Smith's hold

The setup: Panthers faced a second-and-6 from their 24, 14:31 remaining in the first quarter.

What happened: DeAngelo Williams darted around left tackle for an apparent 76-yard touchdown run. But a hold by wide receiver Steve Smith on safety Tyvon Branch brought the play back.

Why it mattered: The Panthers picked up two first downs before the drive stalled. It ended the Panthers' streak of scoring a touchdown on their first possession at four games.

Hardy's hit

The setup: Raiders' ball, third-and-1 from their 29, 2:06 remaining in the first quarter.

What happened: Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer was flushed out of the pocket, avoided sack by Charles Johnson and was drilled by defensive end Greg Hardy in the back as he released the ball. Hardy was flagged for roughing for the passer, giving the Raiders a first down at their 44.

Why it mattered: The Raiders didn't score on the drive. But the hit knocked Palmer out of the game, and the Raiders never really got in sync with Matt Leinart at quarterback.

Cam's scramble

The setup: Panthers' ball, first-and-10 from their 28, 6:08 remaining in the second quarter.

What happened: With his receivers covered and the pocket collapsing, Cam Newton took off running around right end for a 29-yard scramble to the Raiders' 43.

Why it mattered: Four plays after Newton's long gain, he hit Steve Smith along the right sideline for a 23-yard touchdown pass that put the Panthers up 7-0.

Kuechly's interception

The setup: Raiders faced a third-and-10 from their 38, 1:31 remaining in the second quarter.

What happened: Leinart threw a seam route for Denarius Moore. But Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly ranged to left and stepped in front of Moore for the interception, returning it 25 yards to Oakland 29.

Why it mattered: The Panthers turned the takeaway into points. Four plays after Kuechly's pick, Newton scrambled in for a 3-yard touchdown run to give the Panthers a 14-3 halftime lead.

Hardy's batted pass

The setup: Chargers faced a fourth-and-4 from the Panthers' 22, remaining in the fourth quarter.

What happened: Leinart threw a short pass toward running back Darren McFadden, but Hardy batted the ball into the air and it fell incomplete.

Why it mattered: The Raiders opted against a Sebastian Janikowski field goal that would have cut the Panthers' lead to 14-9. Instead, they went for the first down and were denied. Graham Gano's 51-yard field goal on the ensuing possession increased Carolina's lead to 17-6.

Joseph Person