2012 Carolina Panthers season | |
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Owner | Jerry Richardson |
General manager | Marty Hurney |
Head coach | Ron Rivera |
Home field | Bank of America Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 7–9 |
Division place | 2nd NFC South |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Uniform | |
The 2012 season was the Carolina Panthers' 18th in the National Football League (NFL) and their second under head coach Ron Rivera. A day after the Panthers' loss to the Dallas Cowboys, general manager Marty Hurney was fired. [1] Until a new general manager was hired (that hire eventually being Dave Gettleman), director of football operations Brandon Beane served as interim general manager. [2] In a statistical rarity, the team lost the first 13 of their game-opening coin tosses, an event with a 1 in 8,192 probability. In the 13th game, the Panthers asked fans on Facebook to make the call, but the vote ended in a 50/50 tie. [3]
On January 30, 2012, the Panthers unveiled an updated version of the team's logo, the team's first logo change since the Panthers entered the NFL in 1995. [4] The new logo would subsequently be added to the team's uniforms, around the stadium and on merchandise.
The Panthers did not have a 3rd round selection. [a]
Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
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1 | 9 [b] | Luke Kuechly | LB | Boston College |
2 | 42 [c] | Amini Silatolu | G | Midwestern State |
4 | 103 [d] | Frank Alexander | DE | Oklahoma |
104 | Joe Adams | WR | Arkansas | |
5 | 143 | Josh Norman | CB | Coastal Carolina |
6 | 207 [e] | Brad Nortman | P | Wisconsin |
7 | 216 | D.J. Campbell | S | California |
Looking to improve off of a 6–10 season from rookie coach Ron Rivera and quarterback Cam Newton, the Panthers got off to a tough start. The Panthers began the season with a dismal 2–8 record through their first 10 games. The Panthers played competitively throughout most games the entire season with an exception of a 36–7 loss to the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants where the Panthers fell to a 20–0 deficit early in the game and could not recover. Many would turn to a victory on November 26 in a prime time match up against the struggling Philadelphia Eagles as the turning point in the season for the Panthers. With that win on Monday Night Football, the Panthers would go on to win 5 of their remaining 6 games, rattling off 4 victories in a row to finish the season, with one victory coming against the NFC's #1 seed Atlanta Falcons, the first win in the series for the Panthers since the 2009 season.
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
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1 | August 11 | Houston Texans | L 13–26 | 0–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
2 | August 17 | Miami Dolphins | W 23–17 | 1–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
3 | August 26 | at New York Jets | W 17–12 | 2–1 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
4 | August 30 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 16–17 | 2–2 | Heinz Field | Recap |
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
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1 | September 9 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 10–16 | 0–1 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
2 | September 16 | New Orleans Saints | W 35–27 | 1–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
3 | September 20 | New York Giants | L 7–36 | 1–2 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
4 | September 30 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 28–30 | 1–3 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
5 | October 7 | Seattle Seahawks | L 12–16 | 1–4 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
6 | Bye | |||||
7 | October 21 | Dallas Cowboys | L 14–19 | 1–5 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
8 | October 28 | at Chicago Bears | L 22–23 | 1–6 | Soldier Field | Recap |
9 | November 4 | at Washington Redskins | W 21–13 | 2–6 | FedExField | Recap |
10 | November 11 | Denver Broncos | L 14–36 | 2–7 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
11 | November 18 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 21–27 (OT) | 2–8 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
12 | November 26 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 30–22 | 3–8 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap |
13 | December 2 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 21–27 | 3–9 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
14 | December 9 | Atlanta Falcons | W 30–20 | 4–9 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
15 | December 16 | at San Diego Chargers | W 31–7 | 5–9 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
16 | December 23 | Oakland Raiders | W 17–6 | 6–9 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
17 | December 30 | at New Orleans Saints | W 44–38 | 7–9 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
Buccaneers | 10 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Game information | ||
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The Panthers started the season at 0–1 picking up their 4th straight regular season opening loss. Also, the team dropped to 0–11 in games where starting QB Cam Newton turns the ball over as he was picked off twice.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Saints | 10 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
Panthers | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information | ||
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With the win, the Panthers improved to 1–1, snapping their 4-game losing streak against the Saints. Also, the team improved to 1–11 in games where Newton has at least 1 turnover.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Giants | 10 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 36 |
Panthers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information | ||
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With the huge loss on Thursday Night Football, the Panthers fell to 1–2. The team also dropped to 1–12 in games where Cam Newton has at least 1 turnover.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
Falcons | 7 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 30 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information | ||
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With their 5th straight loss to the Falcons, the Panthers fell to 1–3. Also, for the first time the team lost a game after Newton did not record a turnover.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Seahawks | 3 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 16 |
Panthers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 12 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information | ||
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With the loss, the Panthers head into their bye week at 1–4. Also, the team dropped to 1–13 in games where Newton has a least a turnover.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Cowboys | 0 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 19 |
Panthers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information | ||
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With the loss, the Panthers fell to 1–5 and also to 1–14 in games when Newton records a turnover.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 3 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 22 |
Bears | 7 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 23 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
Game information | ||
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With the surprising loss, the Panthers dropped to 1–6. Also, the team moves to 1–15 in games where Newton has a turnover.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
Redskins | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
Game information | ||
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With the win, the Panthers improved to 2–6. The team also improves to 7–1 in games where Newton does not turn the ball over. Because this was the Redskins' last home game before the 2012 election, the Redskins Rule incorrectly predicted that Mitt Romney would win the election, or Barack Obama would win the election while losing the popular vote.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Broncos | 7 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 36 |
Panthers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information | ||
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With the loss, the Panthers fell to 2–7. The team also drops to 1–16 in games where Newton has a turnover.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
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Buccaneers | 10 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 27 |
Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information | ||
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With the loss, the Panthers fell to 2–8. Also, QB Cam Newton suffered being swept by all 3 division rival teams as the team dropped to 7–2 in games where he does not have a turnover.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 14 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 30 |
Eagles | 3 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 22 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Game information | ||
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With the win the Panthers improved to 3–8 and also 8–2 in games where Newton does not have a turnover.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
Chiefs | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Game information | ||
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With the loss, the Panthers dropped to 3–9 securing them their 3rd straight losing season. They also dropped in records to 0–2 against the AFC West and 8–3 when Newton does not turn the ball over.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Falcons | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 20 |
Panthers | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 30 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information | ||
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With the upset win, the Panthers improved to 4–9 and snapped their 5-game losing streak to the Falcons. Also, the team improved to 9–3 in games where Newton does not have a turnover.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 21 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
Chargers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
Game information | ||
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With the win, the Panthers improved to 5–9 and 10–3 when Newton does not have a turnover. It also leaves the Panthers 1–2 against the AFC West.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Raiders | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information | ||
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With the win, the Panthers improved to 6–9 and 2–16 when Newton turns the ball over at least once. Also, the team finished the season 2–2 against the AFC West.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 3 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 44 |
Saints | 0 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Game information | ||
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With the win the Panthers finished 7–9, good enough for 2nd place in the NFC South, and swept the Saints for the first time since 2008. Also, the team improved to 3–16 in games when Newton had a turnover. Also, Newton was one touchdown shy of being a 4th QB to have at least 20 passing touchdowns in his first 2 seasons as his total record of passing touchdowns stood at 19 while his rushing touchdowns stood at 8 leaving him with a failed improvement finishing with 27 total touchdowns.
NFC South | |||||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
(1) Atlanta Falcons | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 3–3 | 9–3 | 419 | 299 | L1 |
Carolina Panthers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 357 | 363 | W4 |
New Orleans Saints | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 461 | 454 | L1 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 4–8 | 389 | 394 | W1 |
The 2005 season was the New Orleans Saints' 39th in the National Football League (NFL) and the sixth and final under head coach Jim Haslett.
The 2011 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the fourth under head coach Mike Smith.
The 2013 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 44th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the first under head coach Doug Marrone. It was also the final season under the ownership of Ralph Wilson, who died in March 2014 at the age of 95. The team equaled their record from 2012 and missed the playoffs, increasing their playoff drought to 14 seasons. This was the first year of renewed leases on Ralph Wilson Stadium and for the Bills Toronto Series, both of which were signed in the preceding offseason.
The 2013 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 48th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the sixth under head coach Mike Smith. The Falcons entered the season as one of the Super Bowl favorites; however, due to multiple key injuries to the team, the Falcons failed to improve on their 13–3 season from 2012, finishing 4-12. They did not qualify for postseason contention for the first time since 2009 and secured the Falcons’ first losing season since 2007.
The 2013 season was the Carolina Panthers' 19th in the National Football League (NFL) and their third under head coach Ron Rivera. NFL.com ranked the Panthers' schedule as the strongest in the league, with opponents having a combined 2012 record of 138–116–2 and a winning percentage of .543.
The 2014 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 49th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the seventh and final under head coach Mike Smith. The Falcons were defeated by the Carolina Panthers in week 17, officially eliminating them from postseason contention for the second straight year. As a result, Smith was fired after his seventh year as head coach, after two straight years with a losing record.
The 2014 season was the Carolina Panthers' 20th in the National Football League (NFL) and their fourth under head coach Ron Rivera.
The 2014 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 39th season in the National Football League (NFL). It was also the first season under head coach Lovie Smith, replacing Greg Schiano, who was fired at the end of the 2013 season. It was also the first season under general manager Jason Licht, following the departure of Mark Dominik, after a disappointing 2013 season. It also marked the first season under new ownership since 1994, after longtime owner Malcolm Glazer died on May 28, 2014. Glazer's sons took over team operations.
The 2015 season was the Carolina Panthers' 21st in the National Football League (NFL) and their fifth under head coach Ron Rivera. This season marked the first time in team history they played on Thanksgiving. The Panthers had their best single-season turnaround in team history, going from 7–8–1 to 15–1.
The 2016 season was the Carolina Panthers' 22nd in the National Football League (NFL) and their sixth under head coach Ron Rivera. It was also the team's 20th season at Bank of America Stadium. The previous year, the Panthers achieved their highest win total in franchise history with a 15–1 record, but lost to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. They entered the 2016 season as the defending NFC champions and NFC South champions and hope to repeat as NFC champions.
The 2017 season was the Carolina Panthers' 23rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their seventh under head coach Ron Rivera. During the offseason, the team's notable free agent signings included Matt Kalil, Captain Munnerlyn and veteran Julius Peppers. Peppers previously spent his first eight seasons with the Panthers, appearing in Super Bowl XXXVIII with them. On July 17, 2017, the team announced Dave Gettleman had been relieved as general manager. His predecessor, Marty Hurney, was hired as interim general manager a day later. For the first time since 2011, the Panthers did not play the Seattle Seahawks during the regular season. The Panthers rebounded after a disappointing 2016 campaign, where they were the defending NFC champions but finished 6–10 and last in the NFC South. 2017 saw the Panthers qualify for the playoffs with an 11–5 record. However, they lost to the Saints 31–26 in the Wild Card round.
The 2018 season was the Carolina Panthers' 24th in the National Football League (NFL) and their eighth under head coach Ron Rivera. It was the team's first season without former assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who became head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in the offseason and former offensive coordinator Mike Shula, who became the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator of the New York Giants.
The 2019 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 54th in the National Football League (NFL), their third playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and their fifth under and final full season under head coach Dan Quinn, as he would be fired during their next season. They tried to improve on their 7–9 season from 2018, and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. However, the Falcons stumbled out of the gate and had their worst start for the first time in 16 years with a 1–7 record to begin the campaign.
The 2019 season was the Carolina Panthers' 25th in the National Football League (NFL), and their ninth and last under head coach Ron Rivera. The Panthers played in London as part of the NFL International Series for the first time in franchise history. This for first time since 2004 Thomas Davis was not on the opening day roster and for first time since 2006 Ryan Kalil was not on the opening roster.
The 2019 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 44th in the National Football League (NFL), their sixth under the leadership of general manager Jason Licht, their 22nd playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium and their first under head coach Bruce Arians. Despite improving on their 5–11 record from 2018 with a Week 14 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, the Buccaneers missed the playoffs for the twelfth consecutive season, which meant the Buccaneers were one of two teams to not qualify for the postseason in the 2010s, with the other team being the Cleveland Browns.
The 2020 season was the Carolina Panthers' 26th in the National Football League (NFL) and their first under head coach Matt Rhule. The offseason saw several notable departures; quarterback Cam Newton was released after the Panthers were unable to find a team willing to trade for him, while linebacker Luke Kuechly announced his retirement on January 14, 2020. On December 21, 2020 the Panthers parted ways with general manager Marty Hurney after a total of 19 seasons with the organization.
The 2021 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 56th season in the National Football League (NFL), their fifth playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and their first under general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith.
The 2022 season was the Carolina Panthers' 28th in the National Football League (NFL) and their third and final season under head coach Matt Rhule. They attempted to improve on their 5–12 record from last season and return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season. After a 1–4 start from the team, the Panthers fired head coach Matt Rhule, along with defensive coordinator Phil Snow. Rhule was replaced with defensive passing game coordinator Steve Wilks, who served as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. After a Week 16 win against the Detroit Lions, they improved on their 5 win total from the previous 3 years. However, they were eliminated from playoff contention for the fifth straight year when they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following week.
The 2023 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 58th in the National Football League (NFL), their seventh playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, their third under general manager Terry Fontenot and third and final season under head coach Arthur Smith. The Falcons attempted to improve upon their 7–10 record from the previous two years and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Despite starting 2–0, the first time since 2017 they won a season opener and had a winning record at some point, their struggles caught up to them, as after a 6–6 start and being 1st place in the NFC South, the team finished 1–4 in their final five games. Atlanta matched their previous two outputs of seven wins with a victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16. However, they were eliminated from playoff contention when the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Carolina Panthers in Week 18.
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. 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.
Brandon Beane, the team's director of football operations, will handle day-to-day football matters until a new GM is hired, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.d