2014 Carolina Panthers season

Last updated

2014 Carolina Panthers season
Owner Jerry Richardson
General manager Dave Gettleman
Head coach Ron Rivera
Home field Bank of America Stadium
Results
Record7–8–1
Division place1st NFC South
Playoff finishWon Wild Card Playoffs
(vs. Cardinals) 27–16
Lost Divisional Playoffs
(at Seahawks) 17–31
Pro Bowlers TE Greg Olsen
LB Luke Kuechly
All-Pros LB Luke Kuechly (1st team)
Uniform
Carolina panthers uniforms.png

The 2014 season was the Carolina Panthers' 20th in the National Football League (NFL) and their fourth under head coach Ron Rivera.

Contents

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 in a full season 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 20032004 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 Draft Class

2014 Carolina Panthers Draft
RoundSelectionPlayerPositionCollege
1 28 Kelvin Benjamin Wide receiver Florida State
260 Kony Ealy Defensive end Missouri
392 Trai Turner Offensive guard LSU
4128 Tre Boston Safety North Carolina
5148 [A] Bené Benwikere Cornerback San Jose State
6204 Tyler Gaffney Running back Stanford
7None [A] [B]

Staff

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

Final roster

2014 Carolina Panthers roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics
53 active, 9 reserve, 10 practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

The Panthers' preseason opponents were announced on April 9, 2014.

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1August 8 Buffalo Bills L 18–200–1 Bank of America Stadium Recap
2August 17 Kansas City Chiefs W 28–161–1Bank of America Stadium Recap
3August 22at New England Patriots L 7–301–2 Gillette Stadium Recap
4August 28at Pittsburgh Steelers W 10–02–2 Heinz Field Recap

Regular season

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1September 7at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 20–141–0 Raymond James Stadium Recap
2September 14 Detroit Lions W 24–72–0 Bank of America Stadium Recap
3September 21 Pittsburgh Steelers L 19–372–1Bank of America Stadium Recap
4September 28at Baltimore Ravens L 10–382–2 M&T Bank Stadium Recap
5October 5 Chicago Bears W 31–243–2Bank of America Stadium Recap
6October 12at Cincinnati Bengals T 37–37 (OT)3–2–1 Paul Brown Stadium Recap
7October 19at Green Bay Packers L 17–383–3–1 Lambeau Field Recap
8October 26 Seattle Seahawks L 9–133–4–1Bank of America Stadium Recap
9October 30 New Orleans Saints L 10–283–5–1Bank of America Stadium Recap
10November 10at Philadelphia Eagles L 21–453–6–1 Lincoln Financial Field Recap
11November 16 Atlanta Falcons L 17–193–7–1Bank of America Stadium Recap
12 Bye
13November 30at Minnesota Vikings L 13–313–8–1 TCF Bank Stadium Recap
14December 7at New Orleans Saints W 41–104–8–1 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
15December 14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 19–175–8–1Bank of America Stadium Recap
16December 21 Cleveland Browns W 17–136–8–1Bank of America Stadium Recap
17December 28at Atlanta Falcons W 34–37–8–1 Georgia Dome Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Postseason

RoundDateOpponent (seed)ResultRecordVenueRecap
Wild CardJanuary 3, 2015 Arizona Cardinals (5)W 27–161–0 Bank of America Stadium Recap
DivisionalJanuary 10, 2015at Seattle Seahawks (1)L 17–311–1 CenturyLink Field Recap

Game summaries

Regular season

Week 1: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week One: Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Panthers01001020
Buccaneers0001414

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Game information

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

Week Two: Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Lions00707
Panthers0671124

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Date: September 14
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 73,586
  • Referee: Jerome Boger
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

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

Week Three: Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Steelers36141437
Panthers3031319

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

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

Week Four: Carolina Panthers at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Panthers073010
Ravens02171038

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

Game information

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

Week Five: Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Bears1473024
Panthers7771031

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

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

Week Six: Carolina Panthers at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Quarter1234OTTotal
Panthers731410337
Bengals017017337

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Date: October 12
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 57,053
  • Referee: Carl Cheffers
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

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

Week Seven: Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Panthers0301417
Packers21710038

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game information

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

Week Eight: Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Seahawks033713
Panthers33039

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

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

Week Nine: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Saints0147728
Panthers007310

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

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

Week Ten: Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Panthers7001421
Eagles17147745

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Game information

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

Week Eleven: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Falcons0610319
Panthers0301417

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

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

Week Thirteen: Carolina Panthers at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Panthers337013
Vikings14140331

at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: November 30
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 12 °F (−11 °C), sunny
  • Game attendance: 52,016
  • Referee: Brad Allen
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

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

Week Fourteen: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Panthers17714341
Saints030710

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

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

Week Fifteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Buccaneers730717
Panthers637319

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Date: December 14
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), sunny
  • Game attendance: 72,842
  • Referee: Ron Torbert
  • TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Kirk Morrison and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

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

Week Sixteen: Cleveland Browns at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Browns033713
Panthers370717

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

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

Week Seventeen: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Panthers101410034
Falcons30003

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

  • Date: December 28
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST [C]
  • Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
  • Game attendance: 71,015
  • Referee: Bill Leavy
  • TV announcers (CBS [C] ): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

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.

Postseason

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (5) Arizona Cardinals

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: (5) Arizona Cardinals at (4) Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cardinals0140216
Panthers10314027

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

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

NFC Divisional Playoffs: (4) Carolina Panthers at (1) Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Panthers0100717
Seahawks7701731

at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

Game information

The loss made the Panthers finish 8–9–1 overall and 13–27–1 when Newton turns the ball over.

Standings

Division

NFC South
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
(4) Carolina Panthers 781.4694–26–6339374W4
New Orleans Saints 790.4383–36–6401424W1
Atlanta Falcons 6100.3755–16–6381417L1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2140.1250–61–11277410L6

Conference

#TeamDivisionWLTPCTDIVCONFSOSSOVSTK
Division leaders
1 [a] Seattle Seahawks West1240.7505–110–2.525.513W6
2 [a] Green Bay Packers North1240.7505–19–3.482.440W2
3 [a] Dallas Cowboys East1240.7504–28–4.445.422W4
4 Carolina Panthers South781.4694–26–6.490.357W4
Wild Cards
5 [b] Arizona Cardinals West1150.6883–38–4.523.477L2
6 [b] Detroit Lions North1150.6885–19–3.471.392L1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7 Philadelphia Eagles East1060.6254–26–6.490.416W1
8 San Francisco 49ers West880.5002–47–5.527.508W1
9 [c] New Orleans Saints South790.4383–36–6.486.415W1
10 [c] Minnesota Vikings North790.4381–56–6.475.308W1
11 [d] New York Giants East6100.3752–44–8.512.323L1
12 [d] Atlanta Falcons South6100.3755–16–6.482.380L1
13 [d] St. Louis Rams West6100.3752–44–8.531.427L3
14 Chicago Bears North5110.3131–54–8.529.338L5
15 Washington Redskins East4120.2502–42–10.496.422L1
16 Tampa Bay Buccaneers South2140.1250–61–11.486.469L6
Tiebreakers [e]
  1. 1 2 3 Seattle, Green Bay and Dallas were ranked in seeds 1–3 based on conference record.
  2. 1 2 Arizona defeated Detroit head-to-head (Week 11, 14–6).
  3. 1 2 New Orleans defeated Minnesota head-to-head (Week 3, 20–9).
  4. 1 2 3 The NY Giants defeated both Atlanta and St. Louis head-to-head (Atlanta: Week 5, 30–20; St. Louis: Week 16, 37–27), while Atlanta finished ahead of St. Louis based on conference record.
  5. 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.

Notes

  1. 1 2 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.
  2. The Panthers traded their original seventh-round selection (No. 243 overall) to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for safety Colin Jones.
  3. 1 2 3 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.
  4. Simulcast on WBTV.
  5. Simulcast on WSOC-TV.
  6. Simulcast on WJZY.

References

  1. "Bengals, Panthers have highest-scoring tie game ever".
  2. "2014 Conference Standings". NFL.com. Retrieved December 11, 2023.