| 2001 Carolina Panthers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jerry Richardson |
| Head coach | George Seifert |
| Home field | Ericsson Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 1–15 |
| Division place | 5th NFC West |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | TEWesley Walls WRSteve Smith PTodd Sauerbrun |
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The 2001 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 7th season in the National Football League and the 3rd and final under head coach George Seifert. They to improve upon their 7–9 record in 2000, and make it to the playoffs for the second time in franchise history; however, the Panthers unable to improve over their previous season, and dropping to 1–15, losing 15 straight after beating the Minnesota Vikings in their opening game of the season, becoming the first team since the NFL went to a 16 game schedule in 1975 to do so. No other team before or since has lost fifteen straight after an opening win: the only other teams in NFL history to win their opener and lose the remainder of their games being the 1936 Philadelphia Eagles and the 1969 Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Panthers consequently beat the record for most consecutive losses during a single NFL season shared by the 1976 Buccaneers, the 1980 Saints, the 1981 Colts and the 1990 Patriots. This has since been broken by two winless teams: the 2008 Detroit Lions and 2017 Cleveland Browns.
Following their terrible season, head coach George Seifert was fired and replaced by John Fox. By the end of the season, the Panthers had become so incapacitated that only about 16,000 fans showed up to see them play in their finale against the New England Patriots, who shockingly went on to win Super Bowl XXXVI over the 14-2 Rams. Coincidentally, the Panthers would face the Patriots 2 seasons laterinSuper Bowl XXXVIII, which saw the Panthers lose 29-32.
The 2001 Panthers became the seventh team to finish 1–15 after the 2000 Chargers, the 1996 Jets, the 1991 Colts, the 1990 New England Patriots, the 1989 Cowboys and the 1980 New Orleans Saints. The 2007 Dolphins, 2009 Rams, and 2016 Browns would eventually become the next 3 teams after the Panthers to finish only one win as of 2018.
| 2001 Carolina Panthers draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Dan Morgan * | Linebacker | Miami (FL) | |
| 2 | 44 | Kris Jenkins * | Defensive tackle | Maryland | |
| 3 | 74 | Steve Smith * | Wide receiver | Utah | |
| 4 | 106 | Chris Weinke | Quarterback | Florida State | |
| 5 | 143 | Jarrod Cooper | Defensive back | Kansas State | |
| 6 | 175 | Dee Brown | Running back | Syracuse | |
| 7 | 211 | Louis Williams | Center | Louisiana State | |
| 7 | 227 | Mike Roberg | Tight end | Idaho | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Goings | Running back | Pittsburgh |
| Nathan Hodel | Long snapper | Illinois |
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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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| Week | Date | Opponent | Final Score | Team Record | Game site | TV | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 9, 2001 | atMinnesota Vikings | W 24–13 | 1–0 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | FOX | |
| 2 | September 23, 2001 | atAtlanta Falcons | L 16–24 | 1–1 | Georgia Dome | FOX | |
| 3 | September 30, 2001 | Green Bay Packers | L 7–28 | 1–2 | Ericsson Stadium | FOX | |
| 4 | October 7, 2001 | atSan Francisco 49ers | L 14–24 | 1–3 | 3Com Park | ESPN | |
| 5 | October 14, 2001 | New Orleans Saints | L 25–27 | 1–4 | Ericsson Stadium | FOX | |
| 6 | October 21, 2001 | atWashington Redskins | L 14–17 (OT) | 1–5 | FedExField | FOX | |
| 7 | October 28, 2001 | New York Jets | L 12–13 | 1–6 | Ericsson Stadium | CBS | |
| 8 | November 4, 2001 | atMiami Dolphins | L 6–23 | 1–7 | Pro Player Stadium | FOX | |
| 9 | November 11, 2001 | atSt. Louis Rams | L 14–48 | 1–8 | Dome at America's Center | FOX | |
| 10 | November 18, 2001 | San Francisco 49ers | L 22–25 (OT) | 1–9 | Ericsson Stadium | FOX | |
| 11 | November 25, 2001 | Atlanta Falcons | L 7–10 | 1–10 | Ericsson Stadium | FOX | |
| 12 | December 2, 2001 | atNew Orleans Saints | L 23–27 | 1–11 | Louisiana Superdome | FOX | |
| 13 | December 9, 2001 | atBuffalo Bills | L 24–25 | 1–12 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | FOX | |
| 14 | Bye | ||||||
| 15 | December 23, 2001 | St. Louis Rams | L 32–38 | 1–13 | Ericsson Stadium | FOX | |
| 16 | December 30, 2001 | Arizona Cardinals | L 7–30 | 1–14 | Ericsson Stadium | FOX | |
| 17 | January 6, 2002 | New England Patriots | L 6–38 | 1–15 | Ericsson Stadium | CBS | |
| NFC West | |||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK |
| (1) St. Louis Rams | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 503 | 273 | W6 |
| (5) San Francisco 49ers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 409 | 282 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 333 | 409 | L4 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 291 | 377 | L2 |
| Carolina Panthers | 1 | 15 | 0 | .063 | 253 | 410 | L15 |
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| Stadiums |
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| Culture and lore |
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| Rivalries |
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| Hall of Honor |
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| Wild card berths (2) |
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| Division championships (6) |
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| Conference championships (2) |
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| Retired numbers |
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Italics indicates Super Bowl appearance |
