OAKLAND, Calif. _ In a wild West Coast shootout with the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, the Carolina Panthers were reminded that a third-quarter spurt is ultimately no match for whoever draws first and fires last.
Oakland beat the Panthers 35-32, edging ahead by a field goal with just 1:45 to play.
A strip sack of Cam Newton on fourth-and-10 buried Carolina for good.
The loss was a further blow to the Panthers' dwindling playoff hopes, dropping them to 4-7 with a trip to NFC West-leading Seattle on the schedule next Sunday.
But Panthers coach Ron Rivera wasn't giving ground afterward, saying his team still had a mathematical chance.
With five games to play, the Panthers are three games behind NFC South-leading Atlanta.
The Raiders (9-2) struck first on a five-play, 62-yard drive during which quarterback Derek Carr was a perfect 4 for 4 with a touchdown pass to Seth Roberts.
Carolina answered within two minutes, driving 75 yards in three plays with a little help from a 47-yard run by Jonathan Stewart and two penalties, one a roughing call. Newton ran a keeper around a nicely sealed edge for the 3-yard touchdown with 3:10 left in the first quarter.
Oakland running back Latavius Murray shimmied into the end zone early in the second quarter, through the arms of Panthers corner Daryl Worley and defensive lineman Kawann Short. It was the first rushing touchdown allowed by Carolina in five games.
A third-down pass breakup by Panthers corner Daryl Worley held Oakland to a 23-yard field goal midway through the half that bumped the lead to 17-7.
When Oakland defensive end Khalil Mack palmed in a short pass by Newton intended for Fozzy Whittaker and rumbled for a 6-yard touchdown, the Raiders led 24-7 at halftime.
Early in the third quarter, Thomas Davis recovered a ball fumbled by Carr and Carolina took over, ultimately punching Jonathan Stewart in for a touchdown. The extra point was blocked.
Carr had to leave the game with what appeared to be a dislocated finger on his throwing hand, sending in backup Matt McGloin, but Carr returned, with a gloved right hand, a series later.
Newton threw an 88-yard touchdown pass to Ted Ginn Jr. with 7:43 left in the third quarter, a career long for the receiver, but the following two-point conversion attempt was overthrown, leaving the Raiders ahead 24-19.
In his first series back, Carr threw another interception to Davis, who returned it 31 yards. Stewart punched in another score, giving the Panthers their first lead of the game, 25-24, after a two-point conversion failed.
Carr threw three incompletions in a row to give the ball back to Carolina, and a 44-yard bomb to Kelvin Benjamin gave the Panthers a 32-24 lead early in the fourth quarter.
But the Raiders answered with a strike to tight end Clive Walford in the end zone and a two-point conversion to draw even, and a 23-field goal sealed it.
