The 2009 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 15th season in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

. They failed to improve on their franchise-record 12–4 season in 2008 (which was later surpassed by the 2015 team) and also failed to make the playoffs. The 2009 Panthers are only the sixth team in NFL history to have two players rush for 1,000 yards:

Jonathan Stewart Jonathan Creon Stewart (born March 21, 1987) is a former American football running back. He played college football at the University of Oregon and was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the first round (13th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. H ...

(1,133) and

DeAngelo Williams DeAngelo Chondon Williams (born April 25, 1983) is a former American football running back and professional wrestler. He played college football at Memphis, and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He st ...

(1,117). It was also the first team in NFL history to have two players rush for more than 1,100 yards.

2009 NFL Draft

Trades

*The Panthers acquired a second round pick (43) and a fourth round pick (111) from the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

in exchange for their first round pick in the

2010 NFL Draft The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the firs ...

Staff

Final roster

Schedule

Preseason

Regular season

Standings

Regular season results

Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The Panthers began their season with a Week 1 duel with the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

. They were playing with Jake Delhomme, who had five interceptions, and one fumble in their postseason game, last year, vs. the Arizona Cardinals. In the first quarter, Carolina pounced first with running back

getting an 11-yard touchdown run. The Eagles responded with kicker

David Akers David Roy Akers (; born December 9, 1974) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He began his career in 1998 with the Washington Reds ...

getting a 49-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Philadelphia took control as Panthers quarterback

Jake Delhomme Jake Christopher Delhomme (; born January 10, 1975) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). Delhomme played college football at Louisiana, then known as the University of Southwestern Louisian ...

lost a fumble, which was recovered by defensive end

Victor Abiamiri Victor Ikechukwu Abiamiri (born January 14, 1986) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame. He is of Nigerian desce ...

and returned two yards for a touchdown. Also, wide receiver

DeSean Jackson DeSean William Jackson (born December 1, 1986) is an American football wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, where he was recognized as a con ...

returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown, and quarterback

Donovan McNabb Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. Before his NFL career, he played football and b ...

completed a 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end

Brent Celek Brent Steven Celek (; born January 25, 1985) is an American football executive and former tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Cincinnati and was drafted by the Eagles in the ...

and a 4-yard touchdown pass to running back

Brian Westbrook Brian Collins Westbrook (born September 2, 1979) is a former American football running back who played for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft af ...

. The Panthers closed out the period with kicker

John Kasay John David Kasay (born October 27, 1969) is a former American football kicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Georgia and was selected by the Se ...

nailing a 22-yard field goal. Afterwards, in the third quarter, the Eagles continued their domination as McNabb got a 3-yard touchdown run. With the loss, Carolina began its season at 0–1. Delhomme (7-of-17 for 73 yards) was benched after committing five turnovers (four interceptions and a fumble).

Week 2: at Atlanta Falcons

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Eagles, the Panthers flew to the

Georgia Dome The Georgia Dome was a domed stadium in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west, it was owned and operated by the State of Georgia as part of the Georgia World Congress Center ...

for a Week 2 NFC South duel with the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...

. In the first quarter, Carolina delivered the first scratch as kicker

got a 38-yard field goal. The Falcons answered with quarterback Matt Ryan completing a 24-yard touchdown pass to tight end

Tony Gonzalez Anthony David Gonzalez (born February 27, 1976) is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, he is the NFL's all-time leader ...

. The Panthers retook the lead in the second quarter as running back

getting a 3-yard touchdown run, but Atlanta repliedy with Ryan completing a 10-yard touchdown pass to running back

Jason Snelling Jason Michael Snelling (born December 29, 1983) is a former American football running back. He played his entire career with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Falcons in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL ...

. Carolina gained some ground as Kasay nailed a 50-yard field goal, but the Falcons closed out the first half scoring with Ryan completing a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Roddy White Sharod Lamor "Roddy" White (born November 2, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver who played his entire professional career with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at UAB, and was drafted by the Falcons in the first ro ...

. After a scoreless third quarter, Atlanta pulled away as running back Michael Turner getting a 1-yard touchdown. The Panthers tried to rally, but get only get an 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback

to tight end

Dante Rosario Dante Santiago Rosario (born October 25, 1984) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football for Oregon Ducks football, Oregon. He was also ...

. With the loss, Carolina fell to 0–2.

Week 3: at Dallas Cowboys

Still looking for their first win of the season, the Panthers flew to

Cowboys Stadium AT&T Stadium, formerly Cowboys Stadium, is a retractable-roof stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. It serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL), and was completed on May 27, 2009. It is also the hom ...

for a Week 3 Monday night duel with the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

. After a scoreless first quarter, Carolina took the lead in the second quarter with quarterback

's 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end

. The Cowboys took the lead in the third quarter with kicker

Nick Folk Nicholas Alexander Folk (born Niklaus Aleksandre Faulke, November 5, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona, where he received first-tea ...

's 24-yard field goal and running back

Tashard Choice Tashard J. Choice (born November 20, 1984) is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Buffalo Bills and the Indianapolis Colts. He played college football at Georgia Te ...

's 5-yard touchdown run. Dallas extended their lead in the fourth quarter with Folk's 19-yard field goal and cornerback

Terence Newman Terence Newman (born September 4, 1978) is a former American football cornerback. He played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, and Vikings. He played college football at Kansas State Wildc ...

returning Delhomme's 7th interception of the season 27 yards for a touchdown (with Choice getting the 2-point conversion run). The Panthers tried to rally, but the Cowboys' defense prevented their comeback. With the loss, Carolina entered its bye week at 0–3.

Week 4: Bye

Week 5: vs. Washington Redskins

Following their bye week, the Panthers returned to Charlotte to face the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

. After a DeAngelo Williams fumble, the Redskins struck first blood with quarterback

Jason Campbell Jason S. Campbell (born December 31, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college footbal ...

's 10-yard touchdown pass to running back

Clinton Portis Clinton Earl Portis (born September 1, 1981) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes. He was drafted b ...

. During the second quarter, linebacker Thomas Davis and defensive end

Julius Peppers Julius Frazier Peppers (born January 18, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, ...

tackled Portis in the endzone for a safety, making the score 7–2. The Redskins responded with a 39-yard field goal by kicker

Shaun Suisham Shaun Christopher Suisham (; born December 29, 1981) is a Canadian-born former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was signed b ...

. During the third quarter, cornerback

DeAngelo Hall DeAngelo Eugene Hall (born November 19, 1983) is a former American football defensive back who played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Virginia Tech and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons eighth ov ...

intercepted quarterback

's pass and took it to the one, with Clinton Portis capping it off with a touchdown run, making it 17–2. The Panthers then scored on a 17-yard touchdown catch by tight end Jeff King. In the fourth quarter, kicker

booted a 43-yard field goal, decreasing the lead to 17–12. After a botched punt return by the Redskins, Carolina scored on an 8-yard run by running back

. With the two-point conversion pass to wide receiver

Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to: Academics * Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager * Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, ...

, Carolina took a 20–17 lead. After a Washington punt, the Panthers ran out the clock with an 8-yard run by Jake Delhomme. With the comeback win, the Panthers improved to 1–3.

Week 6: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Coming off their win over the Redskins, the Panthers flew to

Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Tampa, Florida that opened in 1998 and is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) and the University of South Florida (USF) Bulls college football program. The se ...

for a Week 6 NFC South duel with the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

. Carolina trailed in the first quarter as Buccaneers running back

Cadillac Williams Carnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams (born April 21, 1982) is an American football coach and former running back in the National Football League. Williams was the interim head coach of the Auburn Tigers, the first African American to hold the posit ...

got a 20-yard touchdown run, but the Panthers tied the game in the second quarter with a 20-yard touchdown from running back

. In the third quarter, Carolina took the lead with quarterback

's 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jeff King and running back

's 26-yard touchdown run. Tampa Bay immediately answered with a 97 yard kickoff return for a touchdown by wide receiver

Sammie Stroughter Sammie Stroughter (born January 3, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon State Beavers football, Oregon State. Early ye ...

. The Buccaneers tied the game in the fourth quarter as safety

Tanard Jackson Tanard Ricardo Jackson (born July 21, 1985) is a former American football safety. He played college football at Syracuse and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Dra ...

returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown, but the Panthers got the last laugh as Williams got a 1-yard touchdown run. With the win, Carolina improved to 2–3. Cornerback

Dante Wesley Dante Julius Wesley (born April 5, 1979) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Wesley w ...

was ejected from the game in the second quarter after ramming into Buccaneers kick returner Clifton Smith. He later received a one-game suspension.

Week 7: vs. Buffalo Bills

Coming off their divisional road win over the Buccaneers, the Panthers went home for a Week 7 interconference duel with the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

. Carolina found themselves trailing in the first quarter as Bills running back

Marshawn Lynch Marshawn Terrell Lynch (born April 22, 1986) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. Nicknamed "Beast Mode", he spent the majority of his career with the Seattle Seahawks. Lync ...

got a 7-yard touchdown run. The Panthers responded in the second quarter as defensive tackle

Hollis Thomas Hollis Thomas, Jr. (born January 10, 1974) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at Northern Illinois. Thomas also played for the ...

tackled running back Fred Jackson in his endzone for a safety. After a scoreless third quarter, Buffalo got a big play in the fourth quarter as quarterback

Ryan Fitzpatrick Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick (born November 24, 1982) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. During his career, Fitzpatrick started at quarterback for nine different teams, the most ...

completing a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Lee Evans, followed by kicker

Rian Lindell Rian David Lindell (born January 20, 1977) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Washington State. Early years ...

nailing a 29-yard field goal. Carolina tried to recover as running back

got a 15-yard touchdown run, but the Bills sealed the win with Lindell's 22-yard field goal. With the loss, the Panthers fell to 2–4.

Week 8: at Arizona Cardinals

Hoping to rebound from their dismal home loss to the Bills, the Panthers flew to the

University of Phoenix Stadium A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

for a Week 8 duel with the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

in a rematch of last year's divisional game. Carolina began the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown run from running back

. The Cardinals answered with quarterback

Kurt Warner Kurtis Eugene Warner (born June 22, 1971) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals. His career, which saw him ascend fr ...

completing a 14-yard touchdown pass to running back

LaRod Stephens-Howling LaRod Stephens-Howling (born April 26, 1987) is a former American football running back and kickoff returner. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh. He was als ...

. The Panthers took a commanding lead in the second quarter as Stewart got a 10-yard touchdown run, quarterback

hooked up with wide receiver

on a 50-yard touchdown pass, and defensive end

returned an interception 13 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter, Arizona began to rally as Warner connected with tight end

Ben Patrick Ben Patrick (born August 23, 1984) is an American football tight end who is currently a coach at Gilbert high school AZ. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Duke a ...

on a 1-yard touchdown pass. Carolina answered in the fourth quarter with a 35-yard field goal from kicker

. The Cardinals tried to pull off a comeback as running back

Tim Hightower Timothy Michael Hightower (born May 23, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football at the University of Richmond and was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He also played f ...

got a 1-yard touchdown run, yet the Panthers closed out the game with Kasay's 31-yard field goal. With the win, Carolina improved to 3–4. The Panthers' defense had a field day, recording 5 interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Week 9: at New Orleans Saints

Coming off a defensively-strong performance against the Cardinals, the Panthers flew to the

Louisiana Superdome The Caesars Superdome, commonly known as the Superdome (formerly known as Mercedes-Benz Superdome), is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the home stadium of the New Orleans Saints ...

for a Week 9 NFC South duel with the undefeated

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

. Carolina got off to a fast start in the first quarter as running back

got a 66-yard and a 7-yard touchdown run. The Saints got on the board in the second quarter as kicker John Carney made a 23-yard field goal. The Panthers came right back as kicker

nailed a 32-yard field goal, but New Orleans closed out the half as Carney booted a 25-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Saints continued to hack away as running back Pierre Thomas got a 10-yard touchdown run. Carolina answered with Kasay's 25-yard field goal, but New Orleans tied the game to end the period as quarterback

Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...

completed a 54-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Robert Meachem Robert Emery Meachem (born September 28, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Tennessee and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints 27th overall in the 2007 NFL draft. Meachem also played one season ...

. Afterwards, the Saints pulled away in the fourth quarter with Carney's 40-yard field goal, followed by defensive tackle

Anthony Hargrove Anthony La'Ron Tony Hargrove (born July 20, 1983) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech. Hargrove also played for t ...

forcing a fumble from Williams and returning it 1 yard for a touchdown. With the loss, the Panthers fell to 3–5.

Week 10: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Hoping to rebound from their tough divisional road loss to the Saints, the Panthers went home for a Week 10 NFC South rematch with the

. Carolina trailed early in the first quarter as Falcons kicker

Jason Elam Jason Elam (born March 8, 1970) is a former American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft and played 15 seasons with the Broncos and two with the Atlanta Falcons. A three-time Pro B ...

booted a 35-yard field goal, yet the Panthers came right as running back

got a 1-yard touchdown run. Carolina added to their lead in the second with quarterback

hooking up with wide receiver

on a 4-yard touchdown pass, yet Atlanta answered with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back

. The Panthers close out the first half scoring with Delhomme's 4-yard touchdown pass to Smith. In the second half, the Falcons began to erase their deficit as Elam nailed a 24-yard field goal in the third quarter, followed by quarterback Matt Ryan completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end

Justin Peelle Justin Morris Peelle (born March 15, 1979) is a former American football tight end who is currently the tight ends coach for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for Oregon, he was drafted b ...

. Afterwards, Carolina pulled away as Stewart got a 45-yard touchdown run. With the win, the Panthers improved to 4–5.

Week 11: vs. Miami Dolphins

Coming off their divisional home win to the Falcons, the Panthers went home for a Week 11 Interconference duel with the Miami Dolphins. In the first quarter, Carolina got on the board first with

hitting a 29-yard field goal. In the second quarter the Dolphins replied and took the lead with

Chad Henne Chad Steven Henne (; born July 2, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan. While there, Henne became only the second true freshman starti ...

getting a 14-yard touchdown pass to

Ricky Williams Errick Miron (born Errick Lynne Williams Jr.; May 21, 1977) is an American former football running back who played 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and one season in the Canadian Football League (CFL). After playing baseball an ...

, and a 1-yard touchdown run from Williams again. After a scoreless third quarter the Panthers slightly improved as

nailed a 33-yard field goal, until Miami kept it a 2-possession game when

Dan Carpenter Daniel Roy Carpenter (born November 25, 1985) is a former American football placekicker. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008 after playing college football for the University of Montana. He has also played for ...

got a 37-yard field goal. The Panthers kept their hopes alive as

made a 27-yard touchdown pass to

(with a successful 2-point conversion made by

). The Dolphins pulled away as

made a 46-yard touchdown run. The 48-yard field goal made by

near the end of the game wasn't enough for the Panthers and that resulted in a loss. With the loss, the Panthers fell to 4–6.

Week 12: at New York Jets

With both teams coming off of tough losses, the Panthers went on the road to face the formidable defense of the New York Jets in what was on paper a close matchup. Both teams sported identical 4–6 records and were top 3 in rushing offense, while sporting similar numbers in pass defense game. Things started out well for Carolina, their first drive taking almost 6 minutes of clock to drive down into Jets territory when bad luck struck them. A miscommunication between Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith resulted in a pass being fired at Smith while he wasn't looking, and it caromed off of Smith's leg into the arms of Jets' CB

Darrelle Revis Darrelle Shavar Revis (born July 14, 1985) is an American former football cornerback who played in National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college football at Pittsburgh and was selected in the ...

, who returned it 67 yards for a TD. It was the first of Delhomme's 4 INTs of the day, two each by Revis and safety

Kerry Rhodes Kerry Rhodes (born August 2, 1982) is an American actor and former American football safety in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft, and most recently played for the Arizona C ...

. Rhodes' first set the Jets up in good field position, which the Jets were able to capitalize on when Thomas Jones ran the ball in for a 4-yard TD. The Panthers soon after that struggled to do anything against the Jets defense and secured only two John Kasay field goals for a 17–6 defeat. The Panthers fell to 4–7 and wound up losing Jake Delhomme to a broken finger on his throwing hand.

Week 13: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

With the win, the Panthers improved to 5–7.

Week 14: at New England Patriots

With the loss, the Panthers fell to 5–8.

Week 15: vs. Minnesota Vikings

With the surprising win against the playoff-bound Vikings, the Panthers improved to 6–8. This marked Carolina's first Sunday Night Football home game since NBC picked up the rights in 2006.

Week 16: at New York Giants

Week 17

16 Rush, 125 Yds Pro-Football-Reference.com
Retrieved 2017-Mar-18.

Scores by quarter

References

External links

2009 Carolina Panthers season at ESPN
{{DEFAULTSORT:2009 Carolina Panthers Season

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...

Carolina Panthers seasons Carolina