The2008 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 14th season in theNational Football League (NFL). They entered the season and improved on their 7–9 record from2007, winning the NFC South for the first time since 2003 and earning their first playoff berth since 2005. Their 12–4 finish tied their then-best record in franchise history, which occurred in the1996 season, and later on tied in2013; however, this would be surpassed by the2015 club. The second-seeded Panthers were upset at home in the divisional playoffs by theeventual NFC ChampionArizona Cardinals 33–13.

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TheCarolina Panthers andSan Diego Chargers were locked in a defensive battle in the first quarter.John Kasay made three field goals (44, 33, 30) whilePhilip Rivers connected withChris Chambers on a 44-yard pass to score. At halftime the score was 9–7, in favor of the Panthers.Nate Kaeding hit a 27-yard field goal to put the Chargers up 10–9, beforeChris Gamble recovered a fumble by TEAntonio Gates, giving the Panthers a lead of 16–10. AnotherJohn Kasay field goal would make it a two-score game, beforePhilip Rivers would hitAntonio Gates andVincent Jackson for 24 and 5-yard touchdown passes, respectively. With 0:02 on the game clock, Panthers quarterbackJake Delhomme hit tight endDante Rosario on a 14-yard pass to give the Panthers the win and a 1–0 start.

The Bears and Panthers squared off and it was defensive. The lone score of the first quarter came whenBrandon Lloyd recovered a blocked punt and took it nine yards to score. Each team was able to score a field goal asRobbie Gould andJohn Kasay hit field goals from 26 and 37 yards, respectively.Jason McKie scored a touchdown for the Bears to open the second half, andJohn Kasay nailed a 45-yard field goal.Jonathan Stewart was able to get into the endzone for his first career touchdown. In the fourth quarter, anotherJonathan Stewart run gave theCarolina Panthers the lead and eventually, the victory.

With the win, the Panthers improved to 2–0.

Also, WRMuhsin Muhammad (5 receptions for 59 yards) became the 29th player in NFL history to amass 10,000 career receiving yards.

Coming off their home win over the Bears, the Panthers flew to theHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for a Week 3 duel with theMinnesota Vikings. This game would also be WRSteve Smith's first game of the year, coming off his 2-game suspension.

In the first quarter, Carolina got the early lead with kickerJohn Kasay getting a 43-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Panthers increased their lead with rookie RBJonathan Stewart getting a 2-yard TD run. The Vikings responded with kickerRyan Longwell's 28-yard field goal and CBAntoine Winfield returning a fumble 19 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter, Minnesota took the lead with QBGus Frerotte completing a 34-yard TD pass to TEVisanthe Shiancoe. In the fourth quarter, the Vikings sealed the win with Longwell nailing a 32-yard field goal.

With the loss, Carolina fell to 2–1.

Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Vikings, the Panthers went home for a Week 4 NFC South duel with theAtlanta Falcons. In the first quarter, Carolina pounced first with rookie RBJonathan Stewart getting an 8-yard TD run. The Falcons responded with kickerJason Elam getting a 33-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Atlanta crept closer as Elam kicked a 33-yard field goal. Carolina would reply with QBJake Delhomme completing a 56-yard TD pass to WRSteve Smith. The Falcons closed out the half with Elam getting a 44-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, the Panthers answered with kickerJohn Kasay nailing a 44-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Carolina closed the game out with Delhomme completing a 36-yard TD pass to WRMuhsin Muhammad.

With the win, the Panthers improved to 3–1.

During the game, Muhsin Muhammad (8 receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown) became the Panthers All-Time WR Leader in Receptions (600) and TD Receptions (45).

Coming off their divisional win over the Falcons, the Panthers stayed at home for a Week 5 interconference duel with theKansas City Chiefs. In the first quarter, Carolina pounced first as RBDeAngelo Williams got a 10-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Panthers continued its attack as Williams caught a 25-yard TD pass from QBJake Delhomme and even got a 32-yard TD run. In the third quarter, Carolina increased its lead with kickerJohn Kasay getting a 32-yard field goal, along with Delhomme completing a 47-yard TD pass to WRMuhsin Muhammad. In the fourth quarter, the Panthers sealed their shutout win with Kasay nailing a 43-yard field goal.

With the win, Carolina improved to 4–1.

Coming off their shutout home win over the Chiefs, the Panthers flew toRaymond James Stadium for a Week 6 NFC South duel withTampa Bay Buccaneers. In the first quarter, Carolina trailed early as Buccaneers LBGeno Hayes returned a blocked punt 22 yards for a touchdown, along with QBJeff Garcia completing a 2-yard TD pass to TEAlex Smith. In the second quarter, the Panthers got on the board with kickerJohn Kasay getting a 20-yard field goal, yet Tampa Bay answered with kickerMatt Bryant getting a 37-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Buccaneers increased their lead as Bryant nailed a 49-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Tampa Bay sealed the win with RBEarnest Graham getting a 1-yard TD run.

With the loss, Carolina fell to 4–2.

Hoping to rebound from their divisional road loss to the Buccaneers, the Panthers went home for a Week 7 NFC South duel with theNew Orleans Saints. In the first quarter, Carolina pounced first as kickerJohn Kasay got a 39-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Saints took the lead as FBMike Karney got a 1-yard TD run. The Panthers regained the lead as rookie RBJonathan Stewart got an 18-yard TD run, along with Kasay getting a 48-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, Carolina continued its domination as QBJake Delhomme completed a 39-yard TD pass to WRSteve Smith, along with a 4-yard TD pass to RBDeAngelo Williams. In the fourth quarter, the Panthers closed out the game as Kasay nailed a 28-yard field goal.

With the win, Carolina improved to 5–2.

Coming off their win over the Saints, the Panthers stayed at home for a Week 8 duel with theArizona Cardinals. In the first quarter, Carolina trailed early as Cardinals kickerNeil Rackers got a 21-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Arizona increased its lead as QBKurt Warner completed a 5-yard TD pass to WRAnquan Boldin. The Panthers got on the board with kickerJohn Kasay getting a 23-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, the Cardinals increased their lead as RBTim Hightower got a 2-yard TD run. Carolina started to rally as RBDeAngelo Williams got a 15-yard TD run, while QBJake Delhomme completed an 18-yard TD pass to WRSteve Smith. Arizona responded with Warner completing a 2-yard TD pass to Boldin (with a failed PAT), yet the Panthers got the lead with Delhomme hooking up with Smith again on a 65-yard TD pass. In the fourth quarter, Carolina completed its rally as Kasay nailed a 50-yard field goal.

With the win, the Panthers went into their bye week at 6–2.

Coming off their bye week, the Panthers flew toOakland–Alameda County Coliseum for a Week 10 interconference duel with theOakland Raiders. In the first quarter, Carolina pounced first as QBJake Delhomme completed a 3-yard TD pass to WRMuhsin Muhammad. In the second quarter, the Panthers increased their lead as RBDeAngelo Williams got a 69-yard TD run. In the third quarter, the Raiders responded with kickerSebastian Janikowski getting a 38-yard and a 45-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Carolina closed the game out with kickerJohn Kasay nailing a 32-yard field goal.

With the win, the Panthers improved to 7–2.

Coming off their road win over the Raiders, the Panthers went home for a Week 11 duel with the winlessDetroit Lions. In the first quarter, Carolina trailed early as Lions QBDaunte Culpepper completed a 29-yard TD pass to WRCalvin Johnson. In the second quarter, Detroit increased their lead as kickerJason Hanson got a 40-yard field goal. The Panthers got on the board as QBJake Delhomme completed a 15-yard TD pass to TEJeff King. The Lions would answer with Hanson making a 56-yard field goal, yet Carolina took the lead with RBDeAngelo Williams getting a 56-yard TD run, while rookie RBJonathan Stewart got a 22-yard TD run. Detroit ended the half with Hanson getting a 27-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, the Panthers increased their lead as kickerJohn Kasay nailed a 29-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Lions tried to rally as Culpepper got a 1-yard TD run (with a failed 2-point conversion), yet Carolina pulled away with Williams getting a 4-yard TD run.

With the win, the Panthers improved to 8–2.

Coming off their record-setting win over the Lions, the Panthers flew to theGeorgia Dome for a Week 12 NFC South rematch with theAtlanta Falcons. In the first quarter, Carolina trailed early as Falcons kickerJason Elam made a 23-yard field goal, while WRHarry Douglas got a 7-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Panthers continued to trail as RBMichael Turner got a 1-yard TD run. Carolina would close out the half as kickerJohn Kasay got a 23-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, the Panthers began to make the game interesting. RBDeAngelo Williams would get a 5-yard TD run, followed by Kasay nailing a 21-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Atlanta replied with Turner getting a 4-yard TD run. Carolina answered with QBJake Delhomme getting a 12-yard TD run (followed up by Williams' 2-point conversion run), but the Falcons responded with Turner's 1-yard TD run, along with Douglas returning a punt 61 yards for a touchdown. The Panthers tried to come back as Delhomme completed a 16-yard TD pass to WRMuhsin Muhammad. However, Atlanta pulled away as Turner got a 16-yard TD run.

With the loss, Carolina fell to 8–3.

Hoping to rebound from their divisional road loss to the Falcons, the Panthers flew toLambeau Field for a Week 13 duel with theGreen Bay Packers. In the first quarter, Carolina pounced first as RBDeAngelo Williams got a 1-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Packers responded with kickerMason Crosby getting a 32-yard field goal. The Panthers would answer with QBJake Delhomme getting a 1-yard TD run. Green Bay replied with QBAaron Rodgers completing a 6-yard TD pass to WRDonald Driver, yet Carolina ended the half with Williams getting another 1-yard TD run.

In the third quarter, the Packers tied the game as Crosby made a 44-yard field goal, while Rodgers completed a 5-yard TD pass to TEDonald Lee (along with a successful 2-point conversion pass to WRGreg Jennings). In the fourth quarter, Green Bay took the lead as Rodgers hooked up with Jennings on a 21-yard TD pass, yet the Panthers answered with Williams getting his third 1-yard TD run. The Packers would retake the lead as Crosby nailed a 19-yard field goal, yet Carolina sealed the victory with Williams getting his fourth 1-yard TD run (setting the single-game franchise record for the most rushing touchdowns).

With the win, the Panthers improved to 9–3.

The Panthers would run wild, literally, as they would amass a team record 299 yards on the ground (186 of them fromDeAngelo Williams, 115 fromJonathan Stewart). Both Stewart and Williams had two touchdowns apiece, as Tampa Bay failed to tackle the dynamic duo.Steve Smith also had a good day, adding 117 yards and a TD. AlthoughJake Delhomme was intercepted twice, Tampa was unable to fully capitalize, despite a career day forAntonio Bryant, who finished with 200 yards and two scores.

With this victory, Carolina avenged its defeat by Tampa earlier in the season and gained sole possession of first place in the NFC South at 10–3.

Coming off from their divisional win over the Buccaneers, the Panthers stayed at home for a Week 15 interconference duel with theDenver Broncos. In the first quarter, Carolina trailed early as Broncos QBJay Cutler completed a 7-yard TD pass to RBP.J. Pope. Carolina soon responded with QBJake Delhomme completing a 15-yard TD pass to WRSteve Smith. Denver would retake the lead with kickerMatt Prater nailing a 43-yard field goal, yet Carolina answered as kickerJohn Kasay ties the game with a 39-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Carolina took the lead with rookie RBJonathan Stewart getting a 2-yard TD run. Carolina closed out the half with Kasay nailing a 44-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, Carolina increased its lead with RBDeAngelo Williams's 56-yard TD run for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, Carolina sealed the win with Kasay's 42-yard field goal.

With the win, Carolina improves to 11–3. This was the last time the Panthers beat the Broncos until2022.

Coming off their home win over the Broncos, the Panthers flew toGiants Stadium for a crucial Week 16 battle with the defending Super Bowl championNew York Giants, where the winner would lock up the NFC's #1 seed. This was also Carolina's second appearance on NBC's Sunday Night Football.

Despite trailing early in the first quarter through Giants kickerJohn Carney's 32-yard field goal, Carolina would respond with running backDeAngelo Williams' 13-yard touchdown run. New York would regain the lead in the second quarter with running backBrandon Jacobs getting a 2-yard touchdown run, yet the Panthers answered right back with Williams getting a 5-yard and a 1-yard touchdown run. The Giants would close out the first half with Carney nailing a 35-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, New York was gaining ground with quarterbackEli Manning completing a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight endKevin Boss. Carolina would reply in the fourth quarter with Williams getting a 30-yard touchdown run. However, the Giants would tie the game with Jacobs getting a 1-yard touchdown run (followed by Manning's 2-point conversion pass to wide receiverDomenik Hixon). The Panthers would get a late-game drive going and tried to end the game with kickerJohn Kasay, but his 50-yard attempt sailed wide left. In overtime, New York would take their second possession and end the game with Jacobs' 2-yard touchdown run.

Despite falling to 11–4, Carolina would get a playoff berth, due in part to the Cowboys losing to the Ravens.

With the division title on the line, the Panthers flew to theLouisiana Superdome for a Week 17 NFC South rematch with theNew Orleans Saints. Carolina would get the early first quarter lead as kickerJohn Kasay got a 45-yard and a 26-yard field goal. The Saints would respond in the second quarter with kickerGarrett Hartley's 21-yard field goal. Afterwards, the Panthers would get a big lead as Kasay made a 34-yard field goal, quarterbackJake Delhomme completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverMuhsin Muhammad, and cornerbackDante Wesley returning a fumble 12 yards for a touchdown. New Orleans would end the half with quarterbackDrew Brees completing a 26-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverMarques Colston.

In the third quarter, Carolina would add onto their lead with rookie running backJonathan Stewart's 2-yard touchdown run. However, in the fourth quarter, the Saints rallied to take the lead as Brees completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverRobert Meachem, along with a 9-yard and a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverLance Moore. Fortunately, the Panthers got the last laugh as Kasay nailed the game-winning 42-yard field goal.

With the win, not only did Carolina close out the regular season at 12–4, but they also won the NFC South division crown and the NFC's #2 seed.

Entering the postseason as the NFC's #2 seed, the Panthers began their playoff run at home in the NFC Divisional round against the #4Arizona Cardinals, in a rematch of their Week 8 contest.

Carolina would get off to a fast first quarter start as rookie running backJonathan Stewart got a 9-yard touchdown run. However, the Cardinals responded with quarterbackKurt Warner completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to running backTim Hightower, followed by running backEdgerrin James' 4-yard touchdown run. Arizona would take a huge lead in the second quarter as kickerNeil Rackers got a 49-yard and a 30-yard field goal, followed by Warner's 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverLarry Fitzgerald.

In the third quarter, the Cardinals would add onto their grand lead as Rackers made a 33-yard field goal. Arizona would end its dominating night in the fourth quarter as Rackers nailed a 20-yard field goal. The Panthers would end the game's scoring with quarterbackJake Delhomme completing an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverSteve Smith.

With the disappointing loss, Carolina's season ended with an overall record of 12–5.

The Panthers' offense was plagued by Delhomme's 6 turnovers (5 interceptions and a fumble), Smith being limited to 2 catches for 43 yards & a touchdown, and the running back duo ofWilliams and Stewart being held to 74 combined rushing yards.

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