Coming off a disappointing 12-7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at home, the Panthers looked to earn their first win on the road with a matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
It looked like Carolina would get that elusive first win, and while the odds of victory were very high at first, those odds quickly crumbled in spectacular fashion.
At first, things looked great. Cam Newton led the offense on a 46 yard drive to start things off, closing in on the Bills redzone. It seemed as if the offense was finally clicking and firing on all cylinders, until a pass from Newton intended for Mike Tolbert landed short and was picked off by Bills LB Kiko Alonso.
Neither team could put up points in the first quarter, but Buffalo converted on a 55-yard field goal to go up 3-0 early on in the second.
Carolina continued to struggle on offense, as Newton felt the wrath of former number one overall pick Mario Williams, as the Bills' defensive end went on to pick up 4.5 sacks on the day.
The Panthers finally punched it in just before halftime on a 90 yard drive that resulted in a 13-yard pass from Newton to Greg Olsen that found paydirt, and gave Carolina momentum and a 7-3 lead heading to the intermission.
Buffalo came right of the gate in the second half, going on a 78 yard drive before settling on a 20-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-6.
Carolina had to respond on their next possession, and did so with a bit of help from Buffalo's defense.
A pass interference call gave the Panthers a fresh set of downs after a short completed pass to Steve Smith. That fresh set of downs seemed to come to a halt after a third down sack from Williams and Marcell Dareus, forcing the punt.
Just when it looked like the ball was going to go right back to Buffalo, a defensive holding call changed things and gave the Panthers possession right back.
That's when the offensive clicked, Newton connected with Brandon LaFell for a 40 yard pass, and then Ted Ginn Jr. on another 40 yard pass that would find the endzone, putting Carolina up 14-6.
The Bills went right back to work on their next drive, going 80 yards in 8 plays as Fred Jackson scored a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion tied things up at 14.
The fourth quarter was less about touchdowns, as Panthers kicker Graham Gano knocked in three field goals and Buffalo responded with one of their own, making it a 23-17 game on the Bills' final possession.
Despite having no timeouts to spare, rookie QB EJ Manuel managed to lead the charge all the way near the Panthers' redzone.
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Then there was the interception by Panthers safety Colin Jones that looked to seal the game. It was over, the Panthers had survived...or so they thought.
Just like penalties proved favorable to Carolina earlier in the game, it would prove misfortune late as Luke Kuechly was called for pass interference, giving Buffalo the ball at the 11 yard line with just seconds left. Manuel connected with Stevie Johnson for a touchdown that tied things up, and the extra point sealed it.
Bills 24 Panthers 23
So who's to blame for the loss? A majority of CSR readers blame head coach Ron Rivera, with user SouthernPanther even claiming that Rivera "is absolutely clueless on how to win in the NFL".
With an 0-2 record and a banged up secondary, the Panthers look to avenge last year's big loss to the New York Giants next week in Charlotte.
Editor's Note: This series is a flashback of the 2013 season game by game by new, aspiring applicant authors to CSR. If you find one that you think is well written please give it a Rec. We will use the Rec as one of the measures that we evaluate and select our new authors.