno OLB (IR) 32 Dicaprio Bootle CB (IR) 53 Claudin Cherelus ILB (IR) 70 Brady Christensen G (IR) 63 Austin Corbett G (IR) 81 Hayden Hurst TE (IR) 67 Justin McCray G (IR) 15 Jonathan Mingo WR (IR) 45 Giovanni Ricci FB (IR)  5 Laviska Shenault WR (IR)  7 Shaq Thompson ILB (IR) 43 Luiji Vilain OLB (IR) 57 Chandler Wooten OLB (IR) 62 Chandler Zavala G (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 15 reserve, 16 practice squad (+1 exempt)

Preseason

The Panthers' preseason opponents and schedule was announced in the spring.

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 12	New York Jets	L 0–27	0–1	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
2	August 18	at New York Giants	L 19–21	0–2	MetLife Stadium	Recap
3	August 25	Detroit Lions	L 17–26	0–3	Bank of America Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 10	at Atlanta Falcons	L 10–24	0–1	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
2	September 18	New Orleans Saints	L 17–20	0–2	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
3	September 24	at Seattle Seahawks	L 27–37	0–3	Lumen Field	Recap
4	October 1	Minnesota Vikings	L 13–21	0–4	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
5	October 8	at Detroit Lions	L 24–42	0–5	Ford Field	Recap
6	October 15	at Miami Dolphins	L 21–42	0–6	Hard Rock Stadium	Recap
7	Bye
8	October 29	Houston Texans	W 15–13	1–6	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
9	November 5	Indianapolis Colts	L 13–27	1–7	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
10	November 9	at Chicago Bears	L 13–16	1–8	Soldier Field	Recap
11	November 19	Dallas Cowboys	L 10–33	1–9	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
12	November 26	at Tennessee Titans	L 10–17	1–10	Nissan Stadium	Recap
13	December 3	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 18–21	1–11	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
14	December 10	at New Orleans Saints	L 6–28	1–12	Caesars Superdome	Recap
15	December 17	Atlanta Falcons	W 9–7	2–12	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
16	December 24	Green Bay Packers	L 30–33	2–13	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
17	December 31	at Jacksonville Jaguars	L 0–26	2–14	EverBank Stadium	Recap
18	January 7	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 0–9	2–15	Bank of America Stadium	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Atlanta Falcons

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	7	3	0	10
Falcons	0	7	3	14	24

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter ATL – Bijan Robinson 11-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Younghoe Koo kick), 14:54. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 17 yards, 1:07. CAR – Hayden Hurst 4-yard pass from Bryce Young (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 5:09. Tied 7–7. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 7:18. Third quarter CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 43-yard field goal, 10:46. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 4:14. ATL – Younghoe Koo 49-yard field goal, 4:52. Tied 10–10. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:46. Fourth quarter ATL – Tyler Allgeier 3-yard run (Younghoe Koo kick), 14:12. Falcons 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 3:12. ATL – Tyler Allgeier 3-yard run (Younghoe Koo kick), 4:48. Falcons 24–10. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 2:21. Top passers CAR – Bryce Young – 20/38, 146 yards, TD, 2 INT ATL – Desmond Ridder – 15/18, 115 yards, TD Top rushers CAR – Miles Sanders – 18 rushes, 72 yards ATL – Tyler Allgeier – 15 rushes, 75 yards, 2 TD Top receivers CAR – Hayden Hurst – 5 receptions, 41 yards ATL – Mack Hollins – 3 receptions, 31 yards

Week 1: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: September 10
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 69,597
• Referee: Brad Rogers
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
• Recap, Game Book

In the Panthers' opening drive, they came close to scoring, but when they went for it on the fourth down, Atlanta stopped them. On their next drive, after two penalties, rookie Bryce Young's pass was intercepted by the Falcons' Jessie Bates. The Falcons scored first when a Desmond Ridder to Bijan Robinson 11-yard pass resulted in a touchdown. Carolina got the ball back, and Young passed it to Hayden Hurst for 4 yards, who tied the game at 7–7. The Panthers only scored three points in the second half during an Eddy Piñeiro 43-yard field goal, while Atlanta scored 17, including two Tyler Allgeier touchdowns. Carolina lost the game in an embarrassing 10–24 and started the season 0–1.

Week 2: vs. New Orleans Saints

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	3	3	7	7	20
Panthers	3	0	3	11	17

Game information

First quarter CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 52-yard field goal, 7:04. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 31 yards, 4:53. NO – Blake Grupe 28-yard field goal, 0:36. Tied 3–3. Drive: 15 plays, 65 yards, 6:28. Second quarter NO – Blake Grupe 23-yard field goal, 9:52. Saints 6–3. Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 4:23. Third quarter CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 54-yard field goal, 9:09. Tied 6–6. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:16. NO – Tony Jones Jr. 2-yard rush (Blake Grupe kick), 2:56. Saints 13–6. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 6:14. Fourth quarter CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 36-yard field goal, 5:30. Saints 13–9. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 7:17. NO – Tony Jones Jr. 2-yard rush (Blake Grupe kick), 3:14. Saints 20–9. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 2:16. CAR – Adam Thielen 2-yard pass from Bryce Young (Bryce Young–Adam Thielen pass), 3:14. Saints 20–17. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 1:58. Top passers NO – Derek Carr – 21/36, 228 yards, INT CAR – Bryce Young – 22/33, 153 yards, TD Top rushers NO – Taysom Hill – 9 rushes, 75 yards CAR – Miles Sanders – 14 rushes, 43 yards Top receivers NO – Chris Olave – 6 receptions, 86 yards CAR – Adam Thielen – 7 receptions, 54 yards, TD

Week 2: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: September 18
• Game time: 7:15 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 81 °F (27 °C)
• Game attendance: 72,709
• Referee: Scott Novak
• TV announcers (WAXN/ESPN): Chris Fowler, Louis Riddick, Dan Orlovsky, and Laura Rutledge
• Recap, Game Book

In the Panthers' home opener, both Carolina and New Orleans scored a field goal in the first quarter. In the second, the Saints scored another field goal. Later, Vonn Bell intercepted the ball from Derek Carr. As the Panthers approach the end zone, Bryce Young is sacked, and the ball is knocked out of his hands. New Orleans recovers the ball. Carolina ties it in the third. The Saints follow with a touchdown. In the fourth, the Panthers kicked another field goal. With 3:14 to go, New Orleans scores a touchdown. The Panthers try to come back at the end with a touchdown and two-point conversion, but it was not enough. The Saints beat the Panthers 20–17, and Carolina starts off the season 0–2. This loss gave the Panthers their fourth 0–2 start in five seasons.

Week 3: at Seattle Seahawks

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	3	10	0	14	27
Seahawks	3	9	10	15	37

Game information

First quarter CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 47-yard field goal, 7:47. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 5:38. SEA – Jason Myers 43-yard field goal, 3:33. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 4:14. Second quarter SEA – Jason Myers 35-yard field goal, 12:07. Seahawks 6–3. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 4:03. SEA – Jason Myers 33-yard field goal, 8:45. Seahawks 9–3. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 2:00. CAR – D. J. Chark 47-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 4:54. Panthers 10–9. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:51. CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 44-yard field goal, 2:39. Panthers 13–9. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:37. SEA – Jason Myers 37-yard field goal, 0:44. Panthers 13–12. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 1:55. Third quarter SEA – Jason Myers 39-yard field goal, 9:45. Seahawks 15–13. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 4:08. SEA – Kenneth Walker III 1-yard run (Jason Myers kick), 3:52. Seahawks 22–13. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 4:17. Fourth quarter CAR – Miles Sanders 1-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 14:55. Seahawks 22–20. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:57. SEA – Kenneth Walker III 7-yard run (Jason Myers kick), 11:40. Seahawks 29–20. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 3:15. SEA – Jake Bobo 5-yard pass from Geno Smith (Geno Smith-Tyler Lockett pass), 4:17. Seahawks 37–20. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 0:30. CAR – Adam Thielen 15-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 1:40. Seahawks 37–27. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 2:37. Top passers CAR – Andy Dalton – 34/58, 361 yards, 2 TD SEA – Geno Smith – 23/36, 296 yards, TD, INT Top rushers CAR – Miles Sanders – 9 rushes, 24 yards, TD SEA – Kenneth Walker III – 18 rushes, 97 yards, 2 TD Top receivers CAR – Adam Thielen – 11 receptions, 145 yards, TD SEA – DK Metcalf – 6 receptions, 112 yards

Week 3: Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington

• Date: September 24
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 61 °F (16 °C)
• Game attendance: 68,699
• Referee: Ronald Torbert
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Game Book

Week 4: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	7	14	0	21
Panthers	7	6	0	0	13

Game information

First quarter CAR – Sam Franklin 99-yard interception return (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 10:27. Panthers 7–0. Second quarter CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 26-yard field goal, 14:56. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 15 plays, 61 yards, 8:26. MIN – Justin Jefferson 4-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 9:43. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 5:13. CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 56-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 13–7. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 0:34. Third quarter MIN – D. J. Wonnum 51-yard fumble return (Greg Joseph kick), 3:58. Vikings 14–13. MIN – Justin Jefferson 30-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 0:00. Vikings 21–13. Drive: 4 plays, 56 yards, 1:44. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers MIN – Kirk Cousins – 12/19, 139 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT CAR – Bryce Young – 25/32, 204 yards Top rushers MIN – Alexander Mattison – 17 rushes, 95 yards CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 14 rushes, 41 yards Top receivers MIN – Justin Jefferson – 6 receptions, 85 yards, 2 TD CAR – Adam Thielen – 7 receptions, 76 yards

Week 4: Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: October 1
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 80 °F (27 °C)
• Game attendance: 72,842
• Referee: Tra Blake
• TV announcers (Fox): Alex Faust, Brady Quinn and Megan Olivi
• Recap, Game Book

On the Vikings' opening drive, as they were about to score, Sam Franklin intercepted the ball and scored a 99-yard pick-six. In the beginning of the second, Eddy Piñeiro made a field goal, giving Carolina a 10–0 lead. Minnesota decreased the lead with a Justin Jefferson touchdown. At the end of the half, Kirk Cousins threw another interception to Carolina's Kamu Grugier-Hill. Piñeiro made another field goal, giving Carolina a 13–7 lead at the half. In the third, Bryce Young lost the ball on a strip sack and Minnesota's D.J. Wonnum recovered the fumble and returned it for a touchdown, giving the Vikings a one-point lead. The Vikings would add another touchdown on a 30-yard pass from Cousins to Jefferson, and Minnesota's defense held on in the fourth quarter to secure a 21–13 victory.

With the loss, Carolina dropped to 0–4.

Week 5: at Detroit Lions

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	10	0	14	24
Lions	14	14	0	14	42

Game information

First quarter DET – David Montgomery 42-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 9:41. Lions 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 81 yards, 1:17. DET – Sam LaPorta 4-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 4:53. Lions 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 2:35. Second quarter CAR – Tommy Tremble 1-yard pass from Bryce Young (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 12:48. Lions 14–7. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 7:05. DET – Josh Reynolds 1-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 3:50. Lions 21–7. Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 6:08. DET – Sam LaPorta 31-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 3:21. Lions 28–7. Drive: 1 play, 31 yards, 0:08. CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 33-yard field goal, 0:06. Lions 28–10. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 3:15. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter DET – Jared Goff 1-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 14:45. Lions 35–10. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 4:33. CAR – D. J. Chark 18-yard pass from Bryce Young (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 11:52. Lions 35–17. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:06. DET – Craig Reynolds 5-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 7:27. Lions 42–17. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:25. CAR – Adam Thielen 1-yard pass from Bryce Young (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 1:55. Lions 42–24. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:32. Top passers CAR – Bryce Young – 25/41, 247 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT DET – Jared Goff – 20/28, 236 yards, 3 TD Top rushers CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 9 rushes, 35 yards DET – David Montgomery – 19 rushes, 109 yards, TD Top receivers CAR – Adam Thielen – 11 receptions, 107 yards, TD DET – Josh Reynolds – 4 receptions, 76 yards, TD

Week 5: Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions – Game summary

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: October 8
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 63,648
• Referee: Adrian Hill
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Game Book

Week 6: at Miami Dolphins

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	14	0	0	7	21
Dolphins	0	21	7	14	42

Game information

First quarter CAR – Chuba Hubbard 6-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 7:13. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 3:47. CAR – Adam Thielen 8-yard pass from Bryce Young (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 0:06. Panthers 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:21. Second quarter MIA – Raheem Mostert 3-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 11:13. Panthers 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:53. MIA – Jaylen Waddle 4-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 7:00. Tied 14–14. Drive: 3 plays, 57 yards, 1:20. MIA – Tyreek Hill 41-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 1:54. Dolphins 21–14. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 3:07. Third quarter MIA – Raheem Mostert 4-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 6:21. Dolphins 28–14. Drive: 8 plays, 91 yards, 5:11. MIA – Raheem Mostert 1-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 12:23. Dolphins 35–14. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 5:05. CAR – Troy Hill 61-yard interception return (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 4:26. Dolphins 35–21. Fourth quarter MIA – Salvon Ahmed 9-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 2:31. Dolphins 42–21. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 1:55. Top passers CAR – Bryce Young – 23/38, 217 yards, TD MIA – Tua Tagovailoa – 21/31, 262 yards, 3 TD Top rushers CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 19 rushes, 88 yards, TD MIA – Raheem Mostert – 17 rushes, 115 yards, 2 TD Top receivers CAR – Adam Thielen – 11 receptions, 115 yards, TD MIA – Tyreek Hill – 6 receptions, 163 yards, TD

Week 6: Carolina Panthers at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: October 15
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 87 °F (31 °C)
• Game attendance: 65,529
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
• Recap, Game Book

Week 8: vs. Houston Texans

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	0	7	6	0	13
Panthers	0	6	6	3	15

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter HOU – Andrew Beck 1-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 13:13. Texans 7–0. Drive: 17 plays, 92 yards, 9:20. CAR – Tommy Tremble 1-yard pass from Bryce Young (kick failed), 1:35. Texans 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 3:18. Third quarter CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 46-yard field goal, 10:46. Panthers 9–7. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 4:14. CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 37-yard field goal, 7:58. Panthers 12–7. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:57. HOU – C. J. Stroud 1-yard run (pass failed), 0:35. Texans 13–12. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 7:23. Fourth quarter CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 15–13. Drive: 15 plays, 86 yards, 6:17. Top passers HOU – C. J. Stroud – 16/24, 140 yards CAR – Bryce Young – 22/31, 235 yards, TD Top rushers HOU – Dameon Pierce – 12 rushes, 46 yards CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 15 rushes, 28 yards Top receivers HOU – Nico Collins – 4 receptions, 30 yards CAR – Adam Thielen – 8 receptions, 72 yards

Week 8: Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: October 29
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Clear, 76 °F (24 °C)
• Game attendance: 71,505
• Referee: John Hussey
• TV announcers (Fox): Brandon Gaudin, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
• Recap, Game Book

It was a scoreless first quarter for both Carolina and Houston. In the second quarter, Houston scored with a touchdown. With less than two minutes to go in the half, Bryce Young passes it to Tommy Tremble for a touchdown but the PAT is no good. Early in the third, Eddy Piñeiro kicked a field goal giving the Panthers a two-point lead. Houston fumbles the ball and it is recovered by the Panthers. Piñeiro makes another field goal. Texans follow with a touchdown but the attempt for a two-point conversion is no good. With three seconds to go in the game, Piñeiro kicks the game winning field goal and Panthers win 15–13. They improve to 1–6.

Week 9: vs. Indianapolis Colts

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	0	20	0	7	27
Panthers	0	3	7	3	13

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter IND – Matt Gay 26-yard field goal, 13:52. Colts 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 75 yards, 7:19. IND – Jonathan Taylor 10-yard pass from Gardner Minshew (Matt Gay kick), 7:43. Colts 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:29. CAR – Eddy Pineiro 35-yard field goal, 3:34. Colts 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 4:09. IND – Matt Gay 57-yard field goal, 0:53. Colts 13–3. Drive: 11 plays, 36 yards, 2:41. IND – Kenny Moore II 49-yard interception return (Matt Gay kick), 0:20. Colts 20–3. Third quarter CAR – DJ Chark Jr. 5-yard pass from Bryce Young (Eddy Pineiro kick), 4:34. Colts 20–10. Drive: 15 plays, 77 yards, 7:55. Fourth quarter IND – Kenny Moore II 66-yard interception return (Matt Gay kick), 13:40. Colts 27–10. CAR – Eddy Pineiro 49-yard field goal, 8:09. Colts 27–13. Drive: 14 plays, 44 yards, 5:31. Top passers IND – Gardner Minshew – 17/26, 127 yards, TD CAR – Bryce Young – 24/39, 173 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers IND – Jonathan Taylor – 18 rushes, 47 yards CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 16 rushes, 58 yards Top receivers IND – Michael Pittman Jr. – 8 receptions, 64 yards CAR – Hayden Hurst – 2 receptions, 54 yards

Week 9: Indianapolis Colts at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: November 5
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Clear, 75 °F (24 °C)
• Game attendance: 72,301
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
• Recap, Game Book

Week 10: at Chicago Bears

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	7	3	0	3	13
Bears	3	6	7	0	16

Game information

First quarter CAR – Ihmir Smith-Marsette 79-yard punt return (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 5:46. Panthers 7–0. CHI – Cairo Santos 54-yard field goal, 2:29. Panthers 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 3:17. Second quarter CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 33-yard field goal, 13:33. Panthers 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:56. CHI – Cairo Santos 36-yard field goal, 3:06. Panthers 10–6. Drive: 11 plays, 35 yards, 5:13. CHI – Cairo Santos 39-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 10–9. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 1:12. Third quarter CHI – D'Onta Foreman 4-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 6:33. Bears 16–10. Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 3:56. Fourth quarter CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 39-yard field goal, 11:06. Bears 16–13. Drive: 8 plays, 20 yards, 4:42. Top passers CAR – Bryce Young – 21/38, 185 yards CHI – Tyson Bagent – 20/33, 162 yards Top rushers CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 9 rushes, 23 yards CHI – D'Onta Foreman – 21 rushes, 80 yards, TD Top receivers CAR – Adam Thielen – 6 receptions, 42 yards CHI – D. J. Moore – 5 receptions, 58 yards

Week 10: Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears – Game summary

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Date: November 9
• Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST/7:15 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Clear, 51 °F (11 °C)
• Game attendance: 61,200
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (WSOC/Prime Video): Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung
• Recap, Game Book

In Carolina's second drive of the game, Ihmir Smith-Marsette scores a 79-yard punt return touchdown. Chicago follows with a field goal. At the top of the second, Eddy Piñeiro kicks a field goal. The Bears scored at the end of the second, giving Carolina a 10–9 lead at the half. Chicago is the first to score in the second half with a touchdown by former Panther, D'Onta Foreman. Panthers kick another field goal early in the fourth. The Bears defeat Carolina 16–13, and the Panthers fall to 1–8.

Week 11: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	7	10	0	16	33
Panthers	0	3	7	0	10

Game information

First quarter DAL – Luke Schoonmaker 18-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Brandon Aubrey kick), 3:20. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 83 yards, 4:59. Second quarter DAL – Brandon Aubrey 30-yard field goal, 11:01. Cowboys 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 5:09. CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 42-yard field goal, 1:56. Cowboys 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 4:54. DAL – CeeDee Lamb 5-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Brandon Aubrey kick), 0:24. Cowboys 17–3. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 1:32. Third quarter CAR – Tommy Tremble 4-yard pass from Bryce Young (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 1:59. Cowboys 17–10. Drive: 17 plays, 70 yards, 8:58. Fourth quarter DAL – Tony Pollard 21-yard run (Brandon Aubrey kick), 13:58. Cowboys 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:01. DAL – DaRon Bland 30-yard interception return (kick failed), 13:48. Cowboys 30–10. DAL – Brandon Aubrey 27-yard field goal, 7:18. Cowboys 33–10. Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, 4:00. Top passers DAL – Dak Prescott – 25/38, 189 yards, 2 TD CAR – Bryce Young – 16/29, 123 yards, TD, INT Top rushers DAL – Tony Pollard – 12 rushes, 61 yards, TD CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 10 rushes, 57 yards Top receivers DAL – CeeDee Lamb – 6 receptions, 38 yards, TD CAR – Adam Thielen – 8 receptions, 74 yards

Week 11: Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: November 19
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Sunny, 65 °F (18 °C)
• Game attendance: 73,543
• Referee: Clay Martin
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi
• Recap, Game Book

Week 12: at Tennessee Titans

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	3	7	0	10
Titans	7	10	0	0	17

Game information

First quarter TEN – Derrick Henry 1-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 0:34. Titans 7–0. Drive: 15 plays, 91 yards, 9:36. Second quarter CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 50-yard field goal, 8:51. Titans 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 47 yards, 6:43. TEN – Derrick Henry 10-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 2:27. Titans 14–3. Drive: 2 plays, 15 yards, 0:39. TEN – Nick Folk 53-yard field goal, 0:53. Titans 17–3. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 0:28. Third quarter CAR – Chuba Hubbard 5-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 8:06. Titans 17–10. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 6:54. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers CAR – Bryce Young – 18/31, 194 yards TEN – Will Levis – 18/28, 185 yards Top rushers CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 14 rushes, 45 yards, TD TEN – Derrick Henry – 18 rushes, 76 yards, 2 TD Top receivers CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 5 receptions, 47 yards TEN – Chigoziem Okonkwo – 4 receptions, 45 yards

Week 12: Carolina Panthers at Tennessee Titans – Game summary

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

• Date: November 26
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 51 °F (11 °C)
• Game attendance: 62,493
• Referee: Ronald Torbert
• TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
• Recap, Game Book

This turned out to be Frank Reich's last game as head coach of the Panthers, as he was fired the next day after this loss. Also shortly after the game, general manager David Tepper was heard shouting an f-bomb as he was leaving the Panthers locker room.

Week 13: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	3	7	8	18
Buccaneers	7	0	7	7	21

Game information

First quarter TB – Rachaad White 1-yard run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 6:08. Buccaneers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 3:26. Second quarter CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 23-yard field goal, 13:30. Buccaneers 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 70 yards, 7:38. Third quarter CAR – Chuba Hubbard 1-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 5:04. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:36. TB – Mike Evans 75-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 4:54. Buccaneers 14–10. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:10. Fourth quarter TB – Chris Godwin 19-yard run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 11:36. Buccaneers 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 4:05. CAR – Chuba Hubbard 1-yard run (Bryce Young run), 5:02. Buccaneers 21–18. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:34. Top passers CAR – Bryce Young – 15/31, 178 yards, TD TB – Baker Mayfield – 14/29, 202 yards, TD, INT Top rushers CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 25 rushes, 104 yards, 2 TD TB – Rachaad White – 20 rushes, 84 yards, TD Top receivers CAR – Jonathan Mingo – 6 receptions, 69 yards TB – Mike Evans – 7 receptions, 162 yards, TD

Week 13: Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

• Date: December 3
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 81 °F (27 °C)
• Game attendance: 62,432
• Referee: Brad Rogers
• TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy, James Lofton, Jay Feely and Tiffany Blackmon
• Recap, Game Book

With a 21–18 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the panthers were eliminated from playoff contention.

Week 14: at New Orleans Saints

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	3	3	0	6
Saints	0	14	0	14	28

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter NO – Alvin Kamara 9-yard run (Blake Grupe kick), 14:55. Saints 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 3:12. CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 47-yard field goal, 9:16. Saints 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 46 yards, 5:39. NO – D'Marco Jackson 8-yard fumble return (Blake Grupe kick), 4:37. Saints 14–3. Third quarter CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 29-yard field goal, 4:57. Saints 14–6. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:16. Fourth quarter NO – Chris Olave 7-yard pass from Derek Carr (Blake Grupe kick), 5:59. Saints 21–6. Drive: 5 plays, 64 yards, 2:13. NO – Jimmy Graham 4-yard pass from Derek Carr (Blake Grupe kick), 4:29. Saints 28–6. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 0:58. Top passers CAR – Bryce Young – 13/36, 137 yards NO – Derek Carr – 18/26, 119 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 23 rushes, 87 yards NO – Alvin Kamara – 12 rushes, 56 yards, TD Top receivers CAR – Adam Thielen – 5 receptions, 74 yards NO – Chris Olave – 4 receptions, 28 yards, TD

Week 14: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: December 10
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 70,009
• Referee: Alan Eck
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
• Recap, Game Book

The Panthers travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints. In a stunning fashion, the Panthers lose 28-6 and got swept by the Saints for the first time since 2020.

Week 15: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	7	0	0	7
Panthers	0	3	0	6	9

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter ATL – Cordarrelle Patterson 2-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Younghoe Koo kick), 4:49. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 63 yards, 1:17. CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 34-yard field goal, 0:22. Falcons 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 4:27. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 25-yard field goal, 13:32. Falcons 7–6. Drive: 6 plays, 17 yards, 2:54. CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 9–7. Drive: 17 plays, 90 yards, 7:35. Top passers ATL – Desmond Ridder – 12/20, 152 yards, TD, INT CAR – Bryce Young – 18/24, 167 yards Top rushers ATL – Tyler Allgeier – 14 rushes, 45 yards CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 22 rushes, 87 yards Top receivers ATL – Kyle Pitts – 3 receptions, 37 yards CAR – Adam Thielen – 4 receptions, 43 yards

Week 15: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: December 17
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Rain, 46 °F (8 °C)
• Game attendance: 70,301
• Referee: Land Clark
• TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
• Recap, Game Book

Week 16: vs. Green Bay Packers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	7	16	0	10	33
Panthers	3	7	6	14	30

Game information

First quarter GB – A. J. Dillon 1-yard run (Anders Carlson kick), 7:30. Packers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:58. CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 52-yard field goal, 5:24. Packers 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 35 yards, 2:06. Second quarter GB – Jordan Love 1-yard run (kick failed), 14:57. Packers 13–3. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 5:27. CAR – Ihmir Smith-Marsette 20-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 10:29. Packers 13–10. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 4:28. GB – Anders Carlson 53-yard field goal, 7:51. Packers 16–10. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 2:38. GB – Dontayvion Wicks 21-yard pass from Jordan Love (Anders Carlson kick), 0:49. Packers 23–10. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 3:23. Third quarter CAR – Chuba Hubbard 4-yard run (kick failed), 5:11. Packers 23–16. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 8:20. Fourth quarter GB – Romeo Doubs 5-yard pass from Jordan Love (Anders Carlson kick), 14:57. Packers 30–16. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 5:14. CAR – D. J. Chark 11-yard pass from Bryce Young (kick failed), 7:14. Packers 30–22. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:24. CAR – D. J. Chark 10-yard pass from Bryce Young (Raheem Blackshear run), 4:05. Tied 30–30. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 1:42. GB – Anders Carlson 32-yard field goal, 0:19. Packers 33–30. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 3:46. Top passers GB – Jordan Love – 17/28, 219 yards, 2 TD CAR – Bryce Young – 23/36, 312 yards, 2 TD Top rushers GB – Aaron Jones – 21 rushes, 127 yards CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 16 rushes, 43 yards, TD Top receivers GB – Romeo Doubs – 4 receptions, 79 yards, TD CAR – D. J. Chark – 6 receptions, 98 yards, 2 TD

Week 16: Green Bay Packers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: December 24
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Sunny, 67 °F (19 °C)
• Game attendance: 70,875
• Referee: Alex Kemp
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
• Recap, Game Book

Week 17: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	0	0	0	0
Jaguars	3	6	10	7	26

Game information

First quarter JAX – Brandon McManus 35-yard field goal, 8:36. Jaguars 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 43 yards, 6:24. Second quarter JAX – Brandon McManus 26-yard field goal, 7:18. Jaguars 6–0. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 5:47. JAX – Brandon McManus 24-yard field goal, 2:45. Jaguars 9–0. Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 1:50. Third quarter JAX – Travis Etienne 62-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 11:56. Jaguars 16–0. Drive: 2 plays, 66 yards, 0:51. JAX – Brandon McManus 34-yard field goal, 3:00. Jaguars 19–0. Drive: 12 plays, 67 yards, 7:24. Fourth quarter JAX – Travis Etienne 1-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 4:16. Jaguars 26–0. Drive: 4 plays, 15 yards, 2:08. Top passers CAR – Bryce Young – 19/32, 112 yards, INT JAX – C. J. Beathard – 17/24, 178 yards Top rushers CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 11 rushes, 45 yards JAX – Travis Etienne – 16 rushes, 102 yards, 2 TD Top receivers CAR – Adam Thielen – 6 receptions, 38 yards JAX – Evan Engram – 6 receptions, 60 yards

Week 17: Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary

at EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

• Date: December 31
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C)
• Game attendance: 67,215
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Aditi Kinkhabwala
• Recap, Game Book

The Panthers were shut out for the first time since Week 14 of the 2002 season. With this loss, the Panthers dropped to 2-14 and locked up the league's worst record for the third time ever (following the 2001 and 2010 seasons), giving the Chicago Bears the no. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft.

Week 18: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	0	6	0	3	9
Panthers	0	0	0	0	0

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter TB – Chase McLaughlin 36-yard field goal, 4:13. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 5:00. TB – Chase McLaughlin 57-yard field goal, 0:00. Buccaneers 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 17 yards, 1:11. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter TB – Chase McLaughlin 39-yard field goal, 10:18. Buccaneers 9–0. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 4:42. Top passers TB – Baker Mayfield – 20/32, 137 yards CAR – Bryce Young – 11/18, 94 yards Top rushers TB – Rachaad White – 19 rushes, 75 yards CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 23 rushes, 83 yards Top receivers TB – Chris Godwin – 6 receptions, 51 yards CAR – D. J. Chark – 2 receptions, 46 yards

Week 18: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: January 7
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 54 °F (12 °C)
• Game attendance: 69,010
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
• Recap, Game Book

The Panthers ended their atrocious season with a second straight shutout, becoming the first team since the 2008 Cleveland Browns to be shut out in back-to-back games. With this loss, the Panthers finished with the NFL's worst record at 2-15 (the first such record since the league expanded to 17 games in 2021).

Standings

Division

NFC South
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers	9	8	0	.529	4–2	7–5	348	325	W1
New Orleans Saints	9	8	0	.529	4–2	6–6	402	327	W2
Atlanta Falcons	7	10	0	.412	3–3	4–8	321	373	L2
Carolina Panthers	2	15	0	.118	1–5	1–11	236	416	L3

Conference

NFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1[a]	San Francisco 49ers	West	12	5	0	.706	5–1	10–2	.509	.475	L1
2[a][b]	Dallas Cowboys	East	12	5	0	.706	5–1	9–3	.446	.392	W2
3[a][b]	Detroit Lions	North	12	5	0	.706	4–2	8–4	.481	.436	W1
4[c]	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	9	8	0	.529	4–2	7–5	.481	.379	W1
Wild cards
5	Philadelphia Eagles	East	11	6	0	.647	4–2	7–5	.481	.476	L2
6	Los Angeles Rams	West	10	7	0	.588	5–1	8–4	.529	.453	W4
7[d][e]	Green Bay Packers	North	9	8	0	.529	4–2	7–5	.474	.458	W3
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[d][e]	Seattle Seahawks	West	9	8	0	.529	2–4	7–5	.512	.392	W1
9[c][d]	New Orleans Saints	South	9	8	0	.529	4–2	6–6	.433	.340	W2
10[f][g]	Minnesota Vikings	North	7	10	0	.412	2–4	6–6	.509	.454	L4
11[g][h]	Chicago Bears	North	7	10	0	.412	2–4	6–6	.464	.370	L1
12[f][h]	Atlanta Falcons	South	7	10	0	.412	3–3	4–8	.429	.462	L2
13	New York Giants	East	6	11	0	.353	3–3	5–7	.512	.353	W1
14[i]	Washington Commanders	East	4	13	0	.235	0–6	2–10	.512	.338	L8
15[i]	Arizona Cardinals	West	4	13	0	.235	0–6	3–9	.561	.588	L1
16	Carolina Panthers	South	2	15	0	.118	1–5	1–11	.522	.500	L3
Tiebreakers[j]
San Francisco finished ahead of Dallas and Detroit based on conference record. Dallas finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory. Tampa Bay finished ahead of New Orleans based on common record. (Tampa Bay is 8–4 against Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Atlanta, Carolina, Houston, Tennessee, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis, while New Orleans is 6–6 against the same teams.) Green Bay and Seattle finished ahead of New Orleans based on conference record. Green Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on strength of victory, claiming the 7th and final playoff spot. Minnesota finished ahead of Atlanta based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Chicago (see below). Minnesota finished ahead of Chicago based on common record. (Minnesota is 5–7 against Tampa Bay, Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina, Kansas City, Green Bay, Atlanta, New Orleans, Denver, Las Vegas, and Detroit, while Chicago is 4–8 against the same teams.) Chicago finished ahead of Atlanta based on head-to-head victory. Washington finished ahead of Arizona based on head-to-head victory. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

References

1. Gantt, Darin (November 27, 2023). "Panthers part ways with head coach Frank Reich". Panthers.com. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
2. Rizzuti, Anthony (December 4, 2023). "Panthers officially eliminated from playoff contention with Week 13 loss to Bucs". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
3. "Bears trading No. 1 overall pick to Panthers for WR D.J. Moore, four draft picks". NFL.com.
4. "Panthers select Alabama QB Bryce Young with No. 1 overall pick in 2023 NFL Draft". NFL.com.
5. "Panthers lock up NFL's worst record with first shutout in over 20 years". WCNC.com. December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
6. "Panthers suffer second shutout loss in a row as Buccaneers win NFC South". WCNC.com. January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
7. "Tampa Bay Buccaneers clinch third straight NFC South title". NFL.com. January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
8. "Panthers just set this NFL record for futility that not even the 0-16 Browns or 0-16 Lions pulled off". CBSSports.com. January 11, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
9. "Panthers agree to terms with undrafted rookies". panthers.com. April 29, 2023.
10. Gantt, Darin (August 30, 2023). "Panthers add 11 players to the practice squad". Carolina Panthers.
11. Rizzuti, Anthony (May 16, 2023). "Panthers sign 4th rookie minicamp invitee on Tuesday". Panthers Wire.

External links

• Official website