20th season in franchise history
The 2014 season was the Carolina Panthers ' 20th in the National Football League (NFL) and their fourth under head coach Ron Rivera .
The Panthers captured their second straight NFC South division title and qualified for the postseason for the first time in back-to-back years despite failing to improve on a 12–4 record and finishing with a losing record of 7–8–1. Additionally, they became the first team in NFC South history to have back-to-back division titles and also became the second team to win a division title with a sub-.500 record after the 2010 Seattle Seahawks , and would be followed by the 2020 Washington Football Team , a team that Rivera also coached, and the 2022 Tampa Bay Buccaneers . The Panthers defeated the Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card round, but lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional round.
The Panthers' four-game winning streak to close out the regular season, combined with a 14–0 start the following season , would achieve a tie with the 2003 –2004 New England Patriots for the third longest regular season winning streak in NFL history, at 18.
This was the first season since 2000 that Steve Smith Sr. was not on the opening-day roster, as he signed with the Baltimore Ravens .
2014 Carolina Panthers staff Front office
Owner/founder – Jerry Richardson President – Danny Morrison General manager – Dave Gettleman Director of football operations – Brandon Beane Director of team administration – Rob Rogers Football operations manager – Bryan Porter Football operations assistant – Matt Allen 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
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
The Panthers' preseason opponents were announced on April 9, 2014.
Week 1: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers [ edit ] Game information First quarter
Second quarter
CAR – Greg Olsen 5-yard pass from Derek Anderson (Graham Gano kick), 7:59. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 15 plays, 69 yards, 9:00. CAR – Graham Gano 28-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 1:53. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 26-yard pass from Derek Anderson (Graham Gano kick), 14:53. Panthers 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 37 yards, 1:05. TB – Chris Owusu 19-yard pass from Josh McCown (Patrick Murray kick), 7:23. Panthers 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 2:11. TB – Bobby Rainey 6-yard pass from Josh McCown (Patrick Murray kick), 2:06. Panthers 17–14. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 2:17. CAR – Graham Gano 33-yard field goal, 0:23. Panthers 20–14. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:04. Top passers
CAR – Derek Anderson – 24/34, 230 yards, 2 TD TB – Josh McCown – 22/35, 183 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers
Top receivers
CAR – Kelvin Benjamin – 6 receptions, 92 yards, TD TB – Brandon Myers – 6 receptions, 41 yards
Derek Anderson made his first start as Panthers QB, substituting for Cam Newton who was nursing a rib injury he'd suffered during the preseason. The change in QB didn't appear to faze the team, as the Panthers won their first season opener in six years, 20–14. They started the season 1–0 and improved to 1–0 without Newton starting.
Week 2: vs. Detroit Lions [ edit ] Week Two: Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Lions 0 0 7 0 7 Panthers 0 6 7 11 24
at Bank of America Stadium , Charlotte, North Carolina
Date : September 14Game time : 1:00 p.m. EDTGame weather : 70 °F (21 °C), cloudyGame attendance : 73,586Referee : Jerome Boger TV announcers (Fox) : Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer HaleRecap , Gamebook
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 29-yard field goal, 7:58. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 6:04. CAR – Graham Gano 53-yard field goal, 1:11. Panthers 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yds, 2:06. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
CAR – Jonathan Stewart 2-yard run (Cam Newton-Jerricho Cotchery pass), 7:26. Panthers 21–7. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:53. CAR – Graham Gano 38-yard field goal, 4:45. Panthers 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 13 yards, 2:31. Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 27/48, 291 yards, TD, INT CAR – Cam Newton – 22/34, 281 yards, TD Top rushers
DET – Joique Bell – 10 rushes, 36 yards CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 15 rushes, 37 yards, TD Top receivers
Newton returned to the starting lineup with some added padding around his ribs. The game's highlight was a defensive interception against Lions star WR Calvin "Megatron" Johnson. With the win, the Panthers improved to 2–0 and 16–5 when Newton doesn't commit a turnover.
Week 3: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers [ edit ] Week Three: Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Steelers 3 6 14 14 37 Panthers 3 0 3 13 19
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information First quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 40-yard field goal, 6:40. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 3:55. PIT – Shaun Suisham 42-yard field goal, 0:07. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 plays, 51 yards, 2:31. Second quarter
PIT – Shaun Suisham 24-yard field goal, 5:37. Steelers 6–3. Drive: 16 plays, 87 yards, 8:00. PIT – Shaun Suisham 45-yard field goal, 0:00. Steelers 9–3. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 1:35. Third quarter
PIT – Antonio Brown 7-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Shaun Suisham kick), 11:02. Steelers 16–3. Drive: 4 plays, 17 yards, 1:30. CAR – Graham Gano 40-yard field goal, 6:21. Steelers 16–6. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 4:41. PIT – Antonio Brown 7-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Shaun Suisham kick), 2:22. Steelers 23–6. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:59. Fourth quarter
CAR – Greg Olsen 37-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 13:28. Steelers 23–13. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:54. PIT – Robert Golden fumble recovery in endzone (Shaun Suisham kick), 11:00. Steelers 30–13. PIT – LeGarrette Blount 8-yard run (Shaun Suisham kick), 5:38. Steelers 37–13. Drive: 8 plays, 98 yards, 4:29. CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 35-yard pass from Derek Anderson (pass failed), 3:53. Steelers 37–19. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 1:45. Top passers
PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 22/30, 196 yards, 2 TD CAR – Cam Newton – 24/35, 250 yards, TD Top rushers
Top receivers
PIT – Antonio Brown – 10 receptions, 90 yards, 2 TD CAR – Kelvin Benjamin – 8 receptions, 115 yards, TD
This was the first Sunday Night Football home game for the Panthers since 2009. With the loss, the Panthers dropped to 2–1. Newton left the game due to injury but he fumbled the ball. This dropped the team to 10–20 when he commits a turnover.
Week 4: at Baltimore Ravens [ edit ] Game information First quarter
Second quarter
BAL – Steve Smith Sr. 61-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 13:12. Ravens 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:30. CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 28-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 8:35. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:37. BAL – Justin Forsett 11-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 5:22. Ravens 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:13. BAL – Steve Smith Sr. 21-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 1:53. Ravens 21–7. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 2:36. Third quarter
BAL – Torrey Smith 24-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 9:51. Ravens 28–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:09. CAR – Graham Gano 38-yard field goal, 3:30. Ravens 28–10. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 6:21. Fourth quarter
BAL – Lorenzo Taliaferro 1-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 11:34. Ravens 35–10. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:56. BAL – Justin Tucker 38-yard field goal, 3:33. Ravens 38–10. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 5:50. Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 14/25, 197 yards, TD BAL – Joe Flacco – 22/31, 327 yards, 3 TD Top rushers
CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 11 rushes, 34 yards BAL – Justin Forsett – 14 rushes, 66 yards, TD Top receivers
CAR – Jerricho Cotchery – 5 receptions, 80 yards BAL – Steve Smith Sr. – 7 receptions, 139 yards, 2 TD
This game marked the first time WR Steve Smith Sr. played against his former team after being cut in the offseason. He was clearly fired up, recording over 100 yards receiving and two touchdown receptions. With the loss, the Panthers record was 2–2. The team dropped to 16-6 when Newton doesn't commit a turnover.
Week 5: vs. Chicago Bears [ edit ] Week Five: Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Bears 14 7 3 0 24 Panthers 7 7 7 10 31
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information First quarter
CAR – Corey Brown 79-yard punt return (Graham Gano kick), 10:56. Panthers 7–0. CHI – Matt Forte 10-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 4:31. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 28 yards, 0:47. CHI – Jay Cutler 10-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 2:13. Bears 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 13 yards, 1:21. Second quarter
CHI – Alshon Jeffery 25-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 10:51. Bears 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 5:20. CAR – Greg Olsen 9-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 0:12. Bears 21–14. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 1:39. Third quarter
CAR – Chris Ogbonnaya 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 7:16. Tied 21–21. Drive: 9 plays, 86 yards, 4:00. CHI – Robbie Gould 45-yard field goal, 2:38. Bears 24–21. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 4:38. Fourth quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 44-yard field goal, 4:29. Tied 24–24. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:27. CAR – Greg Olsen 6-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 2:18. Panthers 31–24. Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 2:00. Top passers
CHI – Jay Cutler – 28/36, 289 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT CAR – Cam Newton – 19/35, 255 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers
CHI – Matt Forte – 17 rushes, 61 yards CAR – Darrin Reaves – 10 rushes, 36 yards Top receivers
CHI – Matt Forte – 12 receptions, 105 yards, TD CAR – Greg Olsen – 6 receptions, 72 yards, 2 TD
With the win, the Panthers improved to 3–2. They would also improve to 11–20 when Newton commits at least one turnover. Unknown at the time, this would be the team's last victory for over two months.
Week 6: at Cincinnati Bengals [ edit ] Week Six: Carolina Panthers at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 OT Total Panthers 7 3 14 10 3 37 Bengals 0 17 0 17 3 37
at Paul Brown Stadium , Cincinnati, Ohio
Date : October 12Game time : 1:00 p.m. EDTGame weather : 60 °F (16 °C), cloudyGame attendance : 57,053Referee : Carl Cheffers TV announcers (Fox) : Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer HaleRecap , Gamebook
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
CIN – Brandon Tate 5-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick), 14:21. Tied 7–7. Drive: 14 plays, 69 yards, 6:29. CIN – Giovani Bernard 89-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 11:50. Bengals 14–7. Drive: 1 play, 89 yards, 0:15. CAR – Graham Gano 39-yard field goal, 6:20. Bengals 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 5:30. CIN – Mike Nugent 44-yard field goal, 0:03. Bengals 17–10. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 6:17. Third quarter
CAR – Fozzy Whittaker 4-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 9:07. Tied 17–17. Drive: 2 plays, 10 yards, 0:42. CAR – Cam Newton 12-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 3:54. Panthers 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 2:11. Fourth quarter
CIN – Mohamed Sanu 34-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick), 11:38. Tied 24–24. Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 3:11. CAR – Greg Olsen 13-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 4:50. Panthers 31–24. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:48. CIN – Jeremy Hill 3-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 4:32. Tied 31–31. Drive: 1 play, 3 yards, 0:18. CIN – Mike Nugent 38-yard field goal, 2:11. Bengals 34–31. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:11. CAR – Graham Gano 44-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 34–34. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 2:11. Overtime
CIN – Mike Nugent 42-yard field goal, 8:35. Bengals 37–34. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 6:25. CAR – Graham Gano 36-yard field goal, 2:19. Tied 37–37. Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 6:16. Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 29/46, 284 yards, 2 TD, INT CIN – Andy Dalton – 33/43, 323 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers
CAR – Cam Newton – 17 rushes, 107 yards, TD CIN – Giovani Bernard – 18 rushes, 137 yards, TD Top receivers
CAR – Greg Olsen – 6 receptions, 62 yards, TD CIN – Mohamed Sanu – 10 receptions, 120 yards, TD
Both teams went back and forth scoring in a shootout. This would be the highest-scoring overtime tie in NFL history,[ 1] as well as the first tie in Panthers history as their record stood at 3–2–1. The team's record then stood at 11–20–1 when Newton commits a turnover.
Week 7: at Green Bay Packers [ edit ] Game information First quarter
GB – Jordy Nelson 59-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 11:51. Packers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:09. GB – Eddie Lacy 5-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 5:53. Packers 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:10. GB – James Starks 13-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 2:07. Packers 21–0. Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 2:08. Second quarter
GB – Randall Cobb 3-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 4:07. Packers 28–0. Drive: 9 plays, 94 yards, 5:57. CAR – Graham Gano 33-yard field goal, 0:00. Packers 28–3. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 1:51. Third quarter
GB – Davante Adams 21-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 10:20. Packers 35–3. Drive: 4 plays, 58 yards, 1:54. GB – Mason Crosby 34-yard field goal, 0:08. Packers 38–3. Drive: 5 plays, 33 yards, 2:10. Fourth quarter
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 17/31, 205 yards, TD, INT GB – Aaron Rodgers – 19/22, 255 yards, 3 TD Top rushers
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 13 rushes, 50 yards GB – Eddie Lacy – 12 rushes, 63 yards, TD Top receivers
CAR – Greg Olsen – 8 receptions, 105 yards GB – Randall Cobb – 6 receptions, 121 yards, TD
With the loss, the Panthers dropped to 3–3–1. The team also dropped to 11–21–1 when Newton turns the ball over.
Week 8: vs. Seattle Seahawks [ edit ] Week Eight: Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Seahawks 0 3 3 7 13 Panthers 3 3 0 3 9
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information First quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 31-yard field goal, 6:21. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 6:26. Second quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 26-yard field goal, 13:23. Panthers 6–0. Drive: 12 plays, 46 yards, 6:21. SEA – Stephen Hauschka 58-yard field goal, 11:00. Panthers 6–3. Drive: 5 plays, 13 yards, 2:23. Third quarter
SEA – Stephen Hauschka 29-yard field goal, 7:13. Tied 6–6. Drive: 12 plays, 29 yards, 6:00. Fourth quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 46-yard field goal, 4:37. Panthers 9–6. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:56. SEA – Luke Willson 23-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Stephen Hauschka kick), 0:47. Seahawks 13–9. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:50. Top passers
SEA – Russell Wilson – 20/32, 199 yards, TD, INT CAR – Cam Newton – 12/22, 171 yards, INT Top rushers
Top receivers
With the loss, the Panthers dropped to 3–4–1. The team also dropped to 11–22–1 when Newton commits at least one turnover.
Week 9: vs. New Orleans Saints [ edit ] Week Nine: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Saints 0 14 7 7 28 Panthers 0 0 7 3 10
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
CAR – Cam Newton 10-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 10:14. Saints 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 4:46. NO – Drew Brees 1-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 4:04. Saints 21–7. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:10. Fourth quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 31-yard field goal, 12:57. Saints 21–10. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 2:53. NO – Mark Ingram 3-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 5:30. Saints 28–10. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 7:27. Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 24/34, 297 yards, TD, INT CAR – Cam Newton – 10/28, 151 yards, INT Top rushers
NO – Mark Ingram – 30 rushes, 100 yards, 2 TD CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 8 rushes, 46 yards Top receivers
NO – Jimmy Graham – 7 receptions, 83 yards, TD CAR – Jerricho Cotchery – 5 receptions, 59 yards
With the loss, the Panthers dropped to 3-5-1. The team would sit at 11-23-1 when Newton turns the ball over.
Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles [ edit ] Game information First quarter
PHI – Cody Parkey 39-yard field goal, 13:25. Eagles 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:40. PHI – Darren Sproles 8-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 11:25. Eagles 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 43 yards, 1:45. CAR – Jonathan Stewart 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 6:00. Eagles 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:25. PHI – Darren Sproles 65-yard punt return (Cody Parkey kick), 3:29. Eagles 17–7. Second quarter
PHI – Jordan Matthews 13-yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Cody Parkey kick), 11:33. Eagles 24–7. Drive: 10 plays, 91 yards, 3:35. PHI – Bradley Fletcher 34-yard interception return (Cody Parkey kick), 2:13. Eagles 31–7. Third quarter
PHI – LeSean McCoy 1-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 7:40. Eagles 38–7. Drive: 2 plays, 30 yards, 0:17. Fourth quarter
PHI – Jordan Matthews 18-yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Cody Parkey kick), 11:43. Eagles 45–7. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 2:41. CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 21-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 9:05. Eagles 45–14. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 2:38. CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 40-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 5:30. Eagles 45–21. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:22. Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 25/40, 306 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT PHI – Mark Sanchez – 20/37, 332 yards, 2 TD Top rushers
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 11 rushes, 36 yards, TD PHI – LeSean McCoy – 12 rushes, 19 yards, TD Top receivers
CAR – Greg Olsen – 6 receptions, 119 yards PHI – Jordan Matthews – 7 receptions, 138 yards, 2 TD
On Monday Night Football, Carolina barely put up a fight. The Eagles easily won the game, their defense sacking Cam Newton nine times. This dropped the Panthers record to 3–6–1. They also fell to 11–24–1 when Newton commits at least one turnover.
Week 11: vs. Atlanta Falcons [ edit ] Week Eleven: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Falcons 0 6 10 3 19 Panthers 0 3 0 14 17
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 23-yard field goal, 14:57. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 17 plays, 83 yards, 9:05. ATL – Matt Bryant 34-yard field goal, 9:26. Tied 3–3. Drive: 13 plays, 64 yards, 5:31. ATL – Matt Bryant 42-yard field goal, 0:02. Falcons 6–3. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 1:33. Third quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 26-yard field goal, 12:07. Falcons 9–3. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:28. ATL – Roddy White 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 6:34. Falcons 16–3. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:49. Fourth quarter
CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 22-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 9:12. Falcons 16–10. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 1:50. CAR – Corey Brown 47-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 6:20. Panthers 17–16. Drive: 2 plays, 69 yards, 0:41. ATL – Matt Bryant 44-yard field goal, 2:08. Falcons 19–17. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 4:12. Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 31/45, 268 yards, TD CAR – Cam Newton – 23/37, 292 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers
Top receivers
ATL – Roddy White – 8 receptions, 75 yards, TD CAR – Kelvin Benjamin – 9 receptions, 109 yards, TD
With their fifth straight loss, the Panthers headed into their bye week at 3–7–1. Also the team dropped to 11–25–1 when Newton commits a turnover. This would be Carolina's last home loss until week 3 of 2016 against Minnesota.
Week 13: at Minnesota Vikings [ edit ] Week Thirteen: Carolina Panthers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Panthers 3 3 7 0 13 Vikings 14 14 0 3 31
at TCF Bank Stadium , Minneapolis, Minnesota
Date : November 30Game time : 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : 12 °F (−11 °C), sunnyGame attendance : 52,016Referee : Brad Allen TV announcers (Fox) : Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer HaleRecap , Gamebook
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
MIN – Everson Griffen 43-yard return of blocked punt (Blair Walsh kick), 9:35. Vikings 21–3. CAR – Graham Gano 35-yard field goal, 3:28. Vikings 21–6. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 6:07. MIN – Greg Jennings 17-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 0:16. Vikings 28–6. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 3:12. Third quarter
CAR – Corey Brown 32-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 9:15. Vikings 28–13. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:13. Fourth quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 39-yard field goal, 8:55. Vikings 31–13. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 3:25. Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 18/35, 194 yards, TD, INT MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 15/21, 138 yards, 2 TD Top rushers
Top receivers
CAR – Greg Olsen – 5 receptions, 59 yards MIN – Greg Jennings – 5 receptions, 45 yards, TD
With the loss, the Panthers dropped to 3–8–1 and 11–26–1 when Newton commits at least one turnover.
Week 14: at New Orleans Saints [ edit ] Game information First quarter
CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 9-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 11:42. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:18. CAR – Graham Gano 37-yard field goal, 9:57. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:02. CAR – Cam Newton 2-yard run, 6:41. Panthers 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 3:11. Second quarter
NO – Shayne Graham 37-yard field goal, 13:19. Panthers 17–3. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 3:28. CAR – Greg Olsen 16-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 2:14. Panthers 24–3. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 4:46. Third quarter
CAR – Jonathan Stewart 69-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 13:59. Panthers 31–3. Drive: 1 play, 69 yards, 0:11. CAR – Fozzy Whittaker 26-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 5:13. Panthers 38–3. Drive: 9 plays, 86 yards, 5:49. Fourth quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 41-yard field goal, 14:10. Panthers 41–3. Drive: 11 plays, 38 yards, 5:05. NO – Benjamin Watson 7-yard pass from Drew Brees (Shayne Graham kick), 5:29. Panthers 41–10. Drive: 12 plays, 83 yards, 3:31. Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 21/33, 226 yards, 3 TD NO – Drew Brees – 29/45, 235 yards, TD, INT Top rushers
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 20 rushes, 155 yards, TD NO – Mark Ingram – 10 rushes, 43 yards Top receivers
CAR – Greg Olsen – 10 receptions, 72 yards, TD NO – Marques Colston – 5 receptions, 72 yards
With their 6-game losing streak snapped, the Panthers improved to 4–8–1. The team also improved to 17–6 when Newton doesn't commit a turnover.
Week 15: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [ edit ] Week Fifteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Buccaneers 7 3 0 7 17 Panthers 6 3 7 3 19
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Date : December 14Game time : 1:00 p.m. ESTGame weather : 60 °F (16 °C), sunnyGame attendance : 72,842Referee : Ron TorbertTV announcers (Fox) : Dick Stockton, Kirk Morrison and Kristina PinkRecap , Gamebook
Game information First quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 29-yard field goal, 8:19. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 6:41. TB – Mike Evans 8-yard pass from Josh McCown (Patrick Murray kick), 5:54. Buccaneers 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:25. CAR – Graham Gano 49-yard field goal, 1:14. Buccaneers 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 4:41. Second quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 38-yard field goal, 1:10. Panthers 9–7. Drive: 15 plays, 68 yards, 6:03. TB – Patrick Murray 48-yard field goal, 0:02. Buccaneers 10–9. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 1:08. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 45-yard field goal, 8:31. Panthers 19–10. Drive: 12 plays, 46 yards, 6:24. TB – Josh McCown 16-yard run (Patrick Murray kick), 3:11. Panthers 19–17. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:20. Top passers
TB – Josh McCown – 13/28, 154 yards, TD, INT CAR – Derek Anderson – 25/40, 277 yards, TD Top rushers
Top receivers
QB Derek Anderson was pressed into service for the second time in 2014, as Newton had injured his back in a car accident earlier that week. Once again, Anderson led the Panthers to a close victory over Tampa Bay, completing a season sweep and improving the team's record to 5–8–1. Anderson improved his starting regular season record as a Panther to 2–0.
Week 16: vs. Cleveland Browns [ edit ] Week Sixteen: Cleveland Browns at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Browns 0 3 3 7 13 Panthers 3 7 0 7 17
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information First quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 23-yard field goal, 2:47. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 6:25. Second quarter
CLE – Garrett Hartley 43-yard field goal, 13:25. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 4:22. CAR – Cam Newton 2-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 1:55. Panthers 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 6:26. Third quarter
CLE – Garrett Hartley 31-yard field goal, 3:14. Panthers 10–6. Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 5:06. Fourth quarter
CLE – Jordan Cameron 81-yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Garrett Hartley kick), 9:59. Browns 13–10. Drive: 3 plays, 85 yards, 1:23. CAR – Jonathan Stewart 9-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 7:07. Panthers 17–13. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 2:52. Top passers
CLE – Brian Hoyer – 7/13, 134 yards, TD, INT CAR – Cam Newton – 18/31, 201 yards, TD, INT Top rushers
CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 16 rushes, 55 yards CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 24 rushes, 122 yards Top receivers
CLE – Jordan Cameron – 3 receptions, 88 yards, TD CAR – Kelvin Benjamin – 5 receptions, 47 yards
With the win, the Panthers improved to 6–8–1 and 12–26–1 when Newton turns the ball over at least once.
Week 17: at Atlanta Falcons [ edit ] Week Seventeen: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Panthers 10 14 10 0 34 Falcons 3 0 0 0 3
at Georgia Dome , Atlanta, Georgia
Date : December 28Game time : 4:25 p.m. EST[ C] Game weather : Played indoors (dome stadium)Game attendance : 71,015Referee : Bill Leavy TV announcers (CBS[ C] ) : Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy WolfsonRecap , Gamebook
Game information First quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 21-yard field goal, 7:50. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 7:10. CAR – Ed Dickson 5-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 0:04. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 87 yards, 4:45. Second quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 21-yard field goal, 10:36. Panthers 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 35 yards, 4:28. CAR – Roman Harper 31-yard interception return (Graham Gano kick), 4:18. Panthers 17–3. CAR – Cam Newton 4-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 1:47. Panthers 24–3. Drive: 1 play, 4 yards, 0:07. Third quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 48-yard field goal, 8:43. Panthers 27–3. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 4:35. CAR – Tre Boston 84-yard interception return (Graham Gano kick), 0:07. Panthers 34–3. Fourth quarter
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 10/16, 114 yards, TD ATL – Matt Ryan – 29/47, 260 yards, 2 INT Top rushers
CAR – Cam Newton – 6 rushes, 51 yards, TD ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers – 9 rushes, 44 yards Top receivers
The Panthers finished their season in Atlanta against the Falcons with the NFC South title and the NFC's #4 seed on the line. They would blowout Atlanta and finish the season out 7–8–1. The team would also improve to 18–6 when Newton doesn't commit a turnover.
NFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. #5 Arizona Cardinals[ edit ] Game information First quarter CAR – Graham Gano 47-yard field goal, 11:27. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 2:03. CAR – Jonathan Stewart 13-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 5:21. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 3:51. Second quarter ARI – Darren Fells 1-yard pass from Ryan Lindley (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 14:56. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:15. ARI – Marion Grice 1-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 2:50. Cardinals 14–10. Drive: 4 plays, 17 yards, 2:04. CAR – Graham Gano 39-yard field goal, 0:15. Cardinals 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 95 yards, 2:35. Third quarter CAR – Fozzy Whittaker 39-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 5:36. Panthers 20–14. Drive: 1 play, 39 yards, 0:14. CAR – Mike Tolbert 1-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 4:04. Panthers 27–14. Drive: 3 plays, 3 yards, 1:24. Fourth quarter Top passers Top rushers Top receivers
The win over the Cardinals improved the Panthers' overall record to 8–8–1, with the defense turning in a record performance, holding Arizona to 78 total yards. Their record stood at 13–26–1 when Cam turns the ball over.
NFC Divisional Playoffs: at #1 Seattle Seahawks[ edit ] NFC Divisional Playoffs: (#4) Carolina Panthers at (#1) Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Panthers 0 10 0 7 17 Seahawks 7 7 0 17 31
at CenturyLink Field , Seattle, Washington
Game information 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 7-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 7:44. Tied 7–7. Drive: 14 plays, 79 yards, 8:12. SEA – Jermaine Kearse 63-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 4:54. Seahawks 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 2:50. CAR – Graham Gano 35-yard field goal, 0:00. Seahawks 14–10. Drive: 13 plays, 62 yards, 4:54. 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter SEA – Steven Hauschka 37-yard field goal, 14:55. Seahawks 17–10. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 6:32. SEA – Luke Willson 25-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 10:26. Seahawks 24–10. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:27. SEA – Kam Chancellor 90-yard interception return (Steven Hauschka kick), 5:55. Seahawks 31–10. CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 15-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 2:34. Seahawks 31–17. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 3:21. Leading passers Leading rushers Leading receivers
The loss made the Panthers finish 8–9–1 overall and 13–27–1 when Newton turns the ball over.
^ a b The Panthers traded their original fifth- and one of their two seventh-round selections — Nos. 168 and 225 overall, respectively — to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the Vikings' fifth-round selection (No. 148 overall). The Panthers previously acquired the No. 225 overall selection in a trade that sent linebacker Jon Beason to the New York Giants . ^ The Panthers traded their original seventh-round selection (No. 243 overall) to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for safety Colin Jones . ^ a b c The kickoff time and/or network were changed after the initial schedule release as a result of flexible scheduling .The kickoff time and/or network were changed after the initial schedule release as a result of flexible scheduling. ^ Simulcast on WBTV . ^ Simulcast on WSOC-TV . ^ Simulcast on WJZY .
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