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]
Logo change
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.
2012 draft class
The Panthers did not have a 3rd round selection.[a]
- NOTES
- ^[a] The team traded its third-round selection to the Chicago Bears in exchange for TE Greg Olsen.
- ^[b] The Panthers finished with the same record and strength of schedule as the Miami Dolphins. This selection is the 9th, based on a coin toss at the NFL Scouting Combine won by Miami in March.
- ^[c] The Panthers finished with the same record and strength of schedule as the Miami Dolphins. This selection is the 40th, based on a coin toss at the NFL Scouting Combine in March won by the Miami Dolphins.
- ^[d] The team traded its sixth-round selection (#180) and their third-round selection in 2013 to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for their fourth-round selection (#103).
- ^{e } The Panthers received one compensatory pick for the 207 pick overall.
Season Summary
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.
Staff
2012 Carolina Panthers staff
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Front office
- Owner/founder – Jerry Richardson
- President – Danny Morrison
- General manager – Vacant
- Director of football operations – Brandon Beane
- Football operations manager – Bryan Porter
- Football operations assistant – Matt Allen
- Football operations assistant – Mike Anderson
- Director of team administration – Rob Rogers
- 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
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
- Special teams coordinator – Brian Murphy
- Special teams assistant – Richard Rodgers
Strength and conditioning
- Strength and conditioning – Joe Kenn
- Assistant strength and conditioning – Adam Feit
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Final roster
Schedule
Preseason
Regular season
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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First quarter
- TB – Mike Williams 6-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 5:20. Buccaneers 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 7:20.
- TB – Connor Barth 36-yard field goal, 1:20. Buccaneers 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 2:27.
Second quarter
- TB – Connor Barth 20-yard field goal, 2:55. Buccaneers 13–0. Drive: 13 plays, 90 yards, 8:43.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
- TB – Connor Barth 40-yard field goal, 7:58. Buccaneers 16–7. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 3:12.
- CAR – Justin Medlock 21-yard field goal, 2:46. Buccaneers 16–10. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 2:20.
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Top passers
- CAR – Cam Newton – 23/33, 303 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
- TB – Josh Freeman – 16/24, 138 yards, 1 TD
Top rushers
Top receivers
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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.
Week 2: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week Two: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: September 16
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), (Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 72,879
- Referee: Gerald Wright
- TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Mike Martz and Kristina Pink
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First quarter
Second quarter
- NO – Garrett Hartley 53-yard field goal, 7:08. Saints 13–7. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 4:36.
- CAR – Jonathan Stewart 17-yard pass from Cam Newton (Justin Medlock kick), 3:33. Panthers 14–13. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 3:35.
- CAR – Mike Tolbert 2-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 0:11. Panthers 21–13. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 2:20.
Third quarter
- CAR – DeAngelo Williams 3-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 8:17. Panthers 28–13. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:04.
Fourth quarter
- NO – Mark Ingram 1-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 12:53. Panthers 28–20. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:35.
- CAR – Cam Newton 5-yard run (Justin Hedlock kick), 9:55. Panthers 35–20. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:58.
- NO – Drew Brees 1-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 1:55. Panthers 35–27. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 2:54.
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Top passers
- NO – Drew Brees – 31/49, 325 yards, TD, 2 INT
- CAR – Cam Newton – 14/20, 253 yards, TD
Top rushers
- NO – Pierre Thomas – 9 rushes, 110 yards
- CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 14 carries, 69 yards, TD
Top receivers
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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.
Week 3: vs. New York Giants
Week Three: New York Giants at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
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First quarter
- NYG – Martellus Bennett 14-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 11:38. Giants 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:22.
- NYG – Lawrence Tynes 47-yard field goal, 3:46. Giants 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 4:44.
Second quarter
- NYG – Andre Brown 1-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 12:03. Giants 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 4:39.
- NYG – Lawrence Tynes 49-yard field goal, 3:13. Giants 20–0. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 5:59.
Third quarter
- NYG – Lawrence Tynes 30-yard field goal, 12:49. Giants 23–0. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 2:03.
- CAR – Cam Newton 1-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 6:25. Giants 23–7. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:24.
- NYG – Lawrence Tynes 36-yard field goal, 0:50. Giants 26–7. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 5:53.
Fourth quarter
- NYG – Andre Brown 1-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 9:40. Giants 33–7. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:51.
- NYG – Lawrence Tynes 27-yard field goal, 1:09. Giants 36–7. Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 3:17.
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Top passers
- NYG – Eli Manning – 27/35, 288 yards, TD
- CAR – Cam Newton – 16/30, 242 yards, 3 INT
Top rushers
- NYG – Andre Brown – 20 rushes, 113 yards, 2 TD
- CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 11 rushes, 50 yards
Top receivers
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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.
Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons
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First quarter
Second quarter
- ATL – Matt Bryant 41-yard field goal, 13:11. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 7 yards, 2:05.
- CAR – DeAngelo Williams 13-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 8:44. Panthers 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 4:27.
- ATL – Roddy White 14-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 1:49. Falcons 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:40.
Third quarter
- ATL – Michael Turner 60-yard pass from Matt Ryan, (Matt Bryant kick), 10:17. Falcons 24–14. Drive: 3 plays, 72 yards, 1:37.
- CAR – Cam Newton 4-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 3:16. Falcons 24–21. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 7:01.
Fourth quarter
- CAR –Kealoha Pilares 36-yard pass from Cam Newton (Justin Medlock kick), 7:55. Panthers 28–24. Drive: 6 plays, 88 yards, 3:23.
- ATL – Matt Bryant 33-yard field goal, 4:57. Panthers 28–27. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 2:58.
- ATL – Matt Bryant 40-yard field goal, 0:05. Falcons 30–28. Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 0:54.
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Top passers
- CAR – Cam Newton – 15/24, 212 yards, 2 TD
- ATL – Matt Ryan – 25/40, 369 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
- CAR – Cam Newton – 9 rushes, 86 yards, TD
- ATL – Michael Turner – 13 rushes, 103 yards
Top receivers
- CAR – Greg Olsen – 6 receptions, 89 yards, TD
- ATL – Roddy White – 8 receptions, 169 yards, 2 TD
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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.
Week 5: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week Five: Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: October 7
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), (Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 72,676
- Referee: Terry McAulay
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Kristina Pink
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First quarter
- SEA – Stephen Hauschka 22-yard field goal, 10:29. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 3:33.
Second quarter
- SEA – Stephen Hauschka 36-yard field goal, 8:29. Seahawks 6–0. Drive: 12 plays, 50 yards, 6:58.
- CAR – Justin Medlock 32-yard field goal, 0:02. Seahawks 6–3. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 2:44.
Third quarter
- CAR – Captain Munnerlyn 33-yard interception return (Justin Medlock kick), 12:26. Panthers 10–6.
- SEA – Golden Tate 13-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Stephen Hauschka kick), 0:35. Seahawks 13–10. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 2:02.
Fourth quarter
- SEA – Stephen Hauschka 44-yard field goal, 10:27. Seahawks 16–10. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 3:33.
- CAR – Jon Ryan ran out of end zone for a safety, 0:59. Seahawks 16–12.
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Top passers
- SEA – Russell Wilson – 19/25, 221 yards, TD, 2 INT
- CAR – Cam Newton – 12/29, 141 yards
Top rushers
- SEA – Marshawn Lynch – 21 rushes, 85 yards
- CAR – Cam Newton – 7 rushes, 42 yards
Top receivers
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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.
Week 7: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week Seven: Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
- DAL – Miles Austin 26-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 7:38. Cowboys 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 63 yards, 1:54.
- DAL – Dan Bailey 49-yard field goal, 2:13. Cowboys 13–7. Drive: 6 plays, 9 yards, 3:27.
Fourth quarter
- CAR – Mike Tolbert 2-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 11:38. Panthers 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:20.
- DAL – Dan Bailey 28-yard field goal, 3:25. Cowboys 16–14. Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 4:07.
- DAL – Dan Bailey 38-yard field goal, 0:53. Cowboys 19–14. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 1:15.
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Top passers
- DAL – Tony Romo – 24/34, 227 yards, TD
- CAR – Cam Newton – 21/37, 233 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
Top receivers
- DAL – Miles Austin – 5 receptions, 97 yards, TD
- CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 7 receptions, 83 yards
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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.
Week 8: at Chicago Bears
Week Eight: Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears – Game summary
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: October 28
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C), cloudy – wind gusts to 25mph
- Game attendance: 62,254
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
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First quarter
- CHI – Matt Forte 13-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 4:32. Bears 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 49 yards, 1:52.
- CAR – Justin Medlock 34-yard field goal, 2:01. Bears 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 64 yards, 2:31.
Second quarter
- CAR – Louis Murphy fumble recovery in end zone (Justin Medlock kick), 14:45. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 3 plays, 16 yards, 0:48.
- CAR – Justin Medlock 31-yard field goal, 4:36. Panthers 13–7. Drive: 17 plays, 58 yards, 8:19.
Third quarter
- CAR – Justin Medlock 22-yard field goal, 6:47. Panthers 16–7. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 6:32.
- CAR – Justin Medlock 43-yard field goal, 1:30. Panthers 19–7. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:02.
Fourth quarter
- CHI – Kellen Davis 12-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 6:52. Panthers 19–14. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 3:26.
- CHI – Tim Jennings 25-yard interception return (run failed), 6:44. Bears 20–19.
- CAR – Justin Medlock 45-yard field goal, 2:27. Panthers 22–20. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 4:17.
- CHI – Robbie Gould 41-yard field goal, 0:00. Bears 23–22. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 2:27.
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Top passers
- CAR – Cam Newton – 20/39, 314 yards, 2 INT
- CHI – Jay Cutler – 19/28, 186 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
- CAR – Cam Newton – 5 rushes, 37 yards
- CHI – Matt Forte – 15 rushes, 70 yards
Top receivers
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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.
Week 9: at Washington Redskins
Week Nine: Carolina Panthers at Washington Redskins – Game summary
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
- Date: November 4
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 79,767
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
- WAS – Kai Forbath 25-yard field goal, 6:02. Panthers 14–6. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 5:00.
Fourth quarter
- CAR – Cam Newton 1-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 12:46. Panthers 21–6. Drive: 3 plays, 91 yards, 1:31.
- WAS – Evan Royster 2-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 1:28. Panthers 21–13. Drive: 13 plays, 60 yards, 2:54.
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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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.
Week 10: vs. Denver Broncos
Week Ten: Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
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First quarter
Second quarter
- DEN – Trindon Holliday 76-yard punt return (Matt Prater kick), 14:40. Broncos 14–7.
- DEN – Matt Prater 53-yard field goal, 10:12. Broncos 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 3:26.
Third quarter
- DEN – Tony Carter 40-yard interception return (Matt Prater kick), 9:59. Broncos 24–7.
Fourth quarter
- DEN – Matt Prater 27-yard field goal, 14:17. Broncos 27–7. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 3:25.
- DEN – Cam Newton sacked in endzone by Mike Adams for a safety, 10:32. Broncos 29–7.
- CAR – Greg Olsen 5-yard pass from Cam Newton, 5:09. Broncos 29–14. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 4:22.
- DEN – Ronnie Hillman 5-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 3:23. Broncos 36–14. Drive: 4 plays, 54 yards, 1:46.
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Top passers
- DEN – Peyton Manning – 27/38, 301 yards, TD
- CAR – Cam Newton – 21/36, 241 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
Top receivers
- DEN – Demaryius Thomas – 9 receptions, 135 yards
- CAR – Greg Olsen – 9 receptions, 102 yards, 2 TD
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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.
Week 11: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week Eleven: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: November 18
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), (Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 72,603
- Referee: Bill Leavy
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio
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First quarter
Second quarter
- CAR – Jonathan Stewart 1-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 8:53. Panthers 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 4:09.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
- CAR – Brandon LaFell 29-yard pass from Cam Newton (Justin Medlock kick), 6:00. Panthers 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:34.
- TB – Connor Barth 40-yard field goal, 4:03. Panthers 21–13. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 1:57.
- TB – Vincent Jackson 24-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Josh Freeman-Vincent Jackson pass), 0:12. Tied 21–21. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 0:50.
Overtime
- TB – Dallas Clark 15-yard pass from Josh Freeman, 10:40. Buccaneers 27–21. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:20.
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Top passers
- TB – Josh Freeman – 25/46, 248 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
- CAR – Cam Newton – 16/29, 252 yards, TD
Top rushers
- TB – Doug Martin – 24 rushes, 138 yards
- CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 15 rushes, 43 yards, TD
Top receivers
- TB – Vincent Jackson – 6 receptions, 94 yards, TD
- CAR – Brandon LaFell – 5 receptions, 93 yards, TD
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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.
Week 12: at Philadelphia Eagles
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First quarter
- PHI – Alex Henery 36-yard field goal, 11:12. Eagles 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 3:48.
- CAR – Gary Barnidge 24-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 6:12. Panthers 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 5:00.
- CAR – Brandon LaFell 43-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 3:36. Panthers 14–3. Drive: 3 plays, 55 yards, 0:43.
Second quarter
- PHI – Alex Henery 41-yard field goal, 14:15. Panthers 14–6. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:21.
- PHI – Bryce Brown 65-yard run (pass failed), 10:56. Panthers 14–12. Drive: 2 plays, 68 yards, 0:42.
- PHI – Alex Henery 45-yard field goal, 3:20. Eagles 15–14. Drive: 9 plays, 35 yards, 5:03.
Third quarter
- CAR – Cam Newton 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 9:13. Panthers 21–15. Drive: 11 plays, 95 yards, 5:47.
- PHI – Bryce Brown 5-yard run (Alex Henery kick), 3:30. Eagles 22–21. Drive: 3 plays, 69 yards, 1:07.
Fourth quarter
- CAR – Graham Gano 23-yard field goal, 12:40. Panthers 24–22. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 3:36.
- CAR – Cam Newton 2-yard run (kick failed), 4:40. Panthers 30–22. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 3:55.
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Top passers
- CAR – Cam Newton – 18/28, 306 yards, 2 TD
- PHI – Nick Foles – 16/21, 119 yards
Top rushers
- CAR – Cam Newton – 14 rushes, 52 yards, 2 TD
- PHI – Bryce Brown – 19 rushes, 178 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
- CAR – Brandon LaFell – 3 receptions, 74 yards, TD
- PHI – Jeremy Maclin – 5 receptions, 55 yards
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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.
Week 13: at Kansas City Chiefs
Week Thirteen: Carolina Panthers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: December 2
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 62,860
- Referee: John Parry
- TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Mike Martz and Kristina Pink
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First quarter
- KC – Peyton Hillis 2-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 11:49. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 3:11.
- CAR – Greg Olsen 47-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 8:46. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:03.
- KC – Ryan Succop 42-yard field goal, 3:20. Chiefs 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 5:26.
Second quarter
- CAR – Steve Smith Sr. 23-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 13:27. Panthers 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:31.
- KC – Tony Moeaki 1-yard pass from Brady Quinn (Ryan Succop kick), 0:00. Chiefs 17–14. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 7:25.
Third quarter
- KC – Jonathan Baldwin 3-yard pass from Brady Quinn (Ryan Succop kick), 2:52. Chiefs 24–14. Drive: 17 plays, 87 yards, 9:56.
Fourth quarter
- CAR – Louis Murphy 8-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 13:21. Chiefs 24–21. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:31.
- KC – Ryan Succop 52-yard field goal, 4:54. Chiefs 27–21. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 2:36.
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Top passers
- CAR – Cam Newton – 15/27, 232 yards, 3 TD
- KC – Brady Quinn – 19/23, 201 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
- CAR – Cam Newton – 7 rushes, 78 yards
- KC – Jamaal Charles – 27 rushes, 127 yards
Top receivers
- CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 5 receptions, 120 yards, TD
- KC – Dwayne Bowe – 4 receptions, 64 yards
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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.
Week 14: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week Fourteen: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: December 9
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), (Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 73,292
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson, Charles Davis and Kristina Pink
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First quarter
Second quarter
- CAR – Graham Gano 24-yard field goal, 10:55. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 17 plays, 72 yards, 9:17.
- CAR – Graham Gano 41-yard field goal, 4:58. Panthers 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:45.
- CAR – Graham Gano 31-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 16–0. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 3:35.
Third quarter
- CAR – Cam Newton 72-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 11:01. Panthers 23–0. Drive: 4 plays, 86 yards, 2:08.
- ATL – Roddy White 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:48. Panthers 23–7. Drive: 13 plays, 84 yards, 6:13.
Fourth quarter
- ATL – Julio Jones 11-yard pass from Matt Ryan (pass failed), 13:57. Panthers 23–13. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 3:41.
- CAR – DeAngelo Williams 53-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 4:11. Panthers 30–13. Drive: 4 plays, 60 yards, 2:08.
- ATL – Michael Turner 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 0:53. Panthers 30–20. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 3:18.
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Top passers
- ATL – Matt Ryan – 34/49, 342 yards, 2 TD, INT
- CAR – Cam Newton – 23/35, 287 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
- ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers – 6 rushes, 43 yards
- CAR – Cam Newton – 9 rushes, 116 yards, TD
Top receivers
- ATL – Roddy White – 9 receptions, 117 yards, TD
- CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 7 receptions, 109 yards
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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.
Week 15: at San Diego Chargers
Week Fifteen: Carolina Panthers at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: December 16
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST/1:05 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 53,832
- Referee: Terry McAulay
- TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Heath Evans and Jill Savage
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First quarter
- CAR – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 8:29. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:31.
- CAR – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 4:54. Panthers 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 1:36.
- CAR – DeAngelo Williams 45-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 0:58. Panthers 21–0. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:42.
Second quarter
- CAR – Graham Gano 33-yard field goal, 0:06. Panthers 24–0. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 1:29.
Third quarter
- CAR – Steve Smith Sr. 4-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 8:56. Panthers 31–0. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 4:44.
Fourth quarter
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Top passers
- CAR – Cam Newton – 19/33, 231 yards, 2 TD
- SD – Philip Rivers – 16/23, 121 yards, TD
Top rushers
- CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 22 rushes, 93 yards
- SD – Curtis Brinkley – 6 rushes, 42 yards
Top receivers
- CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 6 receptions, 57 yards, TD
- SD – Malcom Floyd – 2 receptions, 39 yards
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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.
Week 16: vs. Oakland Raiders
Week Sixteen: Oakland Raiders at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
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First quarter
Second quarter
- OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 21-yard field goal, 6:25. Panthers 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 6:07.
- CAR – Cam Newton 3-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 0:17. Panthers 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, 29 yards, 1:04.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
- OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 31-yard field goal, 13:18. Panthers 14–6. Drive: 7 plays, 5 yards, 1:42.
- CAR – Graham Gano 51-yard field goal, 2:46. Panthers 17–6. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 2:22.
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Top passers
- OAK – Matt Leinart – 16/32, 115 yards, INT
- CAR – Cam Newton – 18/29, 179 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
- OAK – Darren McFadden – 17 rushes, 33 yards
- CAR – Cam Newton – 12 rushes, 60 yards, TD
Top receivers
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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.
Week 17: at New Orleans Saints
Week Seventeen: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: December 30
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 73,124
- Referee: Alberto Riveron
- TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Mike Martz and Krista Voda
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First quarter
- CAR – Graham Gano 20-yard field goal, 5:41. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 76 yards, 7:06.
Second quarter
- CAR – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 8:18. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 82 yards, 1:12.
- NO – Marques Colston 7-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 5:14. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 3:04.
- NO – Jonathan Vilma 18-yard interception return (Garrett Hartley kick), 4:31. Saints 14–10.
- CAR – Graham Gano 31-yard field goal, 0:39. Saints 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 3:52.
- NO – Garrett Hartley 53-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 17–13. Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 0:39.
Third quarter
- NO – Jimmy Graham 19-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 10:45. Saints 24–13. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:15.
- CAR – DeAngelo Williams 54-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 8:48. Saints 24–20. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:57.
- CAR – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 2:29. Panthers 27–24. Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 1:18.
Fourth quarter
- CAR – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 10:16. Panthers 34–24. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:36.
- CAR – DeAngelo Williams 12-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 8:23. Panthers 41–24. Drive: 1 play, 12 yards, 0:06.
- NO – Marques Colston 9-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 5:10. Panthers 41–31. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 3:13.
- CAR – Graham Gano 42-yard field goal, 4:08. Panthers 44–31. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:02.
- NO – Darren Sproles 33-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 2:52. Panthers 44–38. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:16.
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Top passers
- CAR – Cam Newton – 16/33, 248 yards, INT
- NO – Drew Brees – 29/43, 396 yards, 4 TD, INT
Top rushers
- CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 21 rushes, 210 yards, 2 TD
- NO – Mark Ingram – 10 rushes, 39 yards
Top receivers
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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.
Standings
References
- ^ Reed, Steve (October 22, 2012). "Panthers GM Hurney fired after team's 1–5 start". Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
- ^ "Bears defeat Lions to maintain NFC North lead". Newsday. Retrieved October 23, 2012.
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
- ^ "Carolina Panthers ask fans to help decide disastrous coin toss call". Metro. December 4, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
- ^ "Panthers introduce refined logo". Archived from the original on January 31, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
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