2022 Carolina Panthers season

2022 Carolina Panthers season
2022 Carolina Panthers season
Owner	David Tepper
General manager	Scott Fitterer
Head coach	Matt Rhule (fired October 10; 1–4 record); Steve Wilks (interim; 6–6 record)
Home field	Bank of America Stadium
Results
Record	7–10
Division place	2nd NFC South
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	DE Brian Burns
Uniform
	← 2021; Panthers seasons; 2023 →;

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.^[1] 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.^[2]

Offseason

Signings

Position	Player	Age	2021 Team	Contract
C	Bradley Bozeman	27	Baltimore Ravens	1 year, $2.8 million
G	Austin Corbett	26	Los Angeles Rams	3 years, $26.2 million
RB	D'Onta Foreman	26	Tennessee Titans	1 year, $2 million
P	Johnny Hekker	32	Los Angeles Rams	3 years, $7.6 million
WR	Rashard Higgins	27	Cleveland Browns	1 year, $1.1 million
DT	Matt Ioannidis	28	Washington Commanders	1 year, $9.5 million
LB	Cory Littleton	28	Las Vegas Raiders	1 year, $2.6 million
LB	Damien Wilson	29	Jacksonville Jaguars	2 years, $6.9 million
FS	Xavier Woods	26	Minnesota Vikings	3 years, $15 million
WR	Andre Roberts	34	Los Angeles Chargers	1 year, $1.7 million

Draft

2022 Carolina Panthers Draft
Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	6	Ikem Ekwonu	OT	NC State
2	38	Traded to the New York Jets^[A]
3	70	Traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars^[B]
3	94	Matt Corral	QB	Ole Miss	from Chiefs via Patriots^[C]
4	111	Traded to the New York Jets^[A]
	120	Brandon Smith	LB	Penn State	from Saints via Commanders^[D]
	137	Traded to the New England Patriots^[C]			from Rams via Texans^[E]
5	144	Traded to the Washington Commanders^[D]			from Jaguars^[B]
5	149	Traded to the Washington Commanders^[D]
6	185	Traded to the Buffalo Bills^[F]
	189	Amaré Barno	LB	Virginia Tech	from Commanders^[D]
	199	Cade Mays	OG	Tennessee	from Raiders^[G]
7	227	Traded to the Las Vegas Raiders^[G]
7	242	Kalon Barnes	CB	Baylor	from Patriots via Dolphins^[H]

Draft trades

^ ^a ^b The Panthers traded second- and fourth-round selections (38th and 111th overall), and a 2021 sixth-round selection to the New York Jets in exchange for QB Sam Darnold.
^ ^a ^b The Panthers traded TE Dan Arnold and a third-round selection (70th overall) to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for CB C. J. Henderson and a fifth-round selection (144th overall).^[3]
^ ^a ^b The Panthers traded a fourth-round selection (137th overall) and a 2023 third-round selection to the New England Patriots in exchange for a third-round selection (94th overall).
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d The Panthers traded two fifth-round selections (144th and 149th overall) to the Washington Commanders in exchange for fourth- and sixth-round selections (120th and 189th overall).
^ The Panthers traded a 2021 third-round selection to the Houston Texans in exchange for a fourth-round selection (137th overall), and 2021 fourth- and fifth-round selections.
^ The Panthers traded a sixth-round selection (185th overall) to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for DE Darryl Johnson.
^ ^a ^b The Panthers traded LB Denzel Perryman and a seventh-round selection (227th overall) to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a sixth-round selection (199th overall).
^ The Panthers traded OT Greg Little to the Miami Dolpins in exchange for a seventh-round selection (242nd overall).

Trades

Date	Trade partner	Panthers traded	Panthers received	Notes
July 6	Cleveland Browns	2024 Conditional 5th-round selection^[4]	QB Baker Mayfield	^[5]
August 29	Jacksonville Jaguars	2023 7th-round selection 2024 6th-round selection	WR Laviska Shenault
August 29	Tennessee Titans	Dennis Daley 2024 7th-round selection	2024 5th-round selection

2022 Carolina Panthers undrafted free agents
Name	Position	College	Ref.
Josh Babicz	TE	North Dakota State	^[6]
Davis Cheek	QB	Elon
Isaiah Graham-Mobley	LB	Boston College
Drew Hartlaub	S	Penn State
Ra'Shaun Henry	WR	Virginia
Talolo Limu-Jones	WR	Eastern Kentucky
John Lovett	RB	Penn State
Marquan McCall	DT	Kentucky
Arron Mosby	LB	Fresno State
Andrew Parchment	WR	Florida State
Charleston Rambo	WR	Miami (FL)
Khalan Tolson	LB	Illinois
Derek Wright	WR	Utah State

Staff

**2022 Carolina Panthers staff**
	Front office Owner – David Tepper President – Kristi Coleman General manager – Scott Fitterer Assistant general manager – Dan Morgan Vice president of football operations & senior advisor to ownership – Steven Drummond Vice president of football administration – Samir Suleiman Vice president of player personnel – Pat Stewart Senior personnel executive – Jeff Morrow Director of football operations – Mike Anderson Director of college scouting – Cole Spencer Director of pro scouting – Rob Hanrahan Assistant director of pro scouting – Tyler Ramsey Director of football analytics – Taylor Rajack Head coaches Interim Head Coach – Steve Wilks Assistant head coach/offense – Jeff Nixon Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Ben McAdoo Quarterbacks – Sean Ryan Wide receivers – Joe Dailey Tight ends – Kevin M. Gilbride Offensive line – James Campen Assistant offensive line – Robert Kugler Pass game specialist – Matt Lombardi Offensive assistant – Garret McGuire Offensive assistant – Jody Owens			Defensive coaches Interim defensive coordinator – Al Holcomb Defensive run game coordinator – Mike Siravo Defensive line – Terrance Knighton Assistant defensive line – Don Johnson Defensive backs – Bobby Mafei Defensive assistant – Rob Dvoracek Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Chris Tabor Special teams assistant – Cedric Whitaker Strength and conditioning Head athletic trainer – Kevin King Strength and conditioning – Jeremy Scott Strength and conditioning assistant – Thomas Barbeau Strength and conditioning assistant – Corey Campbell Human performance assistant – Timothy Rabas

Final roster

**2022 Carolina Panthers final roster**

	Quarterbacks 14 Sam Darnold 11 P. J. Walker Running backs 20 Raheem Blackshear 33 D'Onta Foreman 30 Chuba Hubbard 45 Giovanni Ricci FB Wide receivers 17 Rashard Higgins 88 Terrace Marshall Jr. 2 D. J. Moore 18 Andre Roberts 15 Laviska Shenault 12 Shi Smith Tight ends 84 Stephen Sullivan 80 Ian Thomas 82 Tommy Tremble		Offensive linemen 56 Bradley Bozeman C 70 Brady Christensen G 74 Larnel Coleman T 63 Austin Corbett G 79 Ikem Ekwonu T 75 Cameron Erving T 73 Michael Jordan G 64 Cade Mays G 72 Taylor Moton T Defensive linemen 94 Henry Anderson DE 90 Amaré Barno DE 95 Derrick Brown DT 53 Brian Burns DE 97 Yetur Gross-Matos DE 98 Marquis Haynes DE 99 Matt Ioannidis DT 78 Marquan McCall DT 93 Bravvion Roy DT		Linebackers 47 Joel Iyiegbuniwe MLB 55 Cory Littleton OLB 49 Frankie Luvu OLB 7 Shaq Thompson OLB 57 Damien Wilson MLB 50 Chandler Wooten MLB Defensive backs 31 Juston Burris SS 27 T. J. Carrie CB 34 Sean Chandler SS 21 Jeremy Chinn FS 42 Sam Franklin SS 38 Myles Hartsfield FS 24 C. J. Henderson CB 28 Keith Taylor CB 25 Xavier Woods FS Special teams 10 Johnny Hekker P 44 J. J. Jansen LS 4 Eddy Piñeiro K		Reserve lists 9 Matt Corral QB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 60 Pat Elflein C (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 5 Zane Gonzalez K (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 8 Jaycee Horn CB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 26 Donte Jackson CB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 32 Justin Layne CB (Did not report) 40 Brandon Smith OLB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 23 Stantley Thomas-Oliver CB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) Practice squad 77 Deonte Brown G 41 Spencer Brown RB 13 Davis Cheek QB 36 Madre Harper CB 35 Gavin Heslop CB 71 Phil Hoskins DT 91 Kobe Jones OLB 46 Arron Mosby OLB 6 Josh Norman CB 29 Kenny Robinson SS 81 C. J. Saunders WR 68 Sam Tecklenburg C 86 Colin Thompson TE 85 Preston Williams WR 92 Raequan Williams DE 83 Derek Wright WR Rookies in italics 51 active, 8 inactive, 16 practice squad

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 13	at Washington Commanders	W 23–21	1–0	Fedex Field	Recap
2	August 19	at New England Patriots	L 10–20	1–1	Gillette Stadium	Recap
3	August 26	Buffalo Bills	W 21–0	2–1	Bank of America Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 11	Cleveland Browns	L 24–26	0–1	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
2	September 18	at New York Giants	L 16–19	0–2	MetLife Stadium	Recap
3	September 25	New Orleans Saints	W 22–14	1–2	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
4	October 2	Arizona Cardinals	L 16–26	1–3	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
5	October 9	San Francisco 49ers	L 15–37	1–4	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
6	October 16	at Los Angeles Rams	L 10–24	1–5	SoFi Stadium	Recap
7	October 23	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 21–3	2–5	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
8	October 30	at Atlanta Falcons	L 34–37 (OT)	2–6	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
9	November 6	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 21–42	2–7	Paycor Stadium	Recap
10	November 10	Atlanta Falcons	W 25–15	3–7	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
11	November 20	at Baltimore Ravens	L 3–13	3–8	M&T Bank Stadium	Recap
12	November 27	Denver Broncos	W 23–10	4–8	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
13	Bye
14	December 11	at Seattle Seahawks	W 30–24	5–8	Lumen Field	Recap
15	December 18	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 16–24	5–9	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
16	December 24	Detroit Lions	W 37–23	6–9	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
17	January 1	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 24–30	6–10	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
18	January 8	at New Orleans Saints	W 10–7	7–10	Caesars Superdome	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week 1: Cleveland Browns at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	0	17	3	6	26
Panthers	0	7	0	17	24

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Date: September 11
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Cloudy, 80 °F (27 °C)
Game attendance: 72,205
Referee: Brad Rogers
TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Jay Feely and Aditi Kinkhabwala
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays.

Second quarter

CLE – Kareem Hunt 1-yard pass from Jacoby Brissett (Cade York kick), 10:49. Browns 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 42 yards, 1:37.
CLE – Kareem Hunt 24-yard run (Cade York kick), 4:46. Browns 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 4:33.
CAR – Christian McCaffrey 1-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 1:57. Browns 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:49.
CLE – Cade York 26-yard field goal, 0:21. Browns 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 1:36.

Third quarter

CLE – Cade York 34-yard field goal, 7:42. Browns 20–7. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 7:18.

Fourth quarter

CAR – Baker Mayfield 7-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 12:51. Browns 20–14. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:44.
CLE – Cade York 36-yard field goal, 6:14. Browns 23–14. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 6:38.
CAR – Robbie Anderson 75-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 6:02. Browns 23–21. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:11.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 34-yard field goal, 1:13. Panthers 24–23. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 1:01.
CLE – Cade York 58-yard field goal, 0:08. Browns 26–24. Drive: 6 plays, 35 yards, 1:05.

Top passers

CLE – Jacoby Brissett – 18/34, 147 yards, TD
CAR – Baker Mayfield – 16/27, 235 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

CLE – Nick Chubb – 22 rushes, 141 yards
CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 10 rushes, 33 yards, TD

Top receivers

CLE – Donovan Peoples-Jones – 6 receptions, 60 yards
CAR – Robbie Anderson – 5 receptions, 102 yards, TD

In the Panthers' home opener against the Cleveland Browns, they came close to winning, but the Browns were able to hold them off. Cleveland defeated Carolina 26–24, meaning the Panthers started off the season 0–1.

Week 2: at New York Giants

Week 2: Carolina Panthers at New York Giants – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	6	7	3	16
Giants	6	0	7	6	19

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: September 18
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Fair, 73 °F (23 °C)
Game attendance: 73,843
Referee: Ronald Torbert
TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston and Pam Oliver
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

NYG – Graham Gano 36-yard field goal, 12:50. Giants 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 2:02.
NYG – Graham Gano 33-yard field goal, 2:30. Giants 6–0. Drive: 13 plays, 25 yards, 7:47.

Second quarter

CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 31-yard field goal, 12:15. Giants 6–3. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 5:15.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 32-yard field goal, 0:56. Tied 6–6. Drive: 10 plays, 34 yards, 4:23.

Third quarter

CAR – D. J. Moore 16-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 12:27. Panthers 13–6. Drive: 3 plays, 67 yards, 1:00.
NYG – Daniel Bellinger 16-yard pass from Daniel Jones (Graham Gano kick), 9:19. Tied 13–13. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:08.

Fourth quarter

NYG – Graham Gano 51-yard field goal, 12:31. Giants 16–13. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 3:24.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 38-yard field goal, 10:46. Tied 16–16. Drive: 5 plays, 55 yards, 1:45.
NYG – Graham Gano 56-yard field goal, 3:34. Giants 19–16. Drive: 11 plays, 37 yards, 7:12.

Top passers

CAR – Baker Mayfield – 14/29, 145 yards, TD
NYG – Daniel Jones – 22/34, 176 yards, TD

Top rushers

CAR – Christian McCaffrey - 15 rushes, 102 yards
NYG – Saquon Barkley - 21 rushes, 72 yards

Top receivers

CAR – D. J. Moore – 3 receptions, 43 yards, TD
NYG – Richie James – 5 receptions, 51 yards

This was head coach Matt Rhule's first return to MetLife Stadium in 10 years, as he had previously served as the Giants' asst. offensive line coach under then-head coach Tom Coughlin in 2012, a season after the Giants won their 4th Super Bowl title. Things started poorly for the Panthers when, during kick-off, Chuba Hubbard fumbled the ball, and it was recovered by the New York Giants. New York ended up scoring a field goal on the ensuing drive. When Carolina got the ball back, they would fumble again and the Giants scored another field goal. In the second quarter, Eddy Piñeiro scores two field goals for the Panthers, tying the game. Baker Mayfield makes a complete pass to D. J. Moore in the third for a touchdown. The Giants answered back with a Daniel Bellinger touch down, tying the game at 13-13 going into the 4th quarter. The Panthers only scored three points in the fourth, while New York scored 6, giving the Giants a 19-16 win, dropping the Panthers to an 0–2 record.

Week 3: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 3: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	0	0	0	14	14
Panthers	7	6	0	9	22

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Date: September 25
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Partly cloudy, 68 °F (20 °C)
Game attendance: 70,496
Referee: Carl Cheffers
TV announcers (Fox): Dan Hellie, Matt Millen and Lindsay Czarniak
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

CAR – Marquis Haynes 44-yard fumble return (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 5:32. Panthers 7–0.

Second quarter

CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 45-yard field goal, 14:16. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 5:10.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 48-yard field goal, 2:56. Panthers 13–0. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 5:36.

Third quarter

No scoring plays.

Fourth quarter

NO – Mark Ingram II 5-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 12:31. Panthers 13–7. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 3:28.
CAR – Laviska Shenault 67-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (run failed), 12:06. Panthers 19–7. Drive: 2 plays, 67 yards, 0:25.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 34-yard field goal, 8:19. Panthers 22–7. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 3:00.
NO – Marquez Callaway 4-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Wil Lutz kick), 2:22. Panthers 22–14. Drive: 3 plays, 90 yards, 1:06.

Top passers

NO – Jameis Winston – 25/41, 353 yards, TD, 2 INT
CAR – Baker Mayfield – 12/25, 170 yards, TD

Top rushers

NO – Alvin Kamara – 15 rushes, 61 yards
CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 25 rushes, 108 yards

Top receivers

NO – Chris Olave – 9 receptions, 147 yards
CAR – Laviska Shenault – 2 receptions, 90 yards, TD

The game started off well for Carolina in the first quarter when New Orleans fumbled the ball. Marquis Haynes recovered it and scored a fumble recovery touchdown for the Panthers. Carolina led by thirteen points at the half after Eddy Piñeiro kicked two field goals in the second quarter. Early in the fourth, Mark Ingram scores a touchdown for the Saints, giving them their first points of the game. Baker Mayfield completes a 67-yard pass to Laviska Shenault for a touchdown. They tried for a two-point conversion, but it failed. With 8:19 to go into the game, Piñeiro kicked another field goal for Carolina. With 2:22 remaining, Marquez Callaway scores a touchdown for the Saints, though it wasn't enough. Carolina defeated New Orleans 22–14, snapping a 9 game losing streak and improving to 1–2.

Week 4: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week 4: Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	3	7	16	26
Panthers	0	10	0	6	16

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Date: October 2
Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 65 °F (18 °C)
Game attendance: 69,810
Referee: John Hussey
TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays.

Second quarter

CAR – Frankie Luvu 33-yard interception return (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 12:13. Panthers 7–0.
ARI – Matt Prater 33-yard field goal, 3:34. Panthers 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 3:19.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 54-yard field goal, 3:34. Panthers 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 0:21.

Third quarter

ARI – Zach Ertz 2-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 7:42. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 89 yards, 5:08.

Fourth quarter

ARI – Matt Prater 39-yard field goal, 3:34. Cardinals 13–10. Drive: 15 plays, 57 yards, 9:26.
ARI - Kyler Murray 4-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 10:26. Cardinals 20–10. Drive: 2 plays, 5 yards, 0:42
ARI – Marquise Brown 23-yard pass from Kyler Murray (pass failed), 7:37. Cardinals 26–10. Drive: 3 plays, 31 yards, 1:36.
CAR – Christian McCaffrey 13-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (pass failed), 4:47. Cardinals 26–16. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 2:50.

Top passers

ARI – Kyler Murray – 23/32, 207 yards, 2 TD, INT
CAR – Baker Mayfield – 22/36, 197 yards, TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

ARI – James Conner – 15 rushes, 55 yards
CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 8 rushes, 27 yards

Top receivers

ARI – Marquise Brown – 6 receptions, 88 yards, TD
CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 9 receptions, 81 yards, TD

The Cardinals end up being too much for the Panthers and defeat them 26–16. Carolina falls to 1–3.

Week 5: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week 5: San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	7	10	7	13	37
Panthers	0	3	9	3	15

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Date: October 9
Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Sunny, 68 °F (20 °C)
Game attendance: 72,321
Referee: Shawn Smith
TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

SF – Tevin Coleman 9-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo (Robbie Gould kick), 11:40. 49ers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:20.

Second quarter

SF – Robbie Gould 49-yard field goal, 12:56. 49ers 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 4:14.
CAR – Eddy Pineiro 43-yard field goal, 7:59. 49ers 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 4:27.
SF – Emmanuel Moseley 41-yard interception return (Robbie Gould kick), 0:43. 49ers 17–3.

Third quarter

CAR – Christian McCaffrey 19-yard run (run failed), 11:57. 49ers 17–9. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 3:03.
SF – Deebo Samuel 4-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo (Robbie Gould kick), 6:32. 49ers 24–9. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:25.
CAR – Eddy Pineiro 37-yard field goal, 3:40. 49ers 24–12. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 2:52.

Fourth quarter

SF – Jeff Wilson Jr. 1-yard run (kick failed, wide left), 12:31. 49ers 30–12. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:09.
CAR – Eddy Pineiro 34-yard field goal, 6:51. 49ers 30–15. Drive: 12 plays, 59 yards, 5:40.
SF – Tevin Coleman 5-yard run (Mitch Wishnowsky kick), 3:15. 49ers 37–15. Drive: 2 plays, 3 yards, 0:51.

Top passers

SF – Jimmy Garoppolo – 18/30, 253 yards, 2 TD
CAR – Baker Mayfield – 20/36, 215 yards, INT

Top rushers

SF – Jeff Wilson Jr. – 17 rushes, 120 TD
CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 14 rushes, 54 yards, TD

Top receivers

SF – Brandon Aiyuk – 3 receptions, 58 yards
CAR – Shi Smith – 4 receptions, 69 yards

The Panthers lose to San Francisco 15–37 and dropped to 1–4 on the year. This was head coach Matt Rhule's and defensive coordinator Phil Snow's last game with the Panthers, as both were fired in the days following the loss with Steve Wilks promoted to interim head coach. In addition, Baker Mayfield, who had another disappointing performance, was benched in favor of P. J. Walker.

Week 6: at Los Angeles Rams

Week 6: Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	3	7	0	0	10
Rams	0	7	10	7	24

at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

Date: October 16
Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
Game weather: Cloudy, 72 °F (22 °C)
Game attendance: 71,482
Referee: Tra Blake
TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 42-yard field goal, 8:38. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 6:22.

Second quarter

LAR – Allen Robinson 5-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Gay kick), 3:34. Rams 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 7:58.
CAR – Donte Jackson 30-yard interception return (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 1:58. Panthers 10–7.

Third quarter

LAR – Matt Gay 21-yard field goal, 4:37. Tied 10–10. Drive: 12 plays, 87 yards, 6:46.
LAR – Ben Skowronek 17-yard run (Matt Gay kick), 0:11. Rams 17–10. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:50.

Fourth quarter

LAR – Darrell Henderson 2-yard run (Matt Gay kick), 8:15. Rams 24–10. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 5:17.

Top passers

CAR – P. J. Walker – 10/16, 60 yards
LAR – Matthew Stafford – 26/33, 253 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 13 rushes, 69 yards
LAR – Darrell Henderson – 13 rushes, 43 yards, TD

Top receivers

CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 7 receptions, 89 yards
LAR – Cooper Kupp – 7 receptions, 80 yards

Carolina started the game off with a field goal in the first. Both the Panthers and the Rams scored touchdowns in the second, leaving them up 10-7 into the half. The Panthers went scoreless in the second half, while Los Angeles took control and scored 17. The Rams defeated Carolina 24–10. For the first time since 2016, the Panthers were 1–5. This was also the last game Christian McCaffrey would play in as a player of the Panthers, as he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers on October 20, 2022.^[7]

Week 7: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 7: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

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

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Date: October 23
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Sunny, 67 °F (19 °C)
Game attendance: 71,941
Referee: Craig Wrolstad
TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays.

Second quarter

CAR – D. J. Moore 20-yard pass from P. J. Walker (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 0:29. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:47.

Third quarter

CAR – Chuba Hubbard 17-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 3:11. Panthers 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 77 yards, 0:49.

Fourth quarter

TB – Ryan Succop 27-yard field goal, 13:38. Panthers 14–3. Drive: 14 plays, 67 yards, 4:33.
CAR – Tommy Tremble 29-yard pass from P. J. Walker (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 9:33. Panthers 21–3. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:05.

Top passers

TB – Tom Brady – 32/49, 290 yards
CAR – P. J. Walker – 16/22, 177 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

TB – Rachaad White – 6 rushes, 24 yards
CAR – D'Onta Foreman – 15 rushes, 118 yards

Top receivers

TB – Mike Evans – 9 receptions, 96 yards
CAR – D. J. Moore – 7 receptions, 69 yards, TD

Carolina and Tampa Bay were both scoreless in the first quarter. With 35 seconds to go in the second, P. J. Walker made a 20-yard pass to D. J. Moore for a Panthers touchdown, putting Carolina up by 7 at the half. Chuba Hubbard scored a touchdown in the third, as Ryan Succop made a field goal for the Bucs in the fourth. Walker threw it to Tommy Tremble for a game sealing touchdown. The Panthers won 21–3 and improved to 2–5.

Week 8: at Atlanta Falcons

Week 8: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Panthers	3	7	3	21	0	34
Falcons	0	14	7	13	3	37

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: October 30
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 68,996
Referee: Shawn Hochuli
TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 37-yard field goal, 6:50. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:33.

Second quarter

ATL – Kyle Pitts 2-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Younghoe Koo kick), 10:13. Falcons 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 6:02.
CAR – D'Onta Foreman 2-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 4:51. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:22.
ATL – Lorenzo Carter 28-yard interception return (Younghoe Koo kick), 0:41. Falcons 14–10.

Third quarter

CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 42-yard field goal, 11:33. Falcons 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 3:27.
ATL – Tyler Allgeier 25-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Younghoe Koo kick), 1:40. Falcons 21–13. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 4:45.

Fourth quarter

CAR – D'Onta Foreman 1-yard run (D'Onta Foreman run), 11:46. Tied 21–21. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:54.
ATL – Younghoe Koo 30-yard field goal, 7:33. Falcons 24–21. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:13.
CAR – D'Onta Foreman 12-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 3:06. Panthers 28–24. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 7:27.
ATL – Damiere Byrd 47-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Younghoe Koo kick), 2:14. Falcons 31–28. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 0:52.
ATL – Younghoe Koo 34-yard field goal, 0:36. Falcons 34–28. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:03.
CAR – D. J. Moore 62-yard pass from P. J. Walker (kick failed, wide left), 0:12. Tied 34–34. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:24.

Overtime

ATL – Younghoe Koo 41-yard field goal, 1:55. Falcons 37–34. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:44.

Top passers

CAR – P. J. Walker – 19/36, 317 yards, TD, INT
ATL – Marcus Mariota – 20/28, 253 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

CAR – D'Onta Foreman – 26 rushes, 118 yards, 3 TD
ATL – Caleb Huntley – 16 rushes, 91 yards

Top receivers

CAR – D. J. Moore – 6 receptions, 152 yards, TD
ATL – Kyle Pitts – 5 receptions, 80 yards, TD

In a close game, the Falcons defeated Carolina 37–34 in overtime. The Panthers dropped to 2–6.

Week 9: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 9: Carolina Panthers at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	0	7	14	21
Bengals	7	28	7	0	42

at Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Date: November 6
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Sunny, 70 °F (21 °C)
Game attendance: 66,160
Referee: Alex Kemp
TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

CIN – Joe Mixon 2-yard run (Evan McPherson kick), 9:42. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 90 yards, 5:18.

Second quarter

CIN – Joe Burrow 1-yard run (Evan McPherson kick), 14:37. Bengals 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 5:50.
CIN – Joe Mixon 3-yard run (Evan McPherson kick), 7:29. Bengals 21–0. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 5:09.
CIN – Joe Mixon 1-yard run (Evan McPherson kick), 3:45. Bengals 28–0. Drive: 5 plays, 42 yards, 2:51.
CIN – Joe Mixon 12-yard pass from Joe Burrow (Evan McPherson kick), 0:04. Bengals 35–0. Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 1:05.

Third quarter

CAR – Tommy Tremble 8-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 10:52. Bengals 35–7. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 4:08.
CIN – Joe Mixon 14-yard run (Evan McPherson kick), 4:38. Bengals 42–7. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:14.

Fourth quarter

CAR – Terrace Marshall Jr. 21-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 7:47. Bengals 42–14. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:01.
CAR – Raheem Blackshear 2-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 1:29. Bengals 42–21. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 2:18.

Top passers

CAR – Baker Mayfield – 14/20, 155 yards, 2 TD
CIN – Joe Burrow – 22/28, 206 yards, TD

Top rushers

CAR – D'Onta Foreman – 7 rushes, 23 yards
CIN – Joe Mixon – 22 rushes, 153 yards, 4 TD

Top receivers

CAR – Terrace Marshall Jr. – 3 reception, 53 yards, TD
CIN – Tee Higgins – 7 receptions, 60 yards

In the first half of this blowout, Carolina was scoreless, in part due to poor play from Walker, who posted a 0.0 passer rating, while the Cincinnati Bengals scored 5 touchdowns, four of them from Bengals running back Joe Mixon. Walker was removed from the game in favor of Mayfield, as both teams scored 7 in the third quarter. The Panthers went on to score 14 in the fourth, and even though Cincinnati went scoreless, the Bengals kept their comfortable lead and won 42–21. Carolina fell to 2–7.

Week 10: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week 10: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	3	6	6	15
Panthers	3	10	6	6	25

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Date: November 10
Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST
Game weather: Light rain, 60 °F (16 °C)
Game attendance: 72,029
Referee: Adrian Hill
TV announcers (Prime Video): Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 46-yard field goal, 6:59. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 4:22.

Second quarter

CAR – Laviska Shenault 41-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 4:34. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 2 plays, 43 yards, 0:52.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 49-yard field goal, 1:47. Panthers 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 14 yards, 2:24.
ATL – Younghoe Koo 33-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 13–3. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 1:47.

Third quarter

ATL – Drake London 7-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (kick failed), 6:15. Panthers 13–9. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 2:46.
CAR – D'Onta Foreman 12-yard run (kick failed), 1:51. Panthers 19–9. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 4:24.

Fourth quarter

CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 40-yard field goal, 9:22. Panthers 22–9. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 5:25.
ATL – KhaDarel Hodge 25-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (kick blocked), 2:56. Panthers 22–15. Drive: 8 plays, 97 yards, 2:22.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 37-yard field goal, 0:10. Panthers 25–15. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:40.

Top passers

ATL – Marcus Mariota – 19/30, 186 yards, 2 TD, INT
CAR – P. J. Walker – 10/16, 108 yards

Top rushers

ATL – Marcus Mariota – 3 rushes, 43 yards
CAR – D'Onta Foreman – 31 rushes, 130 yards, TD

Top receivers

ATL – Damiere Byrd – 3 receptions, 58 yards
CAR – Terrace Marshall Jr. – 1 reception, 43 yards

Carolina sought revenge against Atlanta in this Thursday Night Football game after losing in a heartbreaker 11 days prior. The Panthers got their chance, winning 25–15 and improving to 3–7.

Week 11: at Baltimore Ravens

Week 11: Carolina Panthers at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	0	3	0	3
Ravens	0	3	0	10	13

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

Date: November 20
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Sunny, 36 °F (2 °C)
Game attendance: 70,677
Referee: Jerome Boger
TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays.

Second quarter

BAL – Justin Tucker 32-yard field goal, 0:00. Ravens 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 76 yards, 3:38.

Third quarter

CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 32-yard field goal, 8:07. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 3:15.

Fourth quarter

BAL – Justin Tucker 37-yard field goal, 8:27. Ravens 6–3. Drive: 12 plays, 67 yards, 7:00.
BAL – Lamar Jackson 1-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 7:16. Ravens 13–3. Drive: 2 plays, 31 yards, 0:58.

Top passers

CAR – Baker Mayfield – 21/33, 196 yards, 2 INT
BAL – Lamar Jackson – 24/33, 209 yards, INT

Top rushers

CAR – D'Onta Foreman – 11 rushes, 24 yards
BAL – Kenyan Drake – 10 rushes, 46 yards

Top receivers

CAR – Terrace Marshall Jr. – 3 receptions, 76 yards
BAL – Demarcus Robinson – 9 receptions, 128 yards

Baker returned from the bench in a 13–3 low scoring affair that saw Carolina fall to 3–8. This was also the last game he'd play for the Panthers, as Sam Darnold was healthy enough to return, and Mayfield would soon be released by the Panthers, signing with the Rams.

Week 12: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 12: Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	3	0	7	10
Panthers	7	3	7	6	23

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Date: November 27
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Cloudy, 65 °F (18 °C)
Game attendance: 70,644
Referee: Clay Martin
TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

CAR – D. J. Moore 5-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 0:30. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 7:00.

Second quarter

DEN – Brandon McManus 27-yard field goal, 10:11. Panthers 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:35.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 42-yard field goal, 4:42. Panthers 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 5:29.

Third quarter

CAR – Sam Darnold 2-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 7:21. Panthers 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 6:13.

Fourth quarter

CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 26-yard field goal, 13:33. Panthers 20–3. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 2:19.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 36-yard field goal, 8:59. Panthers 23–3. Drive: 7 plays, 17 yards, 4:25.
DEN – Brandon Johnson 1-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Brandon McManus kick), 3:19. Panthers 23–10. Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 5:40.

Top passers

DEN – Russell Wilson – 19/35, 142 yards, TD
CAR – Sam Darnold – 11/19, 164 yards, TD

Top rushers

DEN – Latavius Murray – 13 rushes, 92 yards
CAR – D'Onta Foreman – 24 rushes, 113 yards

Top receivers

DEN – Courtland Sutton – 6 receptions, 75 yards
CAR – D. J. Moore – 4 receptions, 103 yards, TD

Darnold's first start in the season saw the Panthers beat the Broncos for the first time since the 2008 season in a 23-10 score. The Panthers improved to 4-8.

Week 14: at Seattle Seahawks

Week 14: Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	10	10	0	10	30
Seahawks	0	14	3	7	24

at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington

Date: December 11
Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/1:25 p.m. PST
Game weather: Cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C)
Game attendance: 68,672
Referee: Bill Vinovich
TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 47-yard field goal, 7:05. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 43 yards, 7:55.
CAR – Shi Smith 13-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 6:44. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 1 play, 13 yards, 0:05.

Second quarter

CAR – Chuba Hubbard 2-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 12:35. Panthers 17–0. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 6:52.
SEA – Tyler Lockett 4-yard pass from Geno Smith (Jason Myers kick), 9:26. Panthers 17–7. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 3:09.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 32-yard field goal, 2:09. Panthers 20–7. Drive: 8 plays, 25 yards, 4:09.'
SEA – DK Metcalf 12-yard pass from Geno Smith (Jason Myers kick), 0:16. Panthers 20–14. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 1:53.

Third quarter

SEA – Jason Myers 27-yard field goal, 10:00. Panthers 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 5:00.

Fourth quarter

CAR – Raheem Blackshear 8-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 6:57. Panthers 27–17. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:26.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 39-yard field goal, 1:56. Panthers 30–17. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:21.'
SEA – Marquise Goodwin 24-yard pass from Geno Smith (Jason Myers kick), 0:16. Panthers 30–24. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:40.

Top passers

CAR – Sam Darnold – 14/24, 120 yards, TD
SEA – Geno Smith – 19/35, 142 yards, TD

Top rushers

CAR – D'Onta Foreman – 21 rushes, 74 yards
SEA – Travis Homer – 9 rushes, 26 yards

Top receivers

CAR – Laviska Shenault – 4 receptions, 31 yards
SEA – Marquise Goodwin – 5 receptions, 95 yards, TD

Carolina defeated Seattle for the first time since 2015, winning 30–24. The Panthers improved to 5–8, and with a Buccaneers loss, also allowed them control of their own destiny, meaning they were guaranteed a spot in the playoffs if they could win out.

Week 15: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 15: Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	7	7	7	3	24
Panthers	0	7	0	9	16

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Date: December 18
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Sunny, 46 °F (8 °C)
Game attendance: 73,548
Referee: Scott Novak
TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta and AJ Ross
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

PIT – Najee Harris 7-yard run (Chris Boswell kick), 5:48. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 67 yards, 7:06.

Second quarter

CAR – D. J. Moore 5-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 14:12. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards, 6:36.
PIT – Jaylen Warren 2-yard run (Chris Boswell kick), 8:20. Steelers 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:52.

Third quarter

PIT – Mitchell Trubisky 1-yard run (Chris Boswell kick), 3:17. Steelers 21–7. Drive: 21 plays, 91 yards, 11:43.

Fourth quarter

CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 29-yard field goal, 11:52. Steelers 21–10. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 6:25.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 32-yard field goal, 6:15. Steelers 21–13. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 4:06.
PIT – Chris Boswell 50-yard field goal, 1:04. Steelers 24–13. Drive: 13 plays, 43 yards, 5:11.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 52-yard field goal, 0:19. Steelers 24–16. Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 0:45.

Top passers

PIT – Mitchell Trubisky – 17/22, 179 yards
CAR – Sam Darnold – 14/23, 225 yards, TD

Top rushers

PIT – Najee Harris – 24 rushes, 86 yards, TD
CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 4 rushes, 10 yards

Top receivers

PIT – Diontae Johnson – 10 receptions, 98 yards
CAR – D. J. Moore – 5 receptions, 73 yards, TD

Mitchell Trubisky and the Pittsburgh Steelers were too much for Carolina, defeating them 24–16. The Panthers fell to 5–9, yet still maintained control of their destiny.

Week 16: vs. Detroit Lions

Week 16: Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	7	0	6	10	23
Panthers	7	17	7	6	37

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Date: December 24
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Sunny, 20 °F (−7 °C)
Game attendance: 69,173
Referee: Shawn Hochuli
TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

CAR – Raheem Blackshear 7-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 11:57. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 78 yards, 3:03.
DET – Shane Zylstra 3-yard pass from Jared Goff (Michael Badgley kick), 8:38. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:19.

Second quarter

CAR – Sam Darnold 3-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 9:35. Panthers 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 91 yards, 4:42.
CAR – D'Onta Foreman 4-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 2:08. Panthers 21–7. Drive: 11 plays, 92 yards, 6:26.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 24–7. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 0:59.

Third quarter

CAR – D. J. Moore 5-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 9:12. Panthers 31–7. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:34.
DET – Shane Zylstra 7-yard pass from Jared Goff (Run failed), 3:09. Panthers 31–13. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:12.

Fourth quarter

CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 40-yard field goal, 13:13. Panthers 34–13. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 4:56.
DET – Shane Zylstra 1-yard pass from Jared Goff (Michael Badgley kick), 3:46. Panthers 34–20. Drive: 8 plays, 87 yards, 1:50.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 36-yard field goal, 1:56. Panthers 37–20. Drive: 6 plays, 32 yards, 1:50.
DET – Michael Badgley 34-yard field goal, 0:36. Panthers 37–23. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 1:20.

Top passers

DET – Jared Goff – 25/42, 355 yards, 3 TD
CAR – Sam Darnold – 15/22, 250 yards, TD

Top rushers

DET – Jared Goff – 3 rushes, 15 yards
CAR – D'Onta Foreman – 21 rushes, 165 yards, TD

Top receivers

DET – D. J. Chark – 4 receptions, 108 yards
CAR – D. J. Moore – 5 receptions, 83 yards, TD

On Christmas Eve, the Panthers ran all over the Detroit Lions, beating them 37–23, as well as setting new franchise records in rushing yards in a game and total yards in a game. Carolina improved to 6–9, improving on their 5 win totals from the previous three seasons.

Week 17: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 17: Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	7	7	0	10	24
Buccaneers	0	10	0	20	30

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Date: January 1
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Cloudy, 73 °F (23 °C)
Game attendance: 69,298
Referee: Brad Rogers
TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen and Erin Andrews
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

CAR – Tommy Tremble 17-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 11:39. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:21.

Second quarter

CAR – D. J. Moore 24-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 7:51. Panthers 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 4:09.
TB – Mike Evans 63-yard pass from Tom Brady (Ryan Succop kick), 2:10. Panthers 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 0:52.
TB – Ryan Succop 22-yard field goal, 1:09. Panthers 14–10. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 0:48.

Third quarter

No scoring plays.

Fourth quarter

CAR – Shi Smith 19-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 14:50. Panthers 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 91 yards, 3:47.
TB – Mike Evans 57-yard pass from Tom Brady (pass failed), 13:49. Panthers 21–16. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:01.
TB – Mike Evans 30-yard pass from Tom Brady (Tom Brady-Chris Godwin pass), 6:47. Buccaneers 24–21. Drive: 8 plays, 92 yards, 3:06.
TB – Tom Brady 1-yard run (kick failed), 1:58. Buccaneers 30–21. Drive: 2 plays, 6 yards, 0:26.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 49-yard field goal, 0:59. Buccaneers 30–24. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 0:59.

Top passers

CAR – Sam Darnold – 23/37, 341 yards, 3 TD, INT
TB – Tom Brady – 34/45, 432 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

CAR – D'Onta Foreman – 13 rushes, 35 yards
TB – Leonard Fournette – 10 rushes, 28 yards

Top receivers

CAR – D. J. Moore – 6 receptions, 117 yards, TD
TB – Mike Evans – 10 receptions, 207 yards, 3 TD

In a must win game, the Panthers visited the Buccaneers, and held a 14-0 lead at one point, but the Buccaneers were able to recover and win 30–24. Carolina fell to 6–10 and were officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Week 18: at New Orleans Saints

Week 18: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	7	0	3	10
Saints	7	0	0	0	7

at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Date: January 8
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
Game attendance: 70,118
Referee: Alex Kemp
TV announcers (Fox): Jason Benetti, Matt Millen and Megan Olivi
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

NO – Chris Olave 25-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Wil Lutz kick), 11:01. Saints 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:59.

Second quarter

No scoring plays.

Third quarter

CAR – Michael Jordan fumble recovery in end zone (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 6:45. Tied 7–7. Drive: 14 plays, 82 yards, 8:15.

Fourth quarter

CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 42-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 1:20.

Top passers

CAR – Sam Darnold – 5/15, 43 yards, 2 INT
NO – Andy Dalton – 15/25, 171 yards, TD

Top rushers

CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 21 rushes, 69 yards
NO – Alvin Kamara – 23 rushes, 107 yards

Top receivers

CAR – Terrace Marshall Jr. – 2 receptions, 23 yards
NO – Chris Olave – 5 receptions, 60 yards, TD

The Panthers are able to hold the Saints to a touchdown and win 10–7. They finished the season 7–10, capping off the first season since 2018 the Panthers won more than 5 games.

Standings

Division

NFC South
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
⁽⁴⁾ Tampa Bay Buccaneers	8	9	0	.471	4–2	8–4	313	358	L1
Carolina Panthers	7	10	0	.412	4–2	6–6	347	374	W1
New Orleans Saints	7	10	0	.412	2–4	5–7	330	345	L1
Atlanta Falcons	7	10	0	.412	2–4	6–6	365	386	W2

Conference

NFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1	Philadelphia Eagles	East	14	3	0	.824	4–2	9–3	.474	.460	W1
2^[a]	San Francisco 49ers	West	13	4	0	.765	6–0	10–2	.417	.414	W10
3^[a]	Minnesota Vikings	North	13	4	0	.765	4–2	8–4	.474	.425	W1
4	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	8	9	0	.471	4–2	8–4	.503	.426	L1
Wild cards
5	Dallas Cowboys	East	12	5	0	.706	4–2	8–4	.507	.485	L1
6	New York Giants	East	9	7	1	.559	1–4–1	4–7–1	.526	.395	L1
7^[b]	Seattle Seahawks	West	9	8	0	.529	4–2	6–6	.462	.382	W2
Did not qualify for the postseason
8^[b]	Detroit Lions	North	9	8	0	.529	5–1	7–5	.535	.451	W2
9	Washington Commanders	East	8	8	1	.500	2–3–1	5–6–1	.536	.449	W1
10	Green Bay Packers	North	8	9	0	.471	3–3	6–6	.524	.449	L1
11^[c]	Carolina Panthers	South	7	10	0	.412	4–2	6–6	.474	.437	W1
12^[c]^[d]	New Orleans Saints	South	7	10	0	.412	2–4	5–7	.507	.462	L1
13^[c]^[d]	Atlanta Falcons	South	7	10	0	.412	2–4	6–6	.467	.429	W2
14	Los Angeles Rams	West	5	12	0	.294	1–5	3–9	.517	.341	L2
15	Arizona Cardinals	West	4	13	0	.235	1–5	3–9	.529	.368	L7
16	Chicago Bears	North	3	14	0	.176	0–6	1–11	.571	.480	L10
Tiebreakers^[e]
^ ^a ^b San Francisco finished ahead of Minnesota based on conference record (10–2 vs. 8–4). ^ ^a ^b Seattle finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory. ^ ^a ^b ^c Carolina finished ahead of New Orleans and Atlanta based on head-to-head record (3–1 vs. 2–2/1–3). ^ ^a ^b New Orleans finished ahead of Atlanta based on head-to-head sweep. ^ 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.