2017 Carolina Panthers season | |
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Owner | Jerry Richardson |
General manager | Marty Hurney (interim) |
Head coach | Ron Rivera |
Home field | Bank of America Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 11–5 |
Division place | 2nd NFC South |
Playoff finish | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Saints) 26–31 |
Pro Bowlers | K Graham Gano MLB Luke Kuechly G Trai Turner OLB Thomas Davis Sr. |
AP All-Pros | MLB Luke Kuechly G Andrew Norwell T Daryl Williams |
Uniform | |
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. [1] 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.
As of the 2023 season, this was the last season that the Panthers qualified for the playoffs, making it 6 straight years that they have missed the postseason.
Position | Player | Age | 2016 Team | Contract |
---|---|---|---|---|
OT | Matt Kalil | 27 | Minnesota Vikings | 5 years, $55.5 million |
CB | Captain Munnerlyn | 29 | Minnesota Vikings | 4 years, $17 million |
WR | Russell Shepard | 26 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3 years, $10 million |
SS | Mike Adams | 36 | Indianapolis Colts | 2 years, $4.2 million |
OLB | Julius Peppers | 37 | Green Bay Packers | 1 year, $3.5 million |
DT | Kyle Love | 30 | Carolina Panthers | 2 years, $2.2 million |
WR | Charles Johnson | 28 | Minnesota Vikings | 1 year, $1.6 million |
OG | Chris Scott | 29 | Carolina Panthers | 1 year, $980,000 |
CB | Teddy Williams | 28 | Carolina Panthers | 1 year, $855,000 |
Position | Player | Age | 2017 Team |
---|---|---|---|
DT | Paul Soliai | 33 | none |
FS | Michael Griffin | 32 | none |
C | Ryan Wendell | 31 | none |
WR | LaRon Byrd | 27 | none |
DT | Chas Alecxih | 28 | none |
Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8 | Christian McCaffrey | RB | Stanford |
2 | 40 | Curtis Samuel | WR | Ohio State |
64 | Taylor Moton | OT | Western Michigan | |
3 | 77 | Daeshon Hall | DE | Texas A&M |
5 | 152 | Corn Elder | CB | Miami |
6 | 192 | Alexander Armah | FB/DE | West Georgia |
7 | 233 | Harrison Butker | K | Georgia Tech |
Notes
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
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1 | August 9 | Houston Texans | W 27–17 | 1–0 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
2 | August 19 | at Tennessee Titans | L 27–34 | 1–1 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
3 | August 24 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 24–23 | 2–1 | EverBank Field | Recap |
4 | August 31 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 14–17 | 2–2 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
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1 | September 10 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 23–3 | 1–0 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |
2 | September 17 | Buffalo Bills | W 9–3 | 2–0 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
3 | September 24 | New Orleans Saints | L 13–34 | 2–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
4 | October 1 | at New England Patriots | W 33–30 | 3–1 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
5 | October 8 | at Detroit Lions | W 27–24 | 4–1 | Ford Field | Recap |
6 | October 12 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 23–28 | 4–2 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
7 | October 22 | at Chicago Bears | L 3–17 | 4–3 | Soldier Field | Recap |
8 | October 29 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 17–3 | 5–3 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
9 | November 5 | Atlanta Falcons | W 20–17 | 6–3 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
10 | November 13 | Miami Dolphins | W 45–21 | 7–3 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
11 | Bye | |||||
12 | November 26 | at New York Jets | W 35–27 | 8–3 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
13 | December 3 | at New Orleans Saints | L 21–31 | 8–4 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
14 | December 10 | Minnesota Vikings | W 31–24 | 9–4 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
15 | December 17 | Green Bay Packers | W 31–24 | 10–4 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
16 | December 24 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 22–19 | 11–4 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
17 | December 31 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 10–22 | 11–5 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 7 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 23 |
49ers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Game information | ||
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The Panthers started off their season by making their first return to Levi's Stadium since losing to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. Late in the first quarter Cam Newton threw a 40-yard touchdown to Russell Sheppard followed by a Graham Gano field goal. The Panthers scored six more points in the second quarter with two field goals. In the third Jonathan Stewart scored a touchdown, followed by another Gano field goal. With 3:14 left to go in the third quarter, Gano made his third field goal of the day making the score 23–0. Robbie Gould's kick with thirteen seconds to go gave the 49ers their first points of the game. Neither the Panthers or 49ers scored in the fourth quarter, resulting in Carolina defeating San Francisco 23–3. They improved to 1–0.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Bills | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Panthers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information | ||
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In the Panthers home opener, Carolina's defense allowed only three points for the second straight week, and Graham Gano converted three field goals as the Panthers held on to defeat the Buffalo Bills 9–3 to remain undefeated. With seconds remaining in the game, Tyrod Taylor's 4th-and-11 pass sailed off diving rookie Zay Jones' fingertips, costing them the game winning touchdown. The Panthers improved to 2–0.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Saints | 7 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
Panthers | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information | ||
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The Saints were too much for the Panthers as they handed them their first loss of the season, 34–13. The Panthers fell to 2–1.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 3 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 33 |
Patriots | 3 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 30 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Game information | ||
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In the first quarter, both Carolina and New England managed to only kick field goals. New England scored the first touchdown in the second quarter. Carolina answered with a touchdown by Fozzy Whittaker which tied the game again. The Patriots later scored with another Stephen Gostkowski field goal. Devin Funchess caught a ten-yard pass from Newton to give the Panthers a 17–13 lead. With four seconds remaining in the half Gostkowski kicked a 58-yard field goal, making the halftime score 17–16. Carolina had the only score in the third quarter with a Funchess touchdown but Gano missed the extra point. The Panthers started the fourth quarter with Cam Newton rushing for a touchdown, increasing the lead to 30–16. New England managed to score twice, tying the game at 30. With seconds left, Graham Gano kicked the game winning field goal. The Panthers won 33–30 (their first win in Foxborough since 1995) and improved to 3–1, which would also be their record against the Patriots since losing to them in Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Panthers | 3 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
Lions | 3 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Game information | ||
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Carolina and Detroit were tied with 3 points apiece at the end of the first quarter. Early in the second, the Lions scored a touchdown, making the score 3–10. The Panthers answered back with a Christian McCaffery touchdown, tying the game again. Devin Funchess scored a touchdown towards the end of the quarter, giving the Panthers a 17–10 lead. The Panthers started the second half with Cam Newton throwing a 31-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin. Gano later made a 44-yard field goal to extend the lead to 27–10 going into the fourth quarter. Matthew Stafford threw a touchdown a pass to Fells, cutting the Panthers lead to 27–17. The Lions scored again with another Fells touchdown. The Panthers held on and won 27–24, improving to 4–1.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Eagles | 3 | 7 | 11 | 7 | 28 |
Panthers | 3 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 23 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information | ||
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On Thursday Night Football, both teams wore their Color Rush uniforms. The Eagles beat the Panthers 28–23, and Carolina fell to 4–2.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Panthers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Bears | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
Game information | ||
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The Panthers lost for a second straight week by managing to score only one field goal in Chicago. The Bears beat Carolina 17–3, and they fell to 4–3.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Game information | ||
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The Panthers bounced back after a two-week losing streak, and beat their division rivals 17–3. Carolina improved to 5–3.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Falcons | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
Panthers | 0 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 20 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information | ||
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This was the Panthers' first game without wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who was traded to Buffalo days earlier. [3] In this game, neither team scored in the same quarter. The Falcons were the only team to score in the first quarter, and led 10–0 going into the second. It was vice versa in the second, as Carolina scored two touchdowns for a four-point lead at the half. Atlanta was scoreless again in the third but Carolina scored on two Graham Gano field goals, making it 20–10. Atlanta had the only score of the fourth quarter, but Carolina survived and won 20–17. Their record improved to 6–3.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Dolphins | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
Panthers | 3 | 14 | 21 | 7 | 45 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information | ||
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In this Monday Night Football game, the Panthers beat the Dolphins 45–21 and improved to 7–3.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Panthers | 3 | 9 | 6 | 17 | 35 |
Jets | 3 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Game information | ||
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In the first quarter Carolina and New York scored only a field goal each. In the second quarter, Cam Newton scored a 1-yard touchdown but Graham Gano missed the extra point. Gano redeemed himself with another field goal, giving the Panthers a nine-point lead. Robby Anderson caught a 33-yard pass from Josh McCown, plus the extra point from Chandler Catanzaro, and Carolina led, 12–10. In the third New York scored a touchdown, and Jets led by 17–12. But Carolina answered with a Jonathan Stewart touchdown and took an 18–17 lead. Early in the fourth Catanzaro kicked a field goal, putting the Jets back on top, 20–18. Later the Panthers blitzed McCown and forced a fumble, which was recovered by Luke Kuechly who recovered it for a 34-yard touchdown. The Jets punted after their next drive fizzled and Kaelin Clay returned it 60 yards, making the score 32–20. Jermaine Kearse scored a touchdown for the Jets, and Catanzaro's extra point cut the Panthers' lead to 5. With 0:21 to go in the fourth quarter, Gano kicked a field goal and Carolina won by a final score of 35–27. The Panthers record improved to 8–3. Their win knocked the Jets and Giants out of playoff contention.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
Saints | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Game information | ||
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The Panthers and Saints were tied at 7–7 going into the second quarter. Mark Ingram II scored a touchdown with a Wil Lutz extra point, and the Saints led by seven. The Saintsd score again to lead by 14. At the end of the second Christian McCaffery scored a touchdown, and with the extra point by Graham Gano, Carolina was down by seven at the half. Alvin Kamara scored a touchdown (Lutz kick) in the third, again increasing New Orleans' lead to 14 points. In the fourth quarter New Orleans scored 3 and Carolina scored 7. The Saints were too much for Carolina and won 31–21. Carolina fell to 8–4.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Vikings | 7 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 24 |
Panthers | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information | ||
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In a game featuring two of the NFC's best teams, Carolina was able to hold off the Vikings and win 31–24. The Panthers improved to 9–4.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Packers | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
Panthers | 7 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information | ||
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The Panthers spoiled Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers' return by intercepting three passes and winning 31–24. They also improved to 10–4. A few hours after the game ended, owner Jerry Richardson announced he was putting the Panthers up for sale.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Buccaneers | 3 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 19 |
Panthers | 3 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 22 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information | ||
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With the close win, the Panthers clinched a playoff spot for the fourth time in five years. They also improved to 11–4.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
Falcons | 7 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 22 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information | ||
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The Panthers went to Atlanta with a chance to win the NFC South. If Tampa Bay beat New Orleans and Carolina won, the Panthers would win the title. Despite Tampa's victory over the Saints, the Panthers lost 22–10, making the Saints NFC South champions. The Panthers ended the regular season with an 11–5 record.
NFC South | |||||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
(4) New Orleans Saints | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 448 | 326 | L1 |
(5) Carolina Panthers | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 363 | 327 | L1 |
(6) Atlanta Falcons | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 9–3 | 353 | 315 | W1 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 335 | 382 | W1 |
# | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division leaders | |||||||||||
1 [lower-alpha 1] | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .461 | .433 | L1 |
2 [lower-alpha 1] | Minnesota Vikings | North | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .492 | .447 | W3 |
3 [lower-alpha 2] | Los Angeles Rams | West | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .504 | .460 | L1 |
4 [lower-alpha 2] [lower-alpha 3] | New Orleans Saints | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .535 | .483 | L1 |
Wild Cards | |||||||||||
5 [lower-alpha 3] | Carolina Panthers | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .539 | .500 | L1 |
6 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .543 | .475 | W1 |
Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
7 [lower-alpha 4] | Detroit Lions | North | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .496 | .368 | W1 |
8 [lower-alpha 4] | Seattle Seahawks | West | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .492 | .444 | L1 |
9 [lower-alpha 4] | Dallas Cowboys | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–1 | 7–5 | .496 | .438 | W1 |
10 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .488 | .406 | W2 |
11 [lower-alpha 5] | Green Bay Packers | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .539 | .357 | L3 |
12 [lower-alpha 5] | Washington Redskins | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .539 | .429 | L1 |
13 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .512 | .438 | W5 |
14 [lower-alpha 6] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .555 | .375 | W1 |
15 [lower-alpha 6] | Chicago Bears | North | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .559 | .500 | L1 |
16 | New York Giants | East | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 1–5 | 1–11 | .531 | .458 | W1 |
Tiebreakers [lower-alpha 7] | |||||||||||
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Playoff round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
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Wild Card | January 7, 2018 | at New Orleans Saints (4) | L 26–31 | 0–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 0 | 9 | 3 | 14 | 26 |
Saints | 7 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Game information | ||
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Carolina looked to beat New Orleans for the first time all season. Carolina's defense played better than in the past games, holding the Saints dynamic running backs to under 100 yards combined. Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw a crucial interception late, but the Panthers comeback fell just short and they lost 26–31. The Panthers ended the Wild Card Weekend with an 11–6 record.
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 New York Giants season was the franchise's 90th season in the National Football League (NFL), the fifth playing their home games at MetLife Stadium and the eleventh under head coach Tom Coughlin. The team failed to improve on their 7–9 mark from 2013, finishing 6–10.
The 2014 Philadelphia Eagles season was the franchise's 82nd season in the National Football League (NFL) and the second under head coach Chip Kelly. The Eagles led the NFC East for most of the year, but when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Indianapolis Colts in week 16, they were eliminated from playoff contention.
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 Arizona Cardinals' 96th in the National Football League (NFL), their 117th overall, their 28th in Arizona, their 10th playing home games at University of Phoenix Stadium and their third under head coach Bruce Arians. The Cardinals clinched their first NFC West title since 2009, in addition to the first 13-win season in franchise history. They also clinched a first round bye for the first time in franchise history.
The 2015 New York Giants season was the franchise's 91st season in the National Football League (NFL) and their sixth season playing their home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Tom Coughlin returned for his 12th and final season as the team's head coach. The Giants attempted to secure a playoff berth for the first time since their 2011 season, which concluded with their victory in Super Bowl XLVI. To honor the late Frank Gifford and Ann Mara, both of whom died earlier in 2015, the Giants added a number 16 decal on their helmets and special patch for Gifford and Mara respectively.
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 2015 season was the New Orleans Saints' 49th in the National Football League (NFL), their 40th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their ninth under head coach Sean Payton. On November 16, 2015, the Saints hired Dennis Allen to replace fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. However, the Saints still missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Saints set a new league record for the most passing touchdowns allowed with 45.
The 2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 40th season in the National Football League and the second under head coach Lovie Smith. The offseason was marked by the draft selection of All-American Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston first overall in the 2015 NFL Draft. The team wore a patch to commemorate the club's 40th season.
The 2016 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 51st season in the National Football League (NFL) and the second under head coach Dan Quinn. It also marked the team's 25th and final season playing their home games at the Georgia Dome, as the Falcons moved into the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017. The Falcons won the NFC South for the first time since 2012 and improved on their 8–8 record from 2015, going 11–5 and earning the second seed in the NFC playoffs. Quarterback Matt Ryan was named the 2016 NFL MVP. The Falcons scored 540 points, the most in the NFL for 2016 and 8th all-time. The team scored fewer than 23 points only once all season: a 24–15 loss to the Eagles.
The 2016 season was the Carolina Panthers' 22nd in the National Football League 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 2016 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League and the first under head coach Dirk Koetter. In week 13, the club won their seventh game, eclipsing their win total from 2015.
The 2016 Washington Redskins season was the franchise's 85th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 20th playing their home games at FedExField and the third under head coach Jay Gruden.
The 2017 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 52nd in the National Football League (NFL), their first playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and their third under head coach Dan Quinn. They entered the season as the defending NFC champions and tried to defend their NFC title for a second consecutive trip to the Super Bowl after losing the previous year against the Patriots in Super Bowl LI after blowing a 28-3 lead. This was the Falcons' first year in Mercedes-Benz Stadium after spending the previous 25 seasons in the Georgia Dome, which was demolished on November 20, 2017. Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened as scheduled on August 26, 2017; however, its retractable roof system was incomplete. The roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium remained in the closed position for most of the 2017 season, with the roof opened only during the September 17 game against the Green Bay Packers, as contractors continued to fully mechanize the roof.
The 2017 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 42nd season in the National Football League, the 20th playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium and the second under head coach Dirk Koetter.
The 2018 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 59th in the National Football League (NFL), their 30th under the ownership of Jerry Jones, their 10th playing their home games at AT&T Stadium, and their eighth full season under head coach Jason Garrett. AT&T Stadium also became the first stadium venue to host the annual draft. For the first time since 2009, wide receiver Dez Bryant was not on the opening day roster, as he was released on April 13, 2018 and later signed with the New Orleans Saints on November 7, 2018. For the first time since 2002, tight end Jason Witten was not on the opening day roster, having announced his retirement on May 3, 2018. For the first time since 2010, kicker Dan Bailey was not on the opening day roster, as he was released on September 1, 2018.
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 2018 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 43rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their third and final under head coach Dirk Koetter.
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 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.