As the owners of the NFL’s worst record in 2010, the Carolina Panthers received a break as the 2011 schedule is put together to benefit teams with terrible records. If one were to look at the first five weeks of the Panthers schedule, though, it would be hard to tell Carolina owns the top pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Carolina Panthers 2011 Schedule: Panthers Face Brutal Stretch To Open Season
A week two matchup against the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, a week four matchup against the Chicago Bears and a week five matchup against the New Orleans Saints is a brutal stretch for the Panthers ad they try to right the ship. Compounding matters is the possibility Carolina will be breaking in a new quarterback as the Panthers are in line to take either Blaine Gabbert or Cam Newton in the 2011 NFL Draft. Whoever they choose will get a warm welcome to the NFL.
It does get easier, but not before the Panthers travel to Atlanta to face the Falcons in week six. Not surprisingly, no prime-time games are scheduled for the Panthers in 2011 after a dismal previous season.
Below is the full schedule, courtesy of NFL.com:
| 1 | Sun, Sept. 11 | at Arizona Cardinals | FOX | 4:15 p.m. |
| 2 | Sun, Sept. 18 | vs. Green Bay Packers | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 3 | Sun, Sept. 25 | vs. Jacksonville Jaguars | CBS | 1 p.m. |
| 4 | Sun, Oct. 2 | at Chicago Bears | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 5 | Sun, Oct. 9 | vs. New Orleans Saints | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 6 | Sun, Oct. 16 | at Atlanta Falcons | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 7 | Sun, Oct. 23 | vs. Washington Redskins | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 8 | Sun, Oct. 30 | vs. Minnesota Vikings | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 9 | Bye | |||
| 10 | Sun, Nov. 13 | vs. Tennessee Titans | CBS | 1 p.m. |
| 11 | Sun, Nov. 20 | at Detroit Lions | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 12 | Sun, Nov. 27 | at Indianapolis Colts | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 13 | Sun, Dec. 4 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 14 | Sun, Dec. 11 | vs. Atlanta Falcons | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 15 | Sun, Dec. 18 | at Houston Texans | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 16 | Sat, Dec. 24 | vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 17 | Sun, Jan. 1 | at New Orleans Saints | FOX | 1 p.m. |
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