Panthers vs. Raiders 2016 final score: Oakland holds off Carolina comeback to clinch 1st winning season since 2002

What started as a Raiders romp ended as one of the best games of Week 12. The Raiders held off a furious comeback from the Panthers to secure a 35-32 win and their first winning season since 2002.

Cam Newton and company roared back against the Raiders in the second half after falling behind 24-7 on a Khalil Mack pick-six before intermission. They promptly reeled off 25 straight points. With a pretty 44-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin, the Panthers led 32-24 after kicking an extra point.

The game pivoted on a gruesome injury to Derek Carr. The Raiders quarterback suffered what appeared to be a dislocated pinky on a snap-gone-wrong, forcing him to sit out a series while backup Matt McGloin entered the game. The Raiders went three-and-out on McGloin’s possession, then Carr threw an interception on his first possession back, setting up the Panthers on the Raiders’ 28-yard line for an eventual lead-taking touchdown.

After a disastrous first half in which he completed 3 of 12 passes for 18 yards and a pick-six, Newton bounced back to throw two touchdown passes. As the Panthers made their comeback, however, they repeatedly failed to convert after their touchdowns. They got their second point-after kick attempt blocked, then went 0-for-2 on two-point conversion attempts as they chased the lost point on their next two touchdowns. On the Panthers’ second two-point attempt, Greg Olsen made an egregious drop.

The lost points proved huge. Facing an eight-point deficit instead of a 11-point deficit, the Raiders marched 75 yards in 10 plays to score what would be the game-tying touchdown. Carr hit tight end Clive Walford for a 12-yard score, then Seth Roberts for the two-point conversion.

Beyond the interception, Carr was effective after the pinky injury. With a glove on his hand, he hit Michael Crabtree for a 49-yard gain as part of a scoring drive to retake the lead with under two minutes remaining in the game. The Raiders had to settle for a field goal when an open Crabtree stumbled at the goal line on what could have been a touchdown pass.

Fortunately for Oakland, the defense held. Facing fourth-and-10 on the Raiders’ 44-yard line, Newton dropped back into a heavy pass rush. Mack, who had the pick-six, fittingly made the game-ending play, forcing and recovering a fumble on a sack.

With the win, the Raiders improved to 9-2, solidifying their place atop the AFC West by completing their fifth fourth-quarter comeback of the season. The Panthers dropped to 4-7 and have now lost a league-high five games by three points or fewer.

The Raiders are on pace for a first-round bye in the playoffs. The Panthers, one year after playing in Super Bowl 50, are running out of time to make a miracle run at the playoffs.