Reflecting on the 8 Defining Moments of the Carolina Panthers' 2013 Season

The Carolina Panthers are playoff bound as the 2013 NFC South champions and the No. 2 in the NFC playoffs. Given the fact the Panthers started out 1-3 and finished as division champs, it could be argued that this fact alone is a defining moment. However, for the purposes of this slideshow, we'll explore the key moments that propelled them to where they are today.

While their season is not yet done, the process which got them here started in the offseason and took hold over the course of 17 weeks. There is a case to be made for several players and moments that occurred this season, but only eight were chosen for this list.  

It wasn't just the players and their performances that made up this list, either. The front office and coaching staff were just as instrumental to the success the Panthers experienced this year. This season featured sensational plays and great comebacks, and it was a testament to just how talented this Carolina team has become over the last three years.

There is no doubt that a few other key defining moments were excluded from this list. Please feel free to share which moments you believe should have made the cut.  

Now, on to the eight defining moments of the Carolina Panthers 2013 season.

All stats courtesy of ESPN.com or ProFootballReference.com, unless otherwise noted.

Shutting out the New York Giants for First Win of Season

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

There were a lot of things to take away from the 38-0 beating the Carolina Panthers handed the New York Giants in Week 3 of this season to pick up their first win.  

First, it was the largest rout in Carolina history, which bested a 34-0 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008. Second, they handed New York coach Tom Coughlin his worst loss ever, and the defense made it a very long day for the New York offense.

Defensive end Greg Hardy recorded three sacks in the first half of that game. He accounted for nearly half of the team's overall total of seven on the day. Defensive backs Robert Lester and Melvin White had an interception each, adding to Eli Manning's horrific day.

At the time, the Giants were 0-2. Just like it was for the Panthers, the game was a must-win for New York. The victory was important for Carolina, as it served as retribution for last year's humiliating defeat on national television to the G-men and saved Ron Rivera from possibly losing his job early in the year.

While they would drop their next game to the Arizona Cardinals two weeks later, nobody could have predicted the 11-1 run they would experience en route to a divisional championship.  

Rise of Riverboat Ron

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Ron Rivera's seat was warm going into the season, and his 0-2 start only made that seat warmer.

By playing conservatively in the waning minutes at Buffalo in Week 2, Rivera opted for a field goal when his team was up by three. Graham Gano connected from 39 yards out, and the Panthers increased their lead to 23-17. That move would prove to be his undoing, as EJ Manuel led a great comeback with just 1:38 to play and hit Stevie Johnson in the end zone for the game-winning score.

Had Rivera decided to convert on 4th-and-short, the outcome would have probably been different. However, he learned from that mistake, and ever since, he became more aggressive on fourth-down situations. On the season, Carolina converted on fourth down on 10-of-13 attempts (76.9 percent). That success rate has been good for first in the NFC and third in the NFL.

Rivera's aggressiveness in those situations has resulted in extended drives and turning field goals into touchdowns. More importantly, it has been one of the major reasons why the Panthers earned a playoff spot this year. However, no call was more gutsy than the one he made to punt in the closing moments of their home finale against New Orleans.

While it was initially unpopular with the fan base, Rivera had enough faith in his defense to force the Saints into a three-and-out. Carolina was able to get the ball back with 55 seconds remaining. That was enough time for Cam Newton to complete three passes—the final one being caught by Domenik Hixon for the game winning score.

It was that kind of bold decision-making that allowed the Panthers to remain in contention for the division, despite dropping their first meeting with the Saints in Week 14. It's also why Rivera is a candidate for Coach of the Year.

It's unlikely we have seen the end of Riverboat Ron. With the playoffs coming up, there will most likely be another situation that requires him to take a gamble. It makes sense, because when it comes to playoff football, all bets are off.

Physical, Emotional Win over St. Louis

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

The Carolina Panthers and St. Louis Rams are far from being rivals. The same could be said about them when they both competed in the former NFC West, when the conference was split into three divisions. However, the way these two teams played in Week 7 would suggest otherwise.

There was definitely no love lost between either team, as the home crowd was treated to a physical, heated and emotional game that showed why the Panthers weren't to be trifled with in 2013.  

Additionally, this game showed how unified the Panthers were and did not let the heat of some of the confrontations get the best of them. In that regard, they showed tremendous poise.

The game featured a lot of skirmishes, pushing matches, trash talking and cheap shots. The latter of which saw Rams defensive end Chris Long ejected after he threw a punch during one of the many altercations that occurred between plays.  

Rams players would take further exception after Mike Mitchell hit quarterback Sam Bradford out of bounds, which resulted in the opposing signal-caller injuring his knee. While Mitchell did not intend to hurt the quarterback, receiver Brian Quick took exception to Mitchell's perceived celebration and was called for a personal foul for his actions.

While the game was a physical affair between plays, there were some great moments on the field as well. Captain Munnerlyn accounted for Carolina's first score with a pick-six in the first quarter. Later in the game, Steve Smith showed up Janoris Jenkins on a touchdown score that made the St. Louis defensive back look ridiculous.

The 30-15 win allowed the Panthers to improve to 3-3 on the year and begin a winning streak that would result in eight consecutive wins.

Defense Key to Road Win over San Francisco

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Two things resulted from Carolina's win over San Francisco: First, they showed everyone that they were a contender with a key road win. Second, they were able to maintain an edge over the Niners in the wild-card picture.  

Many can argue the Panthers picked up a signature win in that game, but that would happen the following week in Charlotte, when the New England Patriots came to town.

Carolina's win was a low-scoring affair, and the defense was deserving of a lot of credit in keeping Colin Kaepernick and Frank Gore in check. The San Francisco offense had no answer for the Panthers stout defense, and despite leading 9-7 at the half, they were unable to put up anymore points, as Carolina shut them out in the second half.

That worked out well for the Panthers offense, as they were just as stymied on their side of the ball and were not able to do anything offensively until DeAngelo Williams rushed 27 yards for a touchdown that brought Carolina back into the game.

Ultimately, this win proved that the Panthers were capable of beating a contender while leaning on their defense. The offense's shortcomings could have spelled trouble for the team, but fortunately, the defense played some of their best football of the season.

The Carolina defense registered six sacks, with Dwan Edwards leading the way with two. Charles Johnson, Luke Kuechly and A.J. Klein were able to get to Kaepernick as well. However, the biggest play came from Drayton Florence, who picked off Kaepernick in the final minute of the game to preserve the win.

Carolina used the momentum of the game to take on New England in a victorious Monday Night Football effort the following week, further cementing their place among the conference elite.

Steve Smith Coins, "Ice Up, Son!"

This particular slide could have been about how the Carolina Panthers caught a break during the controversial ending of their primetime game against New England. However, that pales in comparison to the words wide receiver Steve Smith had for Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib during his postgame interview.

Smith and Talib were very physical with each other throughout the game, and the early minutes of their matchup proved it.

Talking with Albert Breer on the field, Smith coined a new phrase that is sure to remain in Panthers lore for a long time: "Ice up, son!"

His remarks left a positive impact with the fan base, which was still giddy about getting a win over one of the league's most dominant teams.  Twitter blew up, t-shirts were made and most fittingly, an ice sculpture was constructed in Smith's likeness.

Smith has always been a vocal and fiery competitor. However, it took 13 seasons and a huge win on Monday night to leave an everlasting catchphrase that may rival the team's current war cry: "Keep Pounding".

Cam Newton's Four Comeback Wins

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Cam Newton may have had a down year in terms of passing and rushing yards, but he still did enough to help his team win and be voted to his second career Pro Bowl.

It seemed as though he was making better decisions while in the game, and despite some issues with his accuracy on intermediate throws, he proved his critics wrong about his ability to lead his team to a winning season.

However, it was his four comeback wins this season that really defined this team and quite possibly brought about a rebirth of the Cardiac Cats. It should be noted that all four of his comebacks were against teams that were playoff contenders—three of which reached berths, a stat that bodes well for a team entering the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Newton didn't have to be sharp in order to have the opportunity to orchestrate some fourth-quarter heroics either. He was below average against San Francisco, but he did enough on the team's final drive in the fourth quarter to get the Panthers into field-goal range.

The same can be said about his performance in Week 16. Newton started strong on the first series but then threw an interception inside the red zone. He struggled from there, and it wasn't until the team's last drive with less than a minute remaining that he became clutch.

On that final drive, he hit Ted Ginn Jr. on a deep 37-yard passing play and then found Greg Olsen for 14 yards on second down. He then stopped the clock with a spike, and on the next play, he found a wide open Domenik Hixon for the game-winning score.  

That series not only gave Carolina a much-needed win to stay alive in the division chase, but it proved that Newton has the ability to help the Panthers win games in close situations. He should be tested further when he makes his first postseason appearance.

Panthers Outlast Saints in Monsoon Game

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

The game was close. It was physical. Then the rain came. A lot of it.

Playing in some less-than-ideal conditions, the Carolina Panthers found themselves playing in a rain-drenched affair. This was their second such contest in three years, as they played a similar game against Jacksonville in 2011. What separated this game from that one, however, were the stakes.

Facing a New Orleans team that was looking to slam the door on the Panthers' division hopes, the Panthers kept things close and were seemingly aided by the weather, which added to the Saints road woes. New Orleans would go up late in the game, but Carolina was able to steal a win due to some gutsy play-calling from Ron Rivera and a clutch performance by Cam Newton.

The rain was enough to cause problems for both sides, including making things a bit difficult to see:

"

Kudos to the Panthers fans who stayed through this rain. #PantherNation #KeepPounding Panthers vs Saints game pic.twitter.com/LHGIsmi4EQ

— Danny Almendarez (@DannyV3) December 22, 2013"

The fans who stuck it out deserve some recognition for continuing to support the Panthers in rainy conditions, and they were rewarded with a come-from-behind win and a playoff berth.

Carolina's record in monsoon games currently stands at 2-0.

Defying the Preseason Odds and Clinching the NFC South & Second Seed in NFC

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

It was no small chore to win a division that had many experts picking the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons as division front-runners. Very few gave the Carolina Panthers a modicum of respect. Some publications, like Sports Illustrated, had the Panthers finishing last in the conference; one writer even felt that Ron Rivera would be the first coach fired on the season.

The doubts still continued during the Panthers impressive, franchise-best eight-game winning streak. Nobody actually believed Carolina was a legitimate contender, despite wins over San Francisco and New England.

After the Panthers were dropped by New Orleans in the Superdome, those sentiments became even more vocal. It took a helping hand from the St. Louis Rams (who upset the Saints in Week 15) and a win from the Panthers over their rival on their home turf to convert many non-believers into thinking this team could take the division.

When the dust settled on Week 17, the Panthers not only clinched the NFC South, but they had also wrapped up the No. 2 seed in the conference and earned a first-round bye.  

Carolina spent much of the season flying under the radar, and while that may be the case during the playoffs, the Panthers will let their on-field performance do the talking.

Bonus: All-Black Uniforms Voted Best All-Time

Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

What is more defining than the all-black uniforms the Panthers introduced last year being voted as the best of all-time?

Before the season started, NFL.com held a contest in which fans voted for the best uniforms ever worn on a NFL field. The Carolina Panthers were represented with their all-black uniforms, which they had only worn once prior to the contest starting.

A strong 90 percent of voters felt the Panthers all-black scheme was the best ever. They were up against the iconic uniform of the San Francisco 49ers that defined their dominance of the 1980s. The vote was impressive given that Carolina is a small-market team and was up against some pretty great uniforms in the history of the game.

The Panthers wore the the all=black uniforms twice in 2013: once against the Philadelphia Eagles in the preseason and later against the New York Jets in Week 15.  

Their overall record while wearing the best uniform of all-time is 1-1, as the preseason loss to the Eagles does not count.

Panther Nation, you can follow me on Twitter as we make a run towards the Lombardi Trophy.

Follow @CEdwards80