A home opener and two nationally televised games highlight the 2013 Carolina Panthers regular season schedule announced Thursday by the National Football League.
The Panthers host Seattle to start the season at home for the first time since 2009 when they opened in Bank of America Stadium against the Philadelphia Eagles. It will be only the second time Carolina has opened at home in the last seven seasons. The last two years, the Panthers have opened at Arizona and Tampa Bay under head coach Ron Rivera.
Carolina will play on national television twice with the first contest at Tampa Bay on the NFL Network on Thursday, October 24 and the second on ESPN Monday Night Football on November 18 against New England. It will be the Panthers first Monday Night Contest from Bank of America Stadium since hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in December of the 2008 season.
“We are excited to see the 2013 schedule and look forward to opening at home after being on the road to open the season the last two years,” says head coach Ron Rivera. “We knew when we saw the opponents at the end of the year, it would be a difficult schedule, but it is a challenge that has our coaches and players excited.”
For the second time in the three seasons Rivera has been at the helm for the Panthers, Carolina will play the most difficult schedule in the NFL based on winning percentage of opponents last year. Six games are against playoff teams from last year with home games versus Seattle, Atlanta, and New England and away contests at Minnesota, San Francisco, and Atlanta.
Also for the second year in a row, the bye will come early for Carolina. Last year it was in mid-October after five games and this season comes September 29 after three games.
2013 SCHEDULE
PRESEASON
Friday Aug 9 CHICAGO BEARS 8:00 pm Panthers TV
Thursday Aug 15 @ Philadelphia Eagles 7:00 pm Panthers TV
Thursday Aug 22 @ Baltimore Ravens 8:00 pm ESPN
Thursday Aug 29 PITTSBURGH STEELERS 7:30 pm Panthers TV
REGULAR SEASON
Sunday Sept 8 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 1:00 pm FOX
Sunday Sept 15 @ Buffalo Bills 1:00 pm FOX
Sunday Sept 22 NEW YORK GIANTS 1:00 pm FOX
Sunday Sept 29 BYE WEEK
Sunday Oct 6 @ Arizona Cardinals 4:05 pm FOX
Sunday Oct 13 @ Minnesota Vikings 1:00 pm FOX
Sunday Oct 20 ST. LOUIS RAMS 1:00 pm FOX
Thursday Oct 24 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8:25 pm NFLN
Sunday Nov 3 ATLANTA FALCONS 1:00 pm FOX
Sunday Nov 10 @ San Francisco 49ers 4:05 pm FOX
Monday Nov 18 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 8:40 pm ESPN
Sunday Nov 24 @ Miami Dolphins 1:00*pm FOX
Sunday Dec 1 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 1:00*pm FOX
Sunday Dec 8 @ New Orleans Saints 1:00*pm FOX
Sunday Dec 15 NEW YORK JETS 4:05*pm CBS
Sunday Dec 22 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 1:00*pm FOX
Sunday Dec 29 @ Atlanta Falcons 1:00*pm FOX
