2019 Carolina Panthers season
25th season in franchise history; final one with Ron Rivera, Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly
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The 2019 season was the Carolina Panthers' 25th in the National Football League (NFL), and their ninth and last under head coach Ron Rivera. The Panthers played in London as part of the NFL International Series for the first time in franchise history.[1]
Despite suffering their first 0–2 start since 2013, they had a 5–3 record coming into week 10 of the season. However, their futility from the previous year repeated itself. They suffered an eight-game losing streak (their worst since 2001, where they finished 1–15) to end the season badly with a 5–11 record. Not only were they unable to improve upon their 7–9 record from the previous season, but they were also mathematically eliminated from postseason contention for the second consecutive season and for the third time in the past four seasons after losing to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 in 2015 (they finished the season with a 15–1 record) after a 20–40 loss to division rivals Atlanta Falcons coming into Week 14 of the season. After a Week 4 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 6, 2019, head coach Ron Rivera surpassed John Fox to become the franchise's winningest head coach of all time. However on December 3, two days after a loss to the Washington Redskins, Rivera was fired after nearly nine seasons as head coach and due to new ownership wanting a change within the organization.[2][3] Cam Newton suffered a season-ending foot injury after playing in the first 2 weeks of the season, and was replaced by rookie quarterbacks Will Grier and Kyle Allen. On October 7, Kyle Allen became the first undrafted quarterback to win their first 4 starts since Kurt Warner did so during the St. Louis Rams' 1999 Super Bowl-winning season.
The 2019 season was also linebacker Luke Kuechly's final season in the NFL, as he retired following the conclusion of the season.[4] It was also the final season of Cam Newton's first tenure in Carolina; he would re-sign with the team during the 2021 season.
NFL draft
| 2019 Carolina Panthers draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Brian Burns * | LB | Florida State | |
| 2 | 37 | Greg Little | T | Ole Miss | |
| 3 | 100 | Will Grier | QB | West Virginia | |
| 4 | 115 | Christian Miller | LB | Alabama | |
| 5 | 154 | Jordan Scarlett | RB | Florida | |
| 6 | 212 | Dennis Daley | T | South Carolina | |
| 7 | 237 | Terry Godwin | WR | Georgia | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Notes
- As the result of a negative differential of free agent signings and departures that the Panthers experienced during the 2018 free agency period, the team received one compensatory selection for the 2019 draft. Exact numbers of the selections from rounds 4–7 were determined at the NFL's annual spring owners' meetings.[5]
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 8 | at Chicago Bears | W 23–13 | 1–0 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 2 | August 16 | Buffalo Bills | L 14–27 | 1–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 22 | at New England Patriots | L 3–10 | 1–2 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 29 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 25–19 | 2–2 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 8 | Los Angeles Rams | L 27–30 | 0–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 12 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 14–20 | 0–2 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 22 | at Arizona Cardinals | W 38–20 | 1–2 | State Farm Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 29 | at Houston Texans | W 16–10 | 2–2 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 6 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 34–27 | 3–2 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 13 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 37–26 | 4–2 |  Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London) | Recap |
| 7 | Bye | |||||
| 8 | October 27 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 13–51 | 4–3 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 3 | Tennessee Titans | W 30–20 | 5–3 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 10 | at Green Bay Packers | L 16–24 | 5–4 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| 11 | November 17 | Atlanta Falcons | L 3–29 | 5–5 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 24 | at New Orleans Saints | L 31–34 | 5–6 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 13 | December 1 | Washington Redskins | L 21–29 | 5–7 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 8 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 20–40 | 5–8 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 15 | Seattle Seahawks | L 24–30 | 5–9 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 22 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 6–38 | 5–10 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 29 | New Orleans Saints | L 10–42 | 5–11 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Los Angeles Rams
Week One: Los Angeles Rams at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 0 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 30 |
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 27 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: September 8
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 87 °F (31 °C)
- Game attendance: 72,005
- Referee: Shawn Hochuli
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
It was a scoreless first quarter in the Panthers' home opener against the Los Angeles Rams. In the second, the Rams scored 13 points, but with two seconds to go in the half, Joey Slye made a field goal for Carolina. Early in the third, the Rams made another field goal. The Panthers answered back with a Christian McCaffrey touchdown plus a Slye field goal, making it 16–10. Towards the end of the third, the Rams scored a touchdown. Carolina followed with another field goal. At the beginning of the fourth, Carolina blocked a Rams punt and recovered it at the 5-yard line. They went on to score, making it a three-point game. Soon after, James Bradberry intercepted the ball, but they ended up having to punt it away. The Rams scored again to increase their lead to 10, before intercepting the ball from Carolina. With less than two minutes to go, Alexander Armah scored a touchdown for Carolina. Despite this, the Panthers still fell short and lost 30–27 to go 0–1.
Week 2: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week Two: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Panthers | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 14 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: September 12
- Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 85 °F (29 °C)
- Game attendance: 71,101
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (NFLN): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
For the first time since 2013, the Panthers started the season 0–2.
Week 3: at Arizona Cardinals
Week Three: Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 38 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Date: September 22
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. MST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 60,104
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (Fox): Dan Hellie, Brady Quinn and Sarah Kustok
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
In Week 3, Carolina traveled to Arizona for their first road trip of the season and both teams looking for their first win. This was also Kyle Allen's first start of the season at QB. The Cardinals were first on the board with a Larry Fitzgerald touchdown, before Curtis Samuel tied the scores with a touchdown for Carolina early in the second quarter. In the last two minutes of the half, Arizona retook the lead via a field goal, before Kyle Allen threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to D. J. Moore to give the Panthers a 14–10 lead at halftime. Arizona started off with the ball in the second half, and capping a 75-yard drive, Kyler Murray completed a 3-yard pass to David Johnson for a touchdown. However, their lead was brief, as Allen threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Greg Olsen. The Cardinals reduced their deficit to a single point on their next series, as Zane Gonzalez made a 47-yard field goal. Ray-Ray McCloud was only able to return the ensuing kickoff to the Panthers 16, but a pair of runs from Christian McCaffrey, first for eight yards and then for 76 yards, put the Panthers up by eight points going into the final period, following a Kyler Murray interception on Arizona's next possession. In the fourth quarter, Greg Olsen picked up another 3-yard touchdown catch and Joey Slye added a 36-yard field goal to give the Panthers a 38–20 win, improving them to 1–2. This game would give the Panthers franchise all-time win number 200, with both regular season and playoff record at 200-203-1 at that point.
Week 4: at Houston Texans
Week Four: Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
| Texans | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: September 29
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 71,699
- Referee: Adrian Hill
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Lindsay Czarniak
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Panthers defeat Houston 16–10 on the road and improve to 2–2.
Week 5: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Week Five: Jacksonville Jaguars at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguars | 7 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
| Panthers | 14 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 34 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: October 6
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 72 °F (22 °C)
- Game attendance: 72,762
- Referee: Alex Kemp
- TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and A.J. Ross
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Panthers get their third straight win, improving to 3-2. This regular season win was Ron Rivera's 74th, surpassing John Fox for the most regular season wins in franchise history with a record of 74-60-1 at that point.[6]
Week 6: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week Six: Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 10 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 37 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 26 |
at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England
- Date: October 13
- Game time: 2:30 p.m. BST/9:30 a.m. EDT
- Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 61 °F (16 °C)
- Game attendance: 60,087
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (NFLN): Rich Eisen, Kurt Warner, Steve Mariucci, Michael Irvin and Melissa Stark
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Panthers played in London for the first time as part of the NFL International Series. The Panthers get their fourth straight win, improving to 4-2.
Week 8: at San Francisco 49ers
Week Eight: Carolina Panthers at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
| 49ers | 14 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 51 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
- Date: October 27
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 66 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 69,083
- Referee: Shawn Smith
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Mark Schlereth and Jennifer Hale
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The 49ers blow out the Panthers 51-13, and they fall to 4–3.
Week 9: vs. Tennessee Titans
Week Nine: Tennessee Titans at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 20 |
| Panthers | 0 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 30 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: November 3
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Sunny, 58 °F (14 °C)
- Game attendance: 72,540
- Referee: Ronald Torbert
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 10: at Green Bay Packers
Week Ten: Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
| Packers | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: November 10
- Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/3:25 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 32 °F (0 °C)
- Game attendance: 78,090
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 11: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week Eleven: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 10 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 29 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: November 17
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 51 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 73,106
- Referee: Adrian Hill
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Mark Schlereth and Jennifer Hale
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 12: at New Orleans Saints
Week Twelve: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 6 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 31 |
| Saints | 14 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 34 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: November 24
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 73,068
- Referee: Alex Kemp
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 13: vs. Washington Redskins
Week Thirteen: Washington Redskins at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 3 | 9 | 3 | 14 | 29 |
| Panthers | 14 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: December 1
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 64 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 71,504
- Referee: Scott Novak
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 14: at Atlanta Falcons
Week Fourteen: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Falcons | 3 | 10 | 17 | 10 | 40 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: December 8
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: TBD (retractable roof stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,592
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 15: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week Fifteen: Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 13 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 30 |
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 24 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: December 15
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Sunny, 56 °F (13 °C)
- Game attendance: 72,544
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Lindsay Czarniak
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 16: at Indianapolis Colts
Week Sixteen: Carolina Panthers at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Colts | 14 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 38 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Date: December 22
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 61,845
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Mark Schlereth and Jennifer Hale
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 17: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week Seventeen: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 14 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 42 |
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: December 29
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 63 °F (17 °C)
- Game attendance: 72,203
- Referee: Ronald Torbert
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Lindsay Czarniak
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Standings
Division
| NFC South | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| (3) New Orleans Saints | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 458 | 341 | W3 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 381 | 399 | W4 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 458 | 449 | L2 |
| Carolina Panthers | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 2–10 | 340 | 470 | L8 |
Conference
NFC
| |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders | |||||||||||
| 1[a] | San Francisco 49ers | West | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .504 | .466 | W2 |
| 2[a][b] | Green Bay Packers | North | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 6–0 | 10–2 | .453 | .428 | W5 |
| 3[a][b] | New Orleans Saints | South | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .486 | .459 | W3 |
| 4 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–1 | 7–5 | .455 | .417 | W4 |
| Wild Cards | |||||||||||
| 5 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .531 | .463 | L2 |
| 6 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2–4 | 7–5 | .477 | .356 | L2 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
| 7 | Los Angeles Rams | West | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .535 | .438 | W1 |
| 8[c] | Chicago Bears | North | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .508 | .383 | W1 |
| 9[c] | Dallas Cowboys | East | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 5–1 | 7–5 | .479 | .316 | W1 |
| 10[d] | Atlanta Falcons | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .545 | .518 | W4 |
| 11[d] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .500 | .384 | L2 |
| 12 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 5 | 10 | 1 | .344 | 1–5 | 3–8–1 | .529 | .375 | L1 |
| 13 | Carolina Panthers | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 2–10 | .549 | .469 | L8 |
| 14 | New York Giants | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .473 | .281 | L1 |
| 15 | Detroit Lions | North | 3 | 12 | 1 | .219 | 0–6 | 2–9–1 | .506 | .375 | L9 |
| 16 | Washington Redskins | East | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 0–6 | 2–10 | .502 | .281 | L4 |
| Tiebreakers[e] | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
References
- ^ Gordon, Grant. "NFL announces matchups for international games". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
- ^ Schad, Tom (December 3, 2019). "Carolina Panthers fire coach Ron Rivera after nearly 9 years". USA Today. Gannett Co., Inc. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
- ^ "Panthers eliminated from playoffs in 40-20 loss to Atlanta". CBS 17. Nexstar Media Group. Associated Press. December 8, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
- ^ "Panthers LB Luke Kuechly announces retirement at 28". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. January 14, 2020. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
- ^ "NFL announces list of 32 compensatory draft choices". NFL. February 22, 2019.
- ^ Marks, Brendan (October 6, 2019). "'I'm just very fortunate.' Emotional Ron Rivera becomes winningest coach in team history". The Charlotte Observer. The McClatchy Company. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
External links
- Official website
- 2019 Camp Confidential (video series), Carolina Panthers, August 3–24, 2019. Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4
