2016_Carolina_Panthers_season
2016 Carolina Panthers season
22nd season in franchise history
The 2016 season was the Carolina Panthers' 22nd in the National Football League and their sixth under head coach Ron Rivera. It was also the team's 20th season at Bank of America Stadium. The previous year, the Panthers achieved their highest win total in franchise history with a 15–1 record, but lost to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. They entered the 2016 season as the defending NFC champions and NFC South champions and hope to repeat as NFC champions.
| 2016 Carolina Panthers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jerry Richardson |
| General manager | Dave Gettleman |
| Head coach | Ron Rivera |
| Home field | Bank of America Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 6–10 |
| Division place | 4th NFC South |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | 5 |
| AP All-Pros | 2
|
| Uniform | |
| |
After a 1–5 start, their worst start since 2012, the Panthers finished the season at 6–10, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2012. The Panthers struggled throughout the season with injuries and loss of star players via free agency and retirement. The Panthers became the first team in NFL history to go 15–1 and miss the playoffs the following year and the first Super Bowl runners up to miss the next year's playoffs since the 2008 Patriots. They also failed to win the NFC South for the first time in three seasons. This was also the first team to have at least 15 wins and finish last in their division the following season. They were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16 when they lost to the Atlanta Falcons 33-16.
The Panthers had the most explosive offense in the NFL in the regular season, despite having subpar tackle play. The team did not add any tackles in free agency though, with left tackle Michael Oher instead getting a three-year contract extension worth $21.6 million with $9.5 million guaranteed. The Panthers also had top wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who missed the entire 2015 season due to an ACL tear, returning from injury.
Another significant change in the off-season was the departure of starting cornerback Josh Norman. Norman was named First-team All-Pro in 2015 after allowing the lowest passer rating when targeted among NFL cornerbacks. The Panthers drafted corners James Bradberry, Daryl Worley and Zack Sanchez to compensate for the loss. The team also lost Dwan Edwards, a rotational defensive tackle, in free agency and veteran defensive end Jared Allen to retirement. They drafted defensive lineman Vernon Butler in the first round to add more talent to that position group.
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 | Vernon Butler | DT | Louisiana Tech |
| 2 | 62 | James Bradberry | CB | Samford |
| 3 | 77 | Daryl Worley | CB | West Virginia |
| 5 | 141 | Zack Sanchez | CB | Oklahoma |
| 7 | 252 | Beau Sandland | TE | Montana State |
Notes
- The Panthers traded a conditional sixth-round selection to the Chicago Bears in exchange for defensive end Jared Allen.
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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| Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
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Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 11 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 19–22 | 0–1 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 20 | at Tennessee Titans | W 26–16 | 1–1 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 26 | New England Patriots | L 17–19 | 1–2 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 18–6 | 2–2 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
Regular season
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 8 | at Denver Broncos | L 20–21 | 0–1 | Sports Authority Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 2 | September 18 | San Francisco 49ers | W 46–27 | 1–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 25 | Minnesota Vikings | L 10–22 | 1–2 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | October 2 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 33–48 | 1–3 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 5 | October 10 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 14–17 | 1–4 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 16 | at New Orleans Saints | L 38–41 | 1–5 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 7 | Bye | |||||
| 8 | October 30 | Arizona Cardinals | W 30–20 | 2–5 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 6 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 13–10 | 3–5 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Recap |
| 10 | November 13 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 17–20 | 3–6 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 17 | New Orleans Saints | W 23–20 | 4–6 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 27 | at Oakland Raiders | L 32–35 | 4–7 | Oakland Alameda Coliseum | Recap |
| 13 | December 4 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 7–40 | 4–8 | CenturyLink Field | Recap |
| 14 | December 11 | San Diego Chargers | W 28–16 | 5–8 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 19 | at Washington Redskins | W 26–15 | 6–8 | FedExField | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | Atlanta Falcons | L 16–33 | 6–9 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | January 1 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 16–17 | 6–10 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: at Denver Broncos
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| Broncos | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
- Date: September 8
- Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT/6:30 p.m. MDT
- Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C), sunny and clear
- Game attendance: 76,843
- Referee: Gene Steratore
- TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
- Recap, Gamebook
The Panthers were up 17–7 in the fourth quarter which saw the Broncos put up 14 points. Down 21–20, Graham Gano attempted a potential game winning 50 yard kick but the ball flew wide left, handing the Panthers a 0–1 start to the season.[1]
Week 2: vs. San Francisco 49ers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 27 |
| Panthers | 7 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 46 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: September 18
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C) sunny
- Game attendance: 74,143
- Referee: John Parry
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
- Recap Gamebook
In their home opener, the Panthers looked to win their first game of the season. Carolina went into the fourth quarter with a 21-point lead over the 49ers; with about eight minutes left in the game, San Francisco managed to get within seven of tying the game. Carolina ended up scoring three more times before the game finished and won 46–27, improving to 1–1 on the year.
Week 3: vs. Minnesota Vikings
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 2 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 22 |
| Panthers | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: September 25
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), partly cloudy
- Game attendance: 73,813
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
- Recap, Gamebook
The Panthers' fourteen home game winning streak came to an end after losing to Minnesota. They fell to 1–2 as Cam Newton was sacked eight times by the Minnesota defense and threw three picks.
Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 23 | 33 |
| Falcons | 14 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 48 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: October 2
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,508
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Chris Spielman and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Gamebook
It was not Carolina's day as the defense had a very hard time putting pressure on Matt Ryan, who threw for 500 yards and four touchdowns, one of them to Julio Jones, who had a monster game, catching 12 passes for 300 yards. It was another rough day for Newton, who left the game with a concussion in the fourth quarter, allowing backup QB Derek Anderson into action. Anderson threw both a pair of touchdowns and interceptions as the Panthers would drop to 1–3.
Week 5: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 3 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 17 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: October 10
- Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), clear
- Game attendance: 73,425
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (ESPN): Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
- Recap, Gamebook
After being held scoreless in the first half, the Panthers scored two touchdowns in the third quarter. Tampa Bay followed up with a touchdown to tie the game. Late in the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers made a field goal to win 17–14. With the loss the Panthers fall to 1–4.
Week 6: at New Orleans Saints
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 21 | 38 |
| Saints | 14 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 41 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: October 16
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 73,138
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Gamebook
With Cam Newton returning from a concussion, the Panthers urged a late comeback and tied the game at 38–38, but New Orleans kicker Wil Lutz hit the gamewinner to seal the 41–38 victory for the Saints. With the loss the Panthers drop to 1–5, their worst record since 2012.
Week 7: Bye week
No game. Carolina had their bye week on Week 7.
Week 8: vs. Arizona Cardinals
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| Panthers | 14 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 30 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: October 30
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 74,088
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Gamebook
The Panthers returned from their bye week for a rematch of the previous year's NFC Championship game, in which the Panthers defeated the Cardinals 49–15. The Panthers went up 24–7 before halftime and maintained their lead to win the game 30–20, giving them their second win of the season and a 2–5 record. The game was flexed out of a 4:25 time slot.
Week 9: at Los Angeles Rams
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| Rams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
- Date: November 6
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST/1:05 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 86,109
- Referee: Terry McAulay
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Gamebook
After the Panthers went into the fourth quarter with a seven-point lead, Graham Gano kicked a field goal making it 10–0. After both teams kicked field goals, and with less than two minutes left in the game, Los Angeles scored a touchdown, but the Panthers manage to win 13–10 improving to 3–5.
Week 10: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 20 |
| Panthers | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: November 13
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 74,181
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
- Recap, Gamebook
The Panthers went into the fourth quarter with a 17–3 lead over the Chiefs but things changed when Cairo Santos kicked a field goal, and Eric Berry had a pick six. Santos makes another field goal, tying the game at 17. In the Panthers' last possession of the game, the ball was stripped out of Kelvin Benjamin's hands and Kansas City gets the ball back. Santos makes the game-winning field goal for the Chiefs, and the Panthers fall to 3–6.
Week 11: vs. New Orleans Saints
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 20 |
| Panthers | 3 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 23 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: November 17
- Game time: 8:25 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), clear
- Game attendance: 73,288
- Referee: Pete Morelli
- TV announcers (NBC/NFLN/Twitter): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Heather Cox
- Recap, Gamebook
After their embarrassing 17-point comeback loss four days prior, the Panthers hosted the Saints in a Thursday Night 'Color Rush' Matchup. Just like in the Chiefs game, the Panthers went into the fourth quarter holding New Orleans to only three points. They had a 23–3 lead but the Saints managed to rally and get within three with 5:11 left in the game. Late in the fourth quarter star linebacker Luke Kuechly left the game and was evaluated for a concussion. The Panthers were able to hold off New Orleans and win 23–20, improving to 4–6.
Week 12: at Oakland Raiders
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 7 | 0 | 18 | 7 | 32 |
| Raiders | 7 | 17 | 0 | 11 | 35 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Oakland Alameda Coliseum, Oakland, California
- Date: November 27
- Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/1:25 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), partly cloudy
- Game attendance: 54,909
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
- Recap, Gamebook
Carolina had a rough start in the first half, only scoring seven points, and went into halftime seventeen points behind Oakland. They turned things around and had an explosive third quarter scoring eighteen points giving them a one-point lead over the Raiders. In the fourth quarter the Panthers went on to score seven but the Raiders answered back tying the game. In their last possession of the game the ball was taken from Cam Newton giving Oakland the ball back. Carolina could not hold on as Oakland kicked a field goal winning the game. They fall to 4–7.
Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Seahawks | 10 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 40 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The Panthers were defeated by the Seahawks 40–7, and fell to 4–8.
Week 14: vs. San Diego Chargers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 16 |
| Panthers | 10 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 28 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: December 11
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 73,856
- Referee: Ronald Torbert
- TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Brady Quinn and Holly Sonders
- Recap, Gamebook
The Panthers managed to win at home, defeating San Diego 28–16. They improved to 5–8.
Week 15: at Washington Redskins
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 10 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 26 |
| Redskins | 3 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 15 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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In their second Monday Night Football game of the season, the Panthers took on the Washington Redskins at FedExField in Landover, Maryland. Carolina defeated Washington 26–15, and kept their slim chances of making the playoffs alive by improving to 6–8.
Week 16: vs. Atlanta Falcons
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 13 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 33 |
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 16 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: December 24
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 73,549
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager
- Recap, Gamebook
With the loss, the Panthers fell to 6–9, officially eliminating them from the playoffs. They are the first team to go 15–1 the previous season and miss the playoffs the next season, as well as the first Super Bowl runner-up to miss the playoffs since the 2008 Patriots.
Week 17: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 7 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 16 |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Carolina attempted to win on a game-winning 2-point attempt but Newton's pass failed, giving the Bucs a narrow 17–16 victory. The Panthers finish the season at 6–10, the worst record for a team that went 15–1 the previous season.
Division
| NFC South | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (2) Atlanta Falcons | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 540 | 406 | W4 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 354 | 369 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 6–6 | 469 | 454 | L1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 5–7 | 369 | 402 | L2 |
Conference
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division leaders | |||||||||||
| 1 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 3–3 | 9–3 | .471 | .440 | L1 |
| 2 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .480 | .452 | W4 |
| 3 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 10 | 5 | 1 | .656 | 3–2–1 | 6–5–1 | .441 | .425 | W1 |
| 4 | Green Bay Packers | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .508 | .453 | W6 |
| Wild Cards | |||||||||||
| 5 | New York Giants | East | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .486 | .455 | W1 |
| 6[lower-alpha 1] | Detroit Lions | North | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .475 | .392 | L3 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
| 7[lower-alpha 1] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .492 | .434 | W1 |
| 8 | Washington Redskins | East | 8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .516 | .430 | L1 |
| 9 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .492 | .457 | W1 |
| 10 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 4–1–1 | 6–5–1 | .463 | .366 | W2 |
| 11[lower-alpha 2] | New Orleans Saints | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .523 | .393 | L1 |
| 12[lower-alpha 2] | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .559 | .518 | W2 |
| 13 | Carolina Panthers | South | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .518 | .354 | L2 |
| 14 | Los Angeles Rams | West | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .504 | .500 | L7 |
| 15 | Chicago Bears | North | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .521 | .396 | L4 |
| 16 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 2–4 | 2–10 | .504 | .250 | L1 |
| Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 3] | |||||||||||
- Person, Joseph (September 9, 2016). "Panthers get into position to win Super Bowl rematch, but 50-yard FG slides wide". The Charlotte Observer. Denver: The McClatchy Company. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
