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Carolina Panthers
Coach: Ron Rivera
Key Stats
1 Running backs in NFL history to average 5.0 yards a carry on at least 1,000 rushing attempts. With four carries against the Bucs – assuming he doesn’t lose 12 yards on each of them – DeAngelo Williams will join Jim Brown as the only other back to accomplish the feat.
51 Margin of victory in the Panthers’ two wins against Tampa Bay last season. Carolina outscored the Bucs by a combined 86-35 in sweeping the series.
75 Consecutive games with at least one reception by Steve Smith, who begins his 12th season Sunday. Smith’s streak began during the 2006 season.
818 Combined yards of total offense by the Panthers last season against the Bucs, who were 30th in total defense.
Starting Lineup
Offense
| WR1 | 89 Steve Smith |
| LT | 69 Jordan Gross |
| LG | 61 Amini Silatolu |
| C | 67 Ryan Kalil |
| RG | 63 Geoff Hangartner |
| RT | 77 Byron Bell |
| TE | 88 Greg Olsen |
| WR2 | 11 Brandon LaFell |
| QB | 1 Cam Newton |
| FB | 35 Mike Tolbert |
| RB | 34 DeAngelo Williams |
Defense
| LDE | 76 Greg Hardy |
| DT | 92 Dwan Edwards |
| NT | 96 Ron Edwards |
| RDE | 95 Charles Johnson |
| WLB | 59 Luke Kuechly |
| MLB | 52 Jon Beason |
| SLB | 50 James Anderson |
| LCB | 20 Chris Gamble |
| RCB | 41 Captain Munnerlyn |
| SS | 30 Charles Godfrey |
| FS | 43 Haruki Nakamura |
Special Teams
| K | 6 Justin Medlock |
| P | 8 Brad Nortman |
| H | 8 Brad Nortman |
| PR | 15 Joe Adams |
| KR | 81 Kealoha Pilares |
| LS | 44 J.J. Jansen |
Injuries
OUT: G Jeff Byers (knee). QUESTIONABLE: RB Jonathan Stewart (ankle). PROBABLE: LB Jon Beason (thigh), WR Steve Smith (foot).
Schedule/Results
| Opponent | Time | TV | |
| September | |||
| 9 | At Tampa Bay | 4:25 p.m. | FOX |
| 16 | New Orleans | 1 p.m. | FOX |
| 20 | N.Y. Giants | 8:20 | NFLN |
| 30 | At Atlanta | 1 | FOX |
| October | |||
| 7 | Seattle | 4:05 | FOX |
| 14 | Bye | ||
| 21 | Dallas | 1 | FOX |
| 28 | At Chicago | 1 | FOX |
| November | |||
| 4 | At Washington | 1 | FOX |
| 11 | Denver | 1 | CBS |
| 18 | Tampa Bay | 1 | FOX |
| 26 | At Philadelphia | 8:30 | ESPN |
| December | |||
| 2 | At Kansas City | 1 | FOX |
| 9 | Atlanta | 1 | FOX |
| 16 | At San Diego | 4:05 | FOX |
| 23 | Oakland | 1 | CBS |
| 30 | At New Orleans | 1 | FOX |
