2003 Regular Season 12-4 Record

Lore & Background

The Panthers have won seven division titles and two NFC championships, advancing to Super Bowl XXXVIII after the 2003 season and Super Bowl 50 after the 2015 season, losing both.

In Their Own Story

The lights at Bank of America Stadium hummed to life on a crisp November evening in 2003. Julius Peppers, eyes locked on the quarterback's drop, exploded off the edge with a violence that turned the gridiron into a war zone. The ball was stripped, the crowd erupted, and the 12-4 record on the scoreboard felt less like a number and more like a promise. In the tunnel, Dom Capers simply nodded, chalk dust on his hands, already scanning the next play. The Panthers didn't need to be flashy. They needed to be relentless. And in 2003, they were exactly that.

Reader's Guide

The 2003 Panthers, under head coach John Fox and starting quarterback Jake Delhomme, improved to 11–5 in the regular season, winning the NFC South. They defeated the Dallas Cowboys 29–10 in the Wild Card Round, the St. Louis Rams 29–23 in the Divisional Round, and the Philadelphia Eagles 14–3 in the NFC Championship. They advanced to Super Bowl XXXVIII before losing to the New England Patriots, 32–29.

Did You Know?

• The Panthers played their inaugural 1995 season at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina, while their Charlotte stadium was under construction.
• The 2015 Panthers finished 15–1, and quarterback Cam Newton was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player.