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]
| 2012 Carolina Panthers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jerry Richardson |
| General manager | Marty Hurney |
| Head coach | Ron Rivera |
| Home field | Bank of America Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 7–9 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC South |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Uniform | |
 | |
Logo change
editOn 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
editThe Panthers did not have a 3rd round selection.[a]
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9[b] | Luke Kuechly | LB | Boston College |
| 2 | 42[c] | Amini Silatolu | G | Midwestern State |
| 4 | 103[d] | Frank Alexander | DE | Oklahoma |
| 104 | Joe Adams | WR | Arkansas | |
| 5 | 143 | Josh Norman | CB | Coastal Carolina |
| 6 | 207[e] | Brad Nortman | P | Wisconsin |
| 7 | 216 | D.J. Campbell | S | California |
- 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
editLooking 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
edit|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Final roster
edit
Schedule
editPreseason
edit| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 11 | Houston Texans | L 13–26 | 0–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 17 | Miami Dolphins | W 23–17 | 1–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 26 | at New York Jets | W 17–12 | 2–1 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 30 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 16–17 | 2–2 | Heinz Field | Recap |
Regular season
edit| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 9 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 10–16 | 0–1 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 16 | New Orleans Saints | W 35–27 | 1–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 20 | New York Giants | L 7–36 | 1–2 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 30 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 28–30 | 1–3 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 5 | October 7 | Seattle Seahawks | L 12–16 | 1–4 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | Bye | |||||
| 7 | October 21 | Dallas Cowboys | L 14–19 | 1–5 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 28 | at Chicago Bears | L 22–23 | 1–6 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 9 | November 4 | at Washington Redskins | W 21–13 | 2–6 | FedExField | Recap |
| 10 | November 11 | Denver Broncos | L 14–36 | 2–7 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 18 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 21–27 (OT) | 2–8 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 26 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 30–22 | 3–8 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap |
| 13 | December 2 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 21–27 | 3–9 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 9 | Atlanta Falcons | W 30–20 | 4–9 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 16 | at San Diego Chargers | W 31–7 | 5–9 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 23 | Oakland Raiders | W 17–6 | 6–9 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 30 | at New Orleans Saints | W 44–38 | 7–9 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
- Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
editWeek 1: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
editWeek One: Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| Buccaneers | 10 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: September 9
- Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 51,533
- Referee: Jerry Hughes
- TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Mike Martz and Kristina Pink
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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
editWeek Two: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 10 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
| Panthers | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
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
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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
editWeek Three: New York Giants at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 10 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 36 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: September 20
- Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), (Clear)
- Game attendance: 73,951
- Referee: Robert Frazer
- TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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
editWeek Four: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Falcons | 7 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 30 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: September 30
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 69,594
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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
editWeek Five: Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 3 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 16 |
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 12 |
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
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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
editWeek Seven: Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 0 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 19 |
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: October 21
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 73,981
- Referee: Ron Winter
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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
editWeek Eight: Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 3 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 22 |
| Bears | 7 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 23 |
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
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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
editWeek Nine: Carolina Panthers at Washington Redskins – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Redskins | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
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
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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
editWeek Ten: Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 7 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 36 |
| Panthers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: November 11
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 73,939
- Referee: Alberto Riveron
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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
editWeek Eleven: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 10 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 27 |
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
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
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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
editWeek Twelve: Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 14 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 30 |
| Eagles | 3 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 22 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Date: November 26
- Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 36 °F (2 °C), clear
- Game attendance: 69,144
- Referee: Pete Morelli
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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
editWeek Thirteen: Carolina Panthers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Chiefs | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
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
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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
editWeek Fourteen: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 20 |
| Panthers | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 30 |
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
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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
editWeek Fifteen: Carolina Panthers at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 21 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
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
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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
editWeek Sixteen: Oakland Raiders at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: December 23
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), (Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 73,026
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Steve Beuerlein
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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
editWeek Seventeen: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 3 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 44 |
| Saints | 0 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
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
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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
edit| NFC South | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (1) Atlanta Falcons | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 3–3 | 9–3 | 419 | 299 | L1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 357 | 363 | W4 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 461 | 454 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 4–8 | 389 | 394 | W1 |
References
edit- ^ 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.