The Carolina Panthers played the New Orleans Saints on Jan. 1^st in the final regular season game. The Panthers were hoping to continue their strong end of season play, while the Saints were looking to clinch a better playoff seed. The Saints came out big winners, 45-17.

Cam Newton and the Carolina offense never really got going. Newton threw for 158 yards as he completed 15 of his 25 passes with a touchdown and an interception. Jonathan Stewart had a good day running the ball as he rushed for 79 yards on nine carries, scoring a touchdown. DeAngelo Williams rushed for 53 yards on his seven carries. Steve Smith broke Mushin Muhammed’s all-time receptions record as a Panther. Smith caught six passes for 86 yards and a touchdown.

However, this game was really all about the Saints and their high-powered offense. The Saints broke records for offensive yards (7, 474), team yards passing (5, 347) and first downs (416). Drew Bress also set another individual record, breaking his own for completion percentage he set back in 2009 with a 70.6 completion percentage. He finished this season completing 71.6.

Against the Panthers, Brees threw for 389 yards with five touchdowns and an interception, completing 28 of 35 passes. Marques Colston led the Saints in receiving with seven catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Jimmy Graham also had a strong game catching eight balls for 97 yards. The Saints even got a great effort from the rushing game. Chris Ivory ran for 127 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

The Panthers kept the game close at half time, but the Saints pulled away after the intermission. With such a dominating offensive display by the Saints, it was always going to be tough for Carolina to pull out a victory.

However, with the loss the season can still be considered a success. The Panthers were a much better and more exciting team with Cam Newton than they were a year ago. Also, they were in mostly every game this season and with strengthening in the off-season through the draft and free agency, the Panthers should be competing for a playoff spot next year.

The future for the Panthers is certainly much brighter than it was a year ago and even after the blowout loss, I am excited to see what the Panthers can do in the 2012 season.

*All stats found on espn.com

Although living several hundred miles from Charlotte, Matthew Levine bleeds Carolina blue. He has followed the Panthers since their inaugural season in 1995 and was absolutely heart-broken over the 2003 Super Bowl loss to the Patriots.

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Christmas came early for the red-hot Carolina Panthers offense in Week 16.

After starting the season 2-8, the young, injury-ravaged Carolina Panthers have caught fire late in the season, winning three of their last four games as they welcomed NFC South rival Tampa Bay to Bank of America Stadium on Christmas Eve. The smoking hot Carolina offense entered the game averaging 30.2 points over the last five games and must have viewed the struggling Tampa Bay defense as an early Christmas present. Santa made an early visit to Charlotte as the Panthers destroyed the Buccaneers 48-16.

On a personal note, I attended this game with my ten-year-old son and had a memorable day with him as we witnessed history being made as Cam Newton broke the rookie passing record and Brandon LaFell scored the longest touchdown in Panthers history. You can read my more personal, less analytical account by clicking here if you are so inclined.

While the NFL post game shows cover the scoring plays, I look for the less visible but equally crucial plays that sustain drives, spring the big plays, or change momentum. Here is my analysis, as a Panthers fan, of these key plays, both good (“The Gamers”) and bad (“The Lamers”) that took place during Carolina’s Week 15 road victory against the Houston Texans.

1st Quarter

10:17, Jordan Gross, T – Gamer. Score tied 0-0, CAR ball on TB 8. On 1st-and-Goal Cam Newton lined up under center and handed off to DeAngelo Williams to the left. LT Jordan Gross got into the second level of the defense on his block, forcing LB Geno Hayes to swing wide and out of position, then Gross sealed LB Quincy Black. Gross eliminated two linebackers as DeAngelo went eight yards untouched into the end zone, giving Carolina an early 7-0 lead.

10:01, James Anderson, LB – Gamer. Panthers lead 7-0, TB ball on TB 17. On the Bucs first play from scrimmage, QB Josh Freeman and RB LeGarrette Blount had a bad handoff exchange and fumbled. LB James Anderson shot through the crowd and recovered the fumble, setting up the Panthers for a field goal and a 10-0 lead.

6:07, Greg Hardy, DE – Lamer. Panthers lead 10-0, TB ball on TB 40. Tampa Bay faced a 3rd-and-2. DE Greg Hardy tried to anticipate the snap but instead jumped offside, giving the Bucs a first down on a drive that ended with a Tampa Bay touchdown, trimming the Panthers lead to 10-7.

2nd Quarter

13:20, Jonathan Stewart, RB and Steve Smith, WR – Gamers. Panthers lead 10-7, CAR ball on CAR 9. On 2nd-and-9 Cam Newton lined up in shotgun near his own end zone with Jonathan Stewart to his left. Tampa Bay blitzed safety Sean Jones up the middle and Stewart picked up the blitz with a solid block, allowing Newton to stand in the pocket. Newton fired a deep slant to Brandon LaFell. LaFell made a great leaping catch and began sprinting toward the end zone with three Bucs defenders in pursuit – Ronde Barber, Tanard Jackson, and E.J. Biggers. Fellow WR Steve Smith became a blocker for LaFell, cutting in front of Barber and Jackson, causing them to slow down, then Smith put a block on Biggers. Brandon LaFell took the ball 91-yards to the house for the longest touchdown in Panthers history and a 17-7 Panthers lead.

6:21, Antwan Applewhite, DE – Gamer. Panthers lead 17-7, TB ball on CAR 27. Tampa Bay faced a 3rd-and-7 nearing the red zone. Josh Freeman lined up in shotgun and dropped to pass. DE Antwan Applewhite faked a rush then dropped into zone coverage in the middle. Freeman was nearly sacked but managed to flip a pass to Sammie Stroughter. Applewhite closed on Stroughter and dropped him after a three-yard gain, forcing a fourth down and a Tampa Bay field goal, trimming the Carolina lead to 17-10.

4:31, Jordan Gross, T and Steve Smith, WR – Gamers. Panthers lead 17-10, CAR ball on CAR 34. On second down Cam Newton lined up in shotgun with Jonathan Stewart to his right. Newton handed off to Stewart who went off left tackle where Jordan Gross forced DE Adrian Clayborn wide, opening a large hole. Steve Smith was lined up wide left and sustained a strong block on E.J. Biggers, eliminating him from the play as Stewart broke a tackle and rumbled 32 yards. The long play was key in setting up the Panthers for a field goal to end the half, pushing the Carolina lead to 20-10.

3rd Quarter

12:01, Brandon LaFell, WR – Gamer. Panthers lead 20-10, CAR ball on TB 22. Nearing the red zone Cam Newton lined up in a short shotgun with Jonathan Stewart to his right and DeAngelo Williams behind him. Newton faked a handoff to Stewart and ran an option right with Williams. After making a blitzing safety commit, Newton lateraled to Williams down the right sideline. Brandon LaFell was split wide right and sustained a solid block on the cornerback, creating a lane for Williams to run untouched for a 22-yard touchdown and a 27-10 Panthers lead.

7:16, Andre Neblett, DT – Gamer. Panthers lead 27-10, TB ball on TB 48. On 1st-and-10 the Bucs got tricky as Josh Freeman handed off to WR Michael Spurlock who was coming in motion from right to left. Spurlock threw the ball back to Freeman who then hit Kellen Winslow down the right sideline. Winslow leaped and hurdled safety Sherrod Martin but Winslow fumbled. The fumble was recovered 26-yards down field by a hustling DT Andre Neblett who never gave up on pursuing the play. The Panthers scored on the next drive on a screen pass to Jonathan Stewart, pushing the lead to 34-10.

1:19, Greg Hardy, DE and Andre Neblett DT. Panthers lead 34-10, TB ball on CAR 44. Facing 4th-and-1, Tampa Bay went for it. Josh Freeman lined up in shotgun. DE Greg Hardy executed a nice spin move, shedding his blocker and collapsing the pocket, forcing Freeman to his left. DT Andre Neblett swung wide and pressured Freeman, forcing an incompletion and a Tampa Bay turnover on downs.

:33, Cam Newton, QB – Gamer. Panthers lead 34-10, CAR ball on TB 49. On 2nd-and-4 Cam Newton lined up in shotgun with Jonathan Stewart to his left. Newton faked the handoff to Stewart and ran through a gaping hole off the right guard. Cam absolutely juked safety Tanard Jackson in the open field and Jackson failed to even get a hand on Newton. CB E.J. Bigger had a good angle and hit Newton at the 10-yard line, but Cam delivered a strong stiff arm and dragged Biggers into the end zone for a 49-yard touchdown and 41-10 Panthers lead.

:17, Jason Williams, LB – Gamer. Panthers lead 41-10, TB Kickoff Return. Special teamer Jason Williams flew down the field to cover a Carolina kickoff and nailed kick returner Sammie Stroughter with a hard tackle about ten yards out of the end zone. Williams forced Stroughter to fumble and the ball was recovered by Carolina deep within Tampa Bay territory, setting up a Jeremy Shockey touchdown two plays later as the Panthers pushed the lead to 48-10.

4th Quarter

11:11, Greg Hardy, DE – Gamer. Panthers lead 48-16, TB ball for Two-Point Conversion. After a Josh Freeman 1-yard touchdown lunge, Tampa Bay lined up for a two-point conversion. Freeman went shotgun, took the snap, and looked to his right. DE Greg Hardy blew past tackle Donald Penn and came from Freeman’s blindside, strip-sacking the Bucs quarterbak and preventing the two-point conversion.

4:33, Jason Shirley, DT – Gamer. Panthers lead 48-16, TB ball on CAR 36. With the game all but over, Josh Freeman dropped back to pass. DT Jason Shirley executed a nice spin move, shedding his blocker and leaving the offensive lineman on the ground. Shirley sacked Freeman and continues to make the most of his opportunity to prove himself in light of the rash of injuries to the defensive line.

The surging Carolina Panthers now stand at 6-9 and have won four of their last five, giving fans an early Christmas present. Just as children often dream about Christmas presents, Panthers fans like me are dreaming about a healthy squad next year, with visions of Jon Beason, Thomas Davis, Ron Edwards, Jeff Otah, Geoff Schwartz, and David Gettis dancing in our heads.

If the Panthers current momentum can be coupled with better health in 2012, look for the Panthers to make a become one of the surprise teams next season.

Andrew Sweat is a North Carolina resident and loyal Panthers fan. More from this author:

‘Gamers & Lamers’ – Week 15 vs. Houston

The Curse of the Carolina Panthers DT Strikes Again!

Top Five Crazy-But-True Carolina Panthers Stats

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RUN OFFENSE: From the outset, the Panthers were able to run almost at will. Only backup quarterback Derek Anderson didn’t pick up positive yards – minus-1 on the game-ending kneeldown – and Steve Smith (23.0), Jonathan Stewart (12.6) and Cam Newton (10.8) averaged double-figure yards per carry. Grade: A

PASS OFFENSE: With the running game going so well and the turnovers putting the Panthers in good field position, there wasn’t much need for Newton to have to throw this time. Still, his 142.4 QB rating and the franchise-record 91-yard TD throw to Brandon LaFell were impressive. Grade: A

RUN DEFENSE: A fumble on their first play from scrimmage seemed to set the tone for the Buccaneers. And falling behind so quickly kept Tampa Bay from doing much in the way of establishing its running game. Grade: B+

PASS DEFENSE: Josh Freeman was an efficient throwing – completing 28 of 38 passes – for 274 yards, a touchdown and an interception with a respectable 91.3 rating. And against a patchwork defense, nine receivers caught at least one pass. Grade: B-

SPECIAL TEAMS: Carolina didn’t get much out of its return game – one punt return for one yard and one kickoff for 17 yards – but the rest of it was impressive. A forced fumble on a kickoff capped the blowout performance and Tampa Bay had six total returns for 110 yards. Grade: B

COACHING: Given that the team has a record 17 players on season-ending injured reserve, it would be easy for the Panthers – and their coaches – to pack it in. They’ve done anything but that and are a win away from defying all preseason expectations by avoiding a 10-loss season. Grade: A

Newton threw for 171 yards and three touchdowns and scored on a remarkable 49-yard run up the middle in which he outraced smaller defensive backs to the end zone.

The Panthers (6-9) scored on eight of their first nine possessions and piled up 397 yards in three quarters against the league’s 30th-ranked defense. Carolina coach Ron Rivera pulled Newton and the other key starters early in the fourth.

DeAngelo Williams scored on runs of 8 and 22 yards, his sixth and seventh TDs of the season, and Jonathan Stewart ran for 88 yards and caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Newton.

Newton entered the game needing 18 yards passing to break Manning’s record of 3,739 and did so with a 7-yard pass to LaFell on the first possession.

“It’s tremendous, but if you ask the young man he’ll tell you the most important thing is we won the game,” Rivera said. “There’s a lot of good things ahead for us.”

Newton, however, was just getting started at that point.

On Carolina’s third possession, he backpedaled into his own end zone and unleashed a strike to LaFell, who got a key downfield block from Steve Smith to spring him for a 91-yard score. That topped the franchise record of 89 yards set in the Panthers’ expansion season of 1995 by Kerry Collins and Willie Green.

LaFell finished with a career-high 103 yards receiving.

Carolina’s offensive line completely mauled a Bucs defense that was without starting defensive tackles Albert Haynesworth and Brian Price. The Panthers piled up a season-high 270 yards rushing and scored three times on the ground, giving them 25 for the season — most in the league.

The Panthers dominated the Bucs (4-11) this season to secure third place in the NFC South.

Newton scored eight touchdowns in two games against Tampa Bay — four rushing and four passing — as the Panthers racked up 79 points.

Just as they did on Dec. 4, the Panthers jumped all over the Bucs early.

Newton led the Panthers on a picture-perfect, 80-yard, nine-play touchdown drive to open the game, with Williams scoring on an 8-yard touchdown run.

LaGarrette Blount fumbled on the Bucs’ first play from scrimmage and the Panthers converted that turnover into a field goal. Blount was benched for the rest of the first half and finished with just 11 yards rushing.

The Panthers led 20-10 at halftime but put the hammer down in the third quarter as Williams ran for a 22-yard touchdown and Newton threw an 11-yard scoring pass to Stewart on fourth-and-1 to put Carolina up 34-10.

Then came the play of the game as Newton faked a handoff to Stewart and took off through a huge hole on the right side of the line. Newton juked a defender before shifting into another gear and blowing through the Tampa Bay secondary for the longest touchdown run ever by a Panthers quarterback.

He added a touchdown toss to Jeremy Shockey to close out the scoring.

Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris came into the game on the hot seat and Saturday’s loss may not bode well for his future. After a 4-2 start, the Bucs have dropped nine straight, scoring more than 20 points only once during that span.

Josh Freeman threw for 274 yards and accounted for both Tampa Bay touchdowns — one passing and one rushing.

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Turnover problems continued to plague the Buccaneers on Saturday as four more — three lost fumbles and an interception — led to 24 points and helped the Carolina Panthers rout Tampa Bay 48-16.

It was the ninth consecutive loss for the Bucs, who fell to 4-11 on the season after starting 4-2.

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who threw for three touchdowns and ran for another, wasted little time setting the NFL’s rookie passing-yards record, surpassing Peyton Manning. He drove Carolina 80 yards in nine plays for an early 7-0 lead. The running back tandem of Jonathan Stewart (22 rushing yards) and DeAngelo Williams (24 rushing yards, 8-yard reception) kept the drive moving almost unabated, with Williams covering the final 8 yards on a run up the middle.

It didn’t get any better for the Bucs.

On Tampa Bay’s first play from scrimmage, running back LeGarrette Blount’s fumble problems returned. He lost the ball before hitting the line of scrimmage, with Carolina’s James Anderson recovering at the Tampa Bay 8-yard line. The Bucs defense held, forcing the Panthers to settle for Olindo Mare’s 21-yard field goal that put Carolina ahead 10-0 before the Bucs had run their second offensive play of the game.

The Bucs benched Blount after the fumble, and backup Kregg Lumpkin sparked an impressive 15-play scoring drive. Lumpkin gained 21 rushing yards in the 80-yard march, and quarterback Josh Freeman completed passes of 13 and 8 yards to Kellen Winslow and 16 to Preston Parker, all good for first downs. Freeman finished the drive with a 4-yard scoring pass to Arrelious Benn in the left corner of the end zone.

But that momentum didn’t last long. On Carolina’s second play of its ensuing drive, Newton, under pressure, hit Brandon LaFell behind Tampa Bay’s E.J. Biggers, and the second-year receiver sprinted untouched for a 91-yard touchdown play. The score extended Carolina’s lead to 17-7 with 13:06 left in the second quarter.

Freeman looked impressive on the Bucs’ next possession, completing 7 of 7 passes for 76 yards, including a 29-yarder to Sammie Stroughter. Freeman overcame a sack early in the drive but not another offensive pass interference call against Winslow that stalled the drive at the Carolina 24. Connor Barth connected from 42 yards to pull Tampa Bay within 17-10 with 5:33 left in the half.

But again the Bucs defense couldn’t hold, allowing the Panthers to score on their fourth consecutive drive of the half. Stewart did most of the damage with runs of 32 and 24 yards, the latter to the Bucs’ 20. Newton hit Williams for 10 yards and got as close as the Bucs’ 1, but Carolina settled for Mare’s 19-yard field goal just before halftime.

Tampa Bay’s second turnover — a Freeman pass intended for Winslow that was intercepted by Carolina’s Jonathan Nelson at the Bucs’ 32 — led to more Panthers points. Three plays into the drive, Williams took a pitch to the right side and sliced through the Bucs defense for a 22-yard touchdown and a 27-10 Carolina lead.

What started as a promising razzle-dazzle play for the Bucs turned into another turnover and eventually another Carolina touchdown. Freeman handed the ball to Micheal Spurlock, who threw back to Freeman, who hit a wide-open Winslow for a 24-yard gain. But Winslow fumbled as he tried to hurdle a defender, and the Panthers recovered at their 39. Steve Smith picked up 23 yards on a reverse, Williams added a 18 on a run, and facing fourth and 1 at the Tampa Bay 11, Newton hit Stewart for the touchdown and a 34-10 advantage.

After stopping the Bucs on fourth and 1 and their 45, Carolina needed just two plays to score again. Newton completed a short pass to Jeremy Shockey, then ran 49 yards on a quarterback draw through the middle of the Bucs defense for his 14th rushing touchdown of the season and a 41-10 Panthers lead.

Stroughter fumbled on the ensuing kickoff, and again the Panthers recovered and capitalized. Starting at the Bucs’ 8, Newton found Shockey in the left flat for the touchdown and a 48-10 lead one play into the final quarter.

The Bucs put together a meaningless touchdown drive on their next possession. Freeman passes of 15 and 13 yards to Lumpkin and a 25-yard pass interference call against the Panthers aided the drive. Freeman covered the final yard on a quarterback sneak with 11:08 left in the game.