Panthers just set this NFL record for futility that not even the 0-16 Browns or 0-16 Lions pulled off

The Carolina Panthers just finished one of the ugliest seasons in NFL history. Although the Panthers did end up winning two games, they set an NFL record for futility that won’t ever be broken: They became the first team in NFL history to go an entire season without holding a fourth-quarter lead. Someone might tie that record, but they can’t break it.

There have been three winless teams in NFL history (1976 Buccaneers, 2008 Lions, 2016 Browns), and even those three teams managed to hold at least one fourth-quarter lead.

If you’re wondering how the Panthers were able to win two games without holding a fourth-quarter lead, the answer is simple: Both of their wins came on a field goal as time expired. By the time the Panthers were in the lead, the clock had officially hit zero.

Their first win of the season came in Week 8 when Eddy Pineiro hit a 23-yard kick to give Carolina a shocking 15-13 win over Houston.

Their second win also came on a 23-yard field goal as time expired. This time, it came in a 9-7 win over the Falcons in Week 15.

Overall, the Panthers offense didn’t take a single snap this season while holding a lead in the fourth quarter.

The 1976 Buccaneers are widely considered to be one of the worst teams in NFL history. During their expansion year, they went 0-14, but they did manage to hold a 9-7 lead over the Bills in the fourth quarter of a Week 3 game that they would lose 14-9. That ended up bring their only fourth-quarter lead of the season.

The 0-16 Lions actually held multiple fourth-quarter leads in 2008 and they even almost won a game. In a Week 6 loss to the Vikings, the Lions actually led 10-9 for the ENTIRE fourth quarter before Minnesota hit a field goal with just nine seconds left for a 12-10 win.

The only other winless team in NFL history, the 0-16 Browns, also held a fourth-quarter lead at one point, but like the Bucs, it only happened one time during the season. Although the Browns had SIX one-score losses in 2016, they only led in the fourth quarter of one of those. In Week 14, the Browns were leading the Packers 21-7 in the fourth quarter before blowing that lead and losing 27-21 in overtime.

The Panthers are in the process of looking for a new coach, and when that person gets hired, the first thing they’re going to want to do is revamp the offense. The Panthers ranked dead-last in total yards per game, passing yards per game and points per game. Plus, there’s also the “they went an entire season without holding a fourth-quarter lead” thing. What this all means is that the new coach is definitely going to have their hands full when they get hired.

If you want to know who the Panthers are considering for the job, be sure to click here so you can head to our coaching tracker, which will keep up to date on all eight coaching searches going on in the NFL right now.