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Top 10 | Week 14 No.1: Carolina | 1-12 (Chicago)
No.2: New England | 3-10
No.3: Arizona | 3-10
No.4: Washington | 4-9
No.5: New York Giants 4-8
No.6: Tennessee | 4-8
No.7: Chicago | 5-8
No.8: Las Vegas | 5-8
No.9: New York Jets | 5-8
No.10: Los Angeles Chargers | 5-8
What Bryce Young, 1-12 Panthers can learn from 1-15 2001 team
The Carolina Panthers entered the season with a seemingly solid offensive line, a rookie quarterback who had won a Heisman, a talented defensive unit and a coach with Super Bowl experience. Hope was high for a team that was still in the playoff hunt late in the previous season. This sounds like the 2023 Panthers, who enter Sunday's home game against the Atlanta Falcons (1 p.m. ET, FOX with an NFL-worst 1-12 record. But the same can be said of the 2001 Panthers, who went through a similar experience during a 1-15 season under coach George Seifert, when they became the laughingstock of the NFL.
Some of the players from 2001 follow the current team's struggles and can relate to how mentally draining it can be. They believe this year's team has it tougher because of social media, which barely existed in 2001. The 2001 season didn't start out as a disaster. Carolina upset the Minnesota Vikings 24-13 on the road in the opener with rookie quarterback Chris Weinke, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner out of Florida State, throwing and rushing for a touchdown in what was basically his hometown. It didn't. Fifteen consecutive losses later, the Panthers were tied for what were the most losses in a season in NFL history at the time. The 2008 Lions and 2017 Cleveland Browns now own that distinction at 0-16. This season's Panthers could be headed for 1-16. Current Carolina rookie quarterback Bryce Yoing never even got to experience Weinke's brief success. Atlanta turned two interceptions into 10 points in his NFL debut -- a 24-10 loss.
Atlanta (6-8) entered the game tied with New Orleans and Tampa Bay for first place in the NFC South, but now finds itself needing help to get into the postseason after the Saints and Buccaneers both won to improve to 7-7. Ridder finished 12 of 22 for 152 yards with one touchdown and the one costly pick. Bijan Robinson also had a costly turnover for Atlanta in the second half.
Carolina (2 - 12)
Young threw for 167 yards in his second NFL win and Hubbard ran for 87 yards on 22 carries for Carolina. Young, who had struggled all afternoon, led the Panthers on a 17-play, 90-yard drive that took the final 7:35 off the clock. The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Panthers (2-12). Panthers interim head coach Chris Tabor has spent three years coaching Eddy Pineiro in Chicago and now Carolina, and his confidence level in the 28-year-old kicker is unwavering.
Week 2: vs. New Orleans (MNF) L Saints' defense shuts down Bryce Young in 20-17 win
Jones ran for two touchdowns, rookie Blake Grupe kicked two field goals on Monday night, improving to 2-0 for the first time since 2013. The Saints' defense did the rest, holding Panthers rookie Bryce Young to 153 yards passing in his home debut.
Week 3: at Seattle L Kenneth Walker sparks Seahawks in second half to beat Carolina 37-27
Kenneth Wallker III rushed for 97 yards and two second-half touchdowns, Jason Myers kicked five field goals. - Andy Dalton threw for 361 yards. Adam Thielen had 11 catches for 145 yards.
Week 4: vs. Minnesota L Justin Jefferson 2 TDs lift Vikings over Panthers 21-13
Kirk Cousins overcame two interceptions, including one that was returned 99 yards for a touchdown, and threw two touchdown passes to Jefferson. -Young finished 25 of 32 for 204 yards for Carolina, falling to 0-3 as an NFL starter.
Week-8: vs. Houston W Eddy Pineito's 23-yard FG as time expires help Bryce Young, Panthers get first win over Texans 15-13
Pineiro made his third attempt, even as another flag for offsides was thrown on the Texans. Young overcame six sacks and three drops by his wide receivers to record his first win since coming into the NFL out of Alabama. Young, the No. 1 overall pick, threw for 235 yards and a touchdown. - Stroud, the second overall pick, was 16 of 24 for 140 yards and ran for a touchdown for Houston (3-4).
Week-9: vs. Indianapolis L Kenny Moore's two pick 6's help Colts snap 3-game skid with 27-13 victory over Panthers
Moore returned two Bryce Young interceptions for touchdowns, Jonathan Taylor caught a touchdown pass from Gardner Minshew. - Young has now been sacked 26 times in seven starts, and the rookie clearly seems bothered by the constant pressure.
Week-10: at Chicago L Foreman runs for TD, Bears beat Panthers 16-13 to boost their shoot at the top pick in the draft
Tyson Bagent completed 20 of 33 passes for 162 yards in his fourth straight start with Justin Fields sidelined because of a dislocated right thumb. Cairo Santos kicked three field goals. - Adam Thielen caught six passes for 42 yards, and the Panthers fell to 0-5 on the road.
Week-11: vs. Dallas L Dak Prescott scores 2 TDs, Bland ties NFL record with 4th pick-6 in Cowboys'' 33-10 rout of Panthers
Young finished 16 of 29 for 123 yards, and the No. 1 draft pick threw his third pick-6 in the last three games. He also fumbled. The Cowboys sacked Young seven times and limited the Panthers to 187 yards and 13 first downs in the first game since Reich resumed control of play-calling duties.
Week-12: at Tennessee L Derrick Henry runs for 2 TDs as the Titans hold off Panthers, Bryce Young 17-10
Young threw for 194 yards. The No. 1 overll pick in April’s draft helped Carolina hold the ball for much of the second half, but the Panthers managed to cap only one possession with Chuba Hubbard's 5-yard TD run to open the third quarter pulling within 17-10. - Titans rookie Will Levis threw for 185 yards and improved to 2/3 as a starter. He was sacked only once behind an offensive line featuring a pair of rookies with left tackle Jaelyn Duncan in his first NFL start beside left guard Peter Skoronski.
Panthers release four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Justin Houston
The Carolina Panthers have released outside linebacker Justin Houston to give the four-time Pro Bowl selection a chance to sign with a playoff contender. Houston, 34, has been on injured reserve with a hamstring injury since Nov. 4. In seven games for the Panthers (2-12) he had half a sack, three tackles for loss and two quarterback hits. Houston has 111.5 career sacks in 12 seasons. He signed a one-year deal with Carolina in August primarily to play for then-head coach Frank Reich, who was fired after a 1-10 start.
Panthers' Hayden Hurst speaks about concussion recovery
In many ways it was a normal Tuesday for Carolina Panthers tight end Hayden Hurst. He arrived at Bank of America Stadium at 9 a.m. on what normally is an off day for players, lifted weights, spent time in the sauna and steam room and met with trainers. But little in the life of the 30-year-old Hurst has been normal the past six weeks. "[Hayden] has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Amnesia by an independent neurologist as a result of the hit he took in Chicago November 9," the elder Hurst wrote. "Slow recovery, don't know when he'll be back. Prayers.''
Love threw for two touchdowns, ran for one and made two big completions to set up Anders Carison's 32-yard field goal with 19 seconds left, and the Packers survived a fourth-quarter rally by Carolina to beat the Panthers 33-30. Love had touchdown passes of 21 yards to rookie Dontayvion Wicks and 5 yards to Romeo Doubs and scored on a quarterback sneak as the Packers snapped a two-game skid. He's averaged 263 yards passing over the last six games with 13 touchdown passes and only one interception. The Packers (7-8) remain one game behind the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams in the NFC wild-card race.
Carolina (2 - 13)
Bryce Young, who threw for a career-high 312 yards, rallied the Panthers (2-13) from a 14-point deficit with two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to DJ Chark to tie the game at 30-30 with 4:05 remaining. Carolina had one last chance. Young completed a 22-yard pass to Chark on the sideline to stop the clock and then threw over the middle to Adam Thielen for another 22 yards to the Green Bay 31. But the Panthers, without any timeouts, were unable to spike the ball before time expired.
Week 2: vs. New Orleans (MNF) L Saints' defense shuts down Bryce Young in 20-17 win
Jones ran for two touchdowns, rookie Blake Grupe kicked two field goals on Monday night, improving to 2-0 for the first time since 2013. The Saints' defense did the rest, holding Panthers rookie Bryce Young to 153 yards passing in his home debut.
Week 3: at Seattle L Kenneth Walker sparks Seahawks in second half to beat Carolina 37-27
Kenneth Wallker III rushed for 97 yards and two second-half touchdowns, Jason Myers kicked five field goals. - Andy Dalton threw for 361 yards. Adam Thielen had 11 catches for 145 yards.
Week 4: vs. Minnesota L Justin Jefferson 2 TDs lift Vikings over Panthers 21-13
Kirk Cousins overcame two interceptions, including one that was returned 99 yards for a touchdown, and threw two touchdown passes to Jefferson. -Young finished 25 of 32 for 204 yards for Carolina, falling to 0-3 as an NFL starter.
Week-8: vs. Houston W Eddy Pineito's 23-yard FG as time expires help Bryce Young, Panthers get first win over Texans 15-13
Pineiro made his third attempt, even as another flag for offsides was thrown on the Texans. Young overcame six sacks and three drops by his wide receivers to record his first win since coming into the NFL out of Alabama. Young, the No. 1 overall pick, threw for 235 yards and a touchdown. - Stroud, the second overall pick, was 16 of 24 for 140 yards and ran for a touchdown for Houston (3-4).
Week-9: vs. Indianapolis L Kenny Moore's two pick 6's help Colts snap 3-game skid with 27-13 victory over Panthers
Moore returned two Bryce Young interceptions for touchdowns, Jonathan Taylor caught a touchdown pass from Gardner Minshew. - Young has now been sacked 26 times in seven starts, and the rookie clearly seems bothered by the constant pressure.
Week-10: at Chicago L Foreman runs for TD, Bears beat Panthers 16-13 to boost their shoot at the top pick in the draft
Tyson Bagent completed 20 of 33 passes for 162 yards in his fourth straight start with Justin Fields sidelined because of a dislocated right thumb. Cairo Santos kicked three field goals. - Adam Thielen caught six passes for 42 yards, and the Panthers fell to 0-5 on the road.
Week-11: vs. Dallas L Dak Prescott scores 2 TDs, Bland ties NFL record with 4th pick-6 in Cowboys'' 33-10 rout of Panthers
Young finished 16 of 29 for 123 yards, and the No. 1 draft pick threw his third pick-6 in the last three games. He also fumbled. The Cowboys sacked Young seven times and limited the Panthers to 187 yards and 13 first downs in the first game since Reich resumed control of play-calling duties.
Week-12: at Tennessee L Derrick Henry runs for 2 TDs as the Titans hold off Panthers, Bryce Young 17-10
Young threw for 194 yards. The No. 1 overll pick in April’s draft helped Carolina hold the ball for much of the second half, but the Panthers managed to cap only one possession with Chuba Hubbard's 5-yard TD run to open the third quarter pulling within 17-10. - Titans rookie Will Levis threw for 185 yards and improved to 2/3 as a starter. He was sacked only once behind an offensive line featuring a pair of rookies with left tackle Jaelyn Duncan in his first NFL start beside left guard Peter Skoronski.
Former Panther Julius Peppers headline finalists for football HOF
Julius Peppers was a college basketball players with the North Carolima Tar Heels before finding their greatest success in football. Peppers was one of the league's most dominant linemen after being picked second overall by the Carolina Panthers in 2002 following a two-sport career in college at North Carolina. He had 12 sacks as a rookie and never really slowed down in a 17-year career that included stops in Chicago and Green Bay before ending up with the Panthers again. He was an All-Pro in 2004, 2006 and 2010. Peppers finished his career with 159.5 sacks -- the fourth most since they became official in 1982. He had 10 seasons with double-digit sacks; only Hall of Famers Bruce Smith (13) and Reggie White (12) had more.
The Panthers (2-14) dropped to 0-9 on the road and were held scoreless for the first time since losing to Atlanta in Week 12 in 2002. Bryce Youngcompleted 19 of 32 passes for 112 yards, with an interception. He was sacked six times.
Jacksonville (9 - 7)
The Jaguars (9-7) won for the first time in December — and with quarterback Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) watching from the sideline. Jacksonville now can clinch the division with a victory next weekend. A loss to the Titans would hand the AFC South to the winner of the Houston-Indianapolis game. Etienne finished with 102 yards on the ground, with 62 of them coming on a scoring scamper early in the third quarter.
Week 2: vs. New Orleans (MNF) L Saints' defense shuts down Bryce Young in 20-17 win
Jones ran for two touchdowns, rookie Blake Grupe kicked two field goals on Monday night, improving to 2-0 for the first time since 2013. The Saints' defense did the rest, holding Panthers rookie Bryce Young to 153 yards passing in his home debut.
Week 3: at Seattle L Kenneth Walker sparks Seahawks in second half to beat Carolina 37-27
Kenneth Wallker III rushed for 97 yards and two second-half touchdowns, Jason Myers kicked five field goals. - Andy Dalton threw for 361 yards. Adam Thielen had 11 catches for 145 yards.
Week 4: vs. Minnesota L Justin Jefferson 2 TDs lift Vikings over Panthers 21-13
Kirk Cousins overcame two interceptions, including one that was returned 99 yards for a touchdown, and threw two touchdown passes to Jefferson. -Young finished 25 of 32 for 204 yards for Carolina, falling to 0-3 as an NFL starter.
Week-8: vs. Houston W Eddy Pineito's 23-yard FG as time expires help Bryce Young, Panthers get first win over Texans 15-13
Pineiro made his third attempt, even as another flag for offsides was thrown on the Texans. Young overcame six sacks and three drops by his wide receivers to record his first win since coming into the NFL out of Alabama. Young, the No. 1 overall pick, threw for 235 yards and a touchdown. - Stroud, the second overall pick, was 16 of 24 for 140 yards and ran for a touchdown for Houston (3-4).
Week-9: vs. Indianapolis L Kenny Moore's two pick 6's help Colts snap 3-game skid with 27-13 victory over Panthers
Moore returned two Bryce Young interceptions for touchdowns, Jonathan Taylor caught a touchdown pass from Gardner Minshew. - Young has now been sacked 26 times in seven starts, and the rookie clearly seems bothered by the constant pressure.
Week-10: at Chicago L Foreman runs for TD, Bears beat Panthers 16-13 to boost their shoot at the top pick in the draft
Tyson Bagent completed 20 of 33 passes for 162 yards in his fourth straight start with Justin Fields sidelined because of a dislocated right thumb. Cairo Santos kicked three field goals. - Adam Thielen caught six passes for 42 yards, and the Panthers fell to 0-5 on the road.
Week-11: vs. Dallas L Dak Prescott scores 2 TDs, Bland ties NFL record with 4th pick-6 in Cowboys'' 33-10 rout of Panthers
Young finished 16 of 29 for 123 yards, and the No. 1 draft pick threw his third pick-6 in the last three games. He also fumbled. The Cowboys sacked Young seven times and limited the Panthers to 187 yards and 13 first downs in the first game since Reich resumed control of play-calling duties.
Week-12: at Tennessee L Derrick Henry runs for 2 TDs as the Titans hold off Panthers, Bryce Young 17-10
Young threw for 194 yards. The No. 1 overll pick in April’s draft helped Carolina hold the ball for much of the second half, but the Panthers managed to cap only one possession with Chuba Hubbard's 5-yard TD run to open the third quarter pulling within 17-10. - Titans rookie Will Levis threw for 185 yards and improved to 2/3 as a starter. He was sacked only once behind an offensive line featuring a pair of rookies with left tackle Jaelyn Duncan in his first NFL start beside left guard Peter Skoronski.