2003 NFC Championship: Panthers vs. Buccaneers

Lore & Background

The two teams met for the first time in 1995 when the Panthers were an expansion team. The rivalry did not develop until 2002, when the Panthers and Buccaneers were placed in the newly formed NFC South division, resulting in two meetings annually. The matchup immediately became popular, and by many accounts intensified into a heated rivalry starting in 2003, as the Panthers and Buccaneers were contenders for the NFC South title for much of the early-to-mid 2000s.

In Their Own Story

The bus sat in the parking lot at Raymond James Stadium for eleven minutes. No one moved. The driver had the engine running, the heater blowing, but the silence in the cabin was its own kind of cold. A wide receiver sat in the back row, helmet still in his lap, staring at the concrete floor. The coach stood at the front, mouth open, words forming and dissolving. Outside, the Buccaneers' celebration was a muffled thump of drums and a rising chant that the glass couldn't keep out. One fan in the front row, a woman in a faded 1995 Panthers jersey, pressed her forehead against the window and whispered, 'We had it. We actually had it.' The bus pulled out. The stadium lights blurred into long gold streaks. No one spoke for the first forty miles of the drive back to Carolina.

Reader's Guide

The annual games have been described as 'physical' and numerous players have suffered season-ending injuries. Among the most serious were Chris Simms, who suffered a ruptured spleen in 2006, and Kavika Pittman, who suffered a career-ending knee injury. Return specialist Clifton Smith suffered concussions in both meetings in 2009, the first from a high hit by Dante Wesley, who was subsequently ejected and suspended for one game. The Panthers lead the overall series, 26–25. The two teams have not met in the playoffs.

Did You Know?

• The Panthers and Buccaneers have not met in the playoffs.
• Chris Simms suffered a ruptured spleen in a 2006 game against Carolina.
• Clifton Smith suffered concussions in both 2009 meetings, the first from a hit by Dante Wesley.