2017 Carolina Panthers season
23rd season in franchise history
- ← 2016
- Panthers seasons
- 2018 →
The 2017 season was the Carolina Panthers' 23rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their seventh under head coach Ron Rivera. During the offseason, the team's notable free agent signings included Matt Kalil, Captain Munnerlyn and veteran Julius Peppers. Peppers previously spent his first eight seasons with the Panthers, appearing in Super Bowl XXXVIII with them. On July 17, 2017, the team announced Dave Gettleman had been relieved as general manager.[1] His predecessor, Marty Hurney, was hired as interim general manager a day later. For the first time since 2011, the Panthers did not play the Seattle Seahawks during the regular season. The Panthers rebounded after a disappointing 2016 campaign, where they were the defending NFC champions but finished 6–10 and last in the NFC South. 2017 saw the Panthers qualify for the playoffs with an 11–5 record. However, they lost to the Saints 31–26 in the Wild Card round.
This remains the most recent season the Panthers qualified for the playoffs or had a winning record.
Offseason
Signings
| Position | Player | Age | 2016 Team | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OT | Matt Kalil | 27 | Minnesota Vikings | 5 years, $55.5 million |
| CB | Captain Munnerlyn | 29 | Minnesota Vikings | 4 years, $17 million |
| WR | Russell Shepard | 26 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3 years, $10 million |
| SS | Mike Adams | 36 | Indianapolis Colts | 2 years, $4.2 million |
| OLB | Julius Peppers | 37 | Green Bay Packers | 1 year, $3.5 million |
| DT | Kyle Love | 30 | Carolina Panthers | 2 years, $2.2 million |
| WR | Charles Johnson | 28 | Minnesota Vikings | 1 year, $1.6 million |
| OG | Chris Scott | 29 | Carolina Panthers | 1 year, $980,000 |
| CB | Teddy Williams | 28 | Carolina Panthers | 1 year, $855,000 |
Releases
| Position | Player | Age | 2017 Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| DT | Paul Soliai | 33 | none |
| FS | Michael Griffin | 32 | none |
| C | Ryan Wendell | 31 | none |
| WR | LaRon Byrd | 27 | none |
| DT | Chas Alecxih | 28 | none |
Draft
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Christian McCaffrey | RB | Stanford |
| 2 | 40 | Curtis Samuel | WR | Ohio State |
| 64 | Taylor Moton | OT | Western Michigan | |
| 3 | 77 | Daeshon Hall | DE | Texas A&M |
| 5 | 152 | Corn Elder | CB | Miami |
| 6 | 192 | Alexander Armah | FB/DE | West Georgia |
| 7 | 233 | Harrison Butker | K | Georgia Tech |
Notes
- The Panthers traded their third-round selection (No. 72 overall) and defensive end Kony Ealy to the New England Patriots for New England's second-round selection (No. 64 overall).[2]
Staff
| Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Final roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
| Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
| Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
| Reserve lists
| ||||||
Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 9 | Houston Texans | W 27–17 | 1–0 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 19 | at Tennessee Titans | L 27–34 | 1–1 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 24 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 24–23 | 2–1 | EverBank Field | Recap |
| 4 | August 31 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 14–17 | 2–2 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 10 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 23–3 | 1–0 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 17 | Buffalo Bills | W 9–3 | 2–0 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 24 | New Orleans Saints | L 13–34 | 2–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | October 1 | at New England Patriots | W 33–30 | 3–1 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 8 | at Detroit Lions | W 27–24 | 4–1 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 6 | October 12 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 23–28 | 4–2 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 22 | at Chicago Bears | L 3–17 | 4–3 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 8 | October 29 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 17–3 | 5–3 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 5 | Atlanta Falcons | W 20–17 | 6–3 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 13 | Miami Dolphins | W 45–21 | 7–3 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | Bye | |||||
| 12 | November 26 | at New York Jets | W 35–27 | 8–3 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 3 | at New Orleans Saints | L 21–31 | 8–4 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 14 | December 10 | Minnesota Vikings | W 31–24 | 9–4 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 17 | Green Bay Packers | W 31–24 | 10–4 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 22–19 | 11–4 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 31 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 10–22 | 11–5 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: at San Francisco 49ers
Week One: Carolina Panthers at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 7 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 23 |
| 49ers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
- Date: September 10
- Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT/1:25 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C), clear
- Game attendance: 70,178
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Panthers started off their season by making their first return to Levi's Stadium since losing to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. Late in the first quarter Cam Newton threw a 40-yard touchdown to Russell Sheppard followed by a Graham Gano field goal. The Panthers scored six more points in the second quarter with two field goals. In the third Jonathan Stewart scored a touchdown, followed by another Gano field goal. With 3:14 left to go in the third quarter, Gano made his third field goal of the day making the score 23–0. Robbie Gould's kick with thirteen seconds to go gave the 49ers their first points of the game. Neither the Panthers or 49ers scored in the fourth quarter, resulting in Carolina defeating San Francisco 23–3. They improved to 1–0.
Week 2: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week Two: Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Panthers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: September 17
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
- Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 74,122
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
In the Panthers home opener, Carolina's defense allowed only three points for the second straight week, and Graham Gano converted three field goals as the Panthers held on to defeat the Buffalo Bills 9–3 to remain undefeated. With seconds remaining in the game, Tyrod Taylor's 4th-and-11 pass sailed off diving rookie Zay Jones' fingertips, costing them the game winning touchdown. The Panthers improved to 2–0.
Week 3: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week Three: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 7 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
| Panthers | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: September 24
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
- Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 73,775
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Saints were too much for the Panthers as they handed them their first loss of the season, 34–13. The Panthers fell to 2–1.
Week 4: at New England Patriots
Week Four: Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 3 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 33 |
| Patriots | 3 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 30 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Date: October 1
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
- Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 65,878
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
In the first quarter, both Carolina and New England managed to only kick field goals. New England scored the first touchdown in the second quarter. Carolina answered with a touchdown by Fozzy Whittaker which tied the game again. The Patriots later scored with another Stephen Gostkowski field goal. Devin Funchess caught a ten-yard pass from Newton to give the Panthers a 17–13 lead. With four seconds remaining in the half Gostkowski kicked a 58-yard field goal, making the halftime score 17–16. Carolina had the only score in the third quarter with a Funchess touchdown but Gano missed the extra point. The Panthers started the fourth quarter with Cam Newton rushing for a touchdown, increasing the lead to 30–16. New England managed to score twice, tying the game at 30. With seconds left, Graham Gano kicked the game winning field goal. The Panthers won 33–30 (their first win in Foxborough since 1995) and improved to 3–1, which would also be their record against the Patriots since losing to them in Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004.
Week 5: at Detroit Lions
Week Five: Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 3 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
| Lions | 3 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
- Date: October 8
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 64,288
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Carolina and Detroit were tied with 3 points apiece at the end of the first quarter. Early in the second, the Lions scored a touchdown, making the score 3–10. The Panthers answered back with a Christian McCaffery touchdown, tying the game again. Devin Funchess scored a touchdown towards the end of the quarter, giving the Panthers a 17–10 lead. The Panthers started the second half with Cam Newton throwing a 31-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin. Gano later made a 44-yard field goal to extend the lead to 27–10 going into the fourth quarter. Matthew Stafford threw a touchdown a pass to Fells, cutting the Panthers lead to 27–17. The Lions scored again with another Fells touchdown. The Panthers held on and won 27–24, improving to 4–1.
Week 6: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Week Six: Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 3 | 7 | 11 | 7 | 28 |
| Panthers | 3 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 23 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: October 12
- Game time: 8:25 pm. EDT
- Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 74,373
- Referee: Pete Morelli
- TV announcers (CBS/NFLN/Amazon Video): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
On Thursday Night Football, both teams wore their Color Rush uniforms. The Eagles beat the Panthers 28–23, and Carolina fell to 4–2.
Week 7: at Chicago Bears
Week Seven: Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Bears | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: October 22
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), cloudy with periods of rain, thunder possible
- Game attendance: 61,256
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Panthers lost for a second straight week by managing to score only one field goal in Chicago. The Bears beat Carolina 17–3, and they fell to 4–3.
Week 8: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week Eight: Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: October 29
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
- Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 58,545
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Panthers bounced back after a two-week losing streak, and beat their division rivals 17–3. Carolina improved to 5–3.
Week 9: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week Nine: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Panthers | 0 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 20 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: November 5
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
- Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 74,244
- Referee: Tony Corrente
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
This was the Panthers' first game without wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who was traded to Buffalo days earlier.[3] In this game, neither team scored in the same quarter. The Falcons were the only team to score in the first quarter, and led 10–0 going into the second. It was vice versa in the second, as Carolina scored two touchdowns for a four-point lead at the half. Atlanta was scoreless again in the third but Carolina scored on two Graham Gano field goals, making it 20–10. Atlanta had the only score of the fourth quarter, but Carolina survived and won 20–17. Their record improved to 6–3.
Week 10: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week Ten: Miami Dolphins at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Panthers | 3 | 14 | 21 | 7 | 45 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: November 13
- Game time: 8:30 pm. EST
- Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C), clear
- Game attendance: 72,790
- Referee: Gene Steratore
- TV announcers (ESPN): Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
In this Monday Night Football game, the Panthers beat the Dolphins 45–21 and improved to 7–3.
Week 12: at New York Jets
Week Twelve: Carolina Panthers at New York Jets – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 3 | 9 | 6 | 17 | 35 |
| Jets | 3 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: November 26
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
- Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 77,562
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
In the first quarter Carolina and New York scored only a field goal each. In the second quarter, Cam Newton scored a 1-yard touchdown but Graham Gano missed the extra point. Gano redeemed himself with another field goal, giving the Panthers a nine-point lead. Robby Anderson caught a 33-yard pass from Josh McCown, plus the extra point from Chandler Catanzaro, and Carolina led, 12–10. In the third New York scored a touchdown, and Jets led by 17–12. But Carolina answered with a Jonathan Stewart touchdown and took an 18–17 lead. Early in the fourth Catanzaro kicked a field goal, putting the Jets back on top, 20–18. Later the Panthers blitzed McCown and forced a fumble, which was recovered by Luke Kuechly who recovered it for a 34-yard touchdown. The Jets punted after their next drive fizzled and Kaelin Clay returned it 60 yards, making the score 32–20. Jermaine Kearse scored a touchdown for the Jets, and Catanzaro's extra point cut the Panthers' lead to 5. With 0:21 to go in the fourth quarter, Gano kicked a field goal and Carolina won by a final score of 35–27. The Panthers record improved to 8–3. Their win knocked the Jets and Giants out of playoff contention.
Week 13: at New Orleans Saints
Week Thirteen: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Saints | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: December 3
- Game time: 4:25 pm. EST/3:25 pm. CST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 73,171
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Panthers and Saints were tied at 7–7 going into the second quarter. Mark Ingram II scored a touchdown with a Wil Lutz extra point, and the Saints led by seven. The Saintsd score again to lead by 14. At the end of the second Christian McCaffery scored a touchdown, and with the extra point by Graham Gano, Carolina was down by seven at the half. Alvin Kamara scored a touchdown (Lutz kick) in the third, again increasing New Orleans' lead to 14 points. In the fourth quarter New Orleans scored 3 and Carolina scored 7. The Saints were too much for Carolina and won 31–21. Carolina fell to 8–4.
Week 14: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week Fourteen: Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 7 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 24 |
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: December 10
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
- Game weather: 41 °F (5 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 73,728
- Referee: Terry McAulay
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
In a game featuring two of the NFC's best teams, Carolina was able to hold off the Vikings and win 31–24. The Panthers improved to 9–4.
Week 15: vs. Green Bay Packers
Week Fifteen: Green Bay Packers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
| Panthers | 7 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: December 17
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
- Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C), partly cloudy
- Game attendance: 74,447
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Panthers spoiled Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers' return by intercepting three passes and winning 31–24. They also improved to 10–4. A few hours after the game ended, owner Jerry Richardson announced he was putting the Panthers up for sale.
Week 16: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week Sixteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 3 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 19 |
| Panthers | 3 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 22 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: December 24
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
- Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 71,463
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the close win, the Panthers clinched a playoff spot for the fourth time in five years. They also improved to 11–4.
Week 17: at Atlanta Falcons
Week Seventeen: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Falcons | 7 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 22 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: December 31
- Game time: 4:25 pm. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 74,141
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Panthers went to Atlanta with a chance to win the NFC South. If Tampa Bay beat New Orleans and Carolina won, the Panthers would win the title. Despite Tampa's victory over the Saints, the Panthers lost 22–10, making the Saints NFC South champions. The Panthers ended the regular season with an 11–5 record.
Standings
Division
| NFC South | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| (4) New Orleans Saints | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 448 | 326 | L1 |
| (5) Carolina Panthers | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 363 | 327 | L1 |
| (6) Atlanta Falcons | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 9–3 | 353 | 315 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 335 | 382 | W1 |
Conference
NFC
| |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders | |||||||||||
| 1[a] | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .461 | .433 | L1 |
| 2[a] | Minnesota Vikings | North | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .492 | .447 | W3 |
| 3[b] | Los Angeles Rams | West | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .504 | .460 | L1 |
| 4[b][c] | New Orleans Saints | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .535 | .483 | L1 |
| Wild Cards | |||||||||||
| 5[c] | Carolina Panthers | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .539 | .500 | L1 |
| 6 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .543 | .475 | W1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
| 7[d] | Detroit Lions | North | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .496 | .368 | W1 |
| 8[d] | Seattle Seahawks | West | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .492 | .444 | L1 |
| 9[d] | Dallas Cowboys | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–1 | 7–5 | .496 | .438 | W1 |
| 10 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .488 | .406 | W2 |
| 11[e] | Green Bay Packers | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .539 | .357 | L3 |
| 12[e] | Washington Redskins | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .539 | .429 | L1 |
| 13 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .512 | .438 | W5 |
| 14[f] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .555 | .375 | W1 |
| 15[f] | Chicago Bears | North | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .559 | .500 | L1 |
| 16 | New York Giants | East | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 1–5 | 1–11 | .531 | .458 | W1 |
| Tiebreakers[g] | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Postseason
| Playoff round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | January 7, 2018 | at New Orleans Saints (4) | L 26–31 | 0–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
NFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (4) New Orleans Saints
NFC Wild Card Playoffs: (5) Carolina Panthers at (4) New Orleans Saints – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 9 | 3 | 14 | 26 |
| Saints | 7 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: January 7
- Game time: 4:40 p.m. EST/3:40 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 73,186
- Referee: Tony Corrente
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Carolina looked to beat New Orleans for the first time all season. Carolina's defense played better than in the past games, holding the Saints dynamic running backs to under 100 yards combined. Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw a crucial interception late, but the Panthers comeback fell just short and they lost 26–31. The Panthers ended the Wild Card Weekend with an 11–6 record.
References
- ^ "Dave Gettleman no longer general manager". Archived from the original on July 17, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
- ^ Stites, Adam (March 10, 2017). "Panthers trade Kony Ealy to Patriots to move up a round in 2017 NFL Draft". SBNation.com. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- ^ "Panthers trade WR Benjamin to Bills for 2 picks". October 31, 2017.
External links
- Official website
