2015 Carolina Panthers season
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| 2015 Carolina Panthers season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Head coach | Ron Rivera |
| General manager | Dave Gettleman |
| Owner | Jerry Richardson |
| Home field | Bank of America Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 15–1 |
| Division place | 1st NFC South |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs(Seahawks) 31–24 Won NFC Championship(Cardinals) 49–15 TBD Super Bowl 50 (Broncos) |
| Pro Bowlers | |
| AP All-Pros | |
| Uniform | |
 | |
The 2015 Carolina Panthers season is the franchise's 21st season in the National Football League and their fifth under head coach Ron Rivera. This season marked the first time in team history they played on Thanksgiving.[1]
Despite waiving running back DeAngelo Williams and losing top wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin to a torn ACL in the preseason,[2]the Panthers had their best regular season in franchise history and one of the best regular seasons in NFL history. They finished the regular season 15-1, becoming the seventh team to win at least 15 regular season games since the league expanded to a 16 game schedule in 1978. The Panthers joined the 1984 49ers, 1985 Bears (for whom Rivera played as a linebacker), 1998 Vikings, 2004 Steelers, 2007 Patriots (who were a perfect 16–0 in the regular season), and the 2011 Packers as the only teams to accomplish this.
Carolina started the season 14–0, not only setting franchise records for the best start and the longest single-season winning streak, but also posting the best start to a season by an NFC team since the NFL-AFL merger, breaking the 13–0 record previously shared with the 2009 New Orleans Saints and the aforementioned 2011 Packers. They joined the 1972 Dolphins, 2007 Patriots, and 2009 Colts, all from the AFC, as the only teams to reach 14-0. Carolina clinched their third straight NFC Southtitle on December 6, when the Atlanta Falcons lost earlier that day, becoming the first team to clinch a playoff berth that season, and giving the Panthers a home playoff game for the third consecutive year.
The Panthers' undefeated streak came to an end at the hands of Atlanta in a week 16 rematch. A week later, however, Carolina routed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to finish 15–1. Minutes before their game ended, the Seattle Seahawks routed the Arizona Cardinals, giving the Panthers home-field advantage throughout the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
In the playoffs, the Panthers beat the Seahawks in the divisional round, avenging their elimination from a year earlier. Carolina then blew out the Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game by a score of 49–15 to advance to Super Bowl 50, the Panthers' first Super Bowl appearance in ten years and the second appearance in franchise history, where they will face the Denver Broncos.
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