2005 NFC Divisional: Panthers vs. Seahawks

Lore & Background

The Carolina Panthers inaugural season was in 1995, where the team played as members of the NFC West division. Dom Capers was the franchise's first head coach. In their first season, they recorded a record of , the best record for an expansion team in NFL history. In their second season, they won the NFC West and reached the NFC Championship game, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers; Capers won the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year Award.

The Panthers would fail to reach the playoffs in 1997, and in 1998, Capers was fired after a finish. George Seifert was hired to replace him as head coach, but failed to reach the playoffs in any of his three seasons. His final season as head coach was in 2001, when the Panthers finished with a league-worst record. John Fox was hired as head coach in 2002.

In his nine seasons as head coach, the Panthers made the playoffs three times and won two NFC South division titles (in 2003 and 2008). They reached Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2003, the NFC Championship game in 2005, and the Divisional round in 2008.

Reader's Guide

The Panthers are a professional American football team in the NFL's NFC South. Their home stadium is Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The team's inaugural season was 1995, and they have two Super Bowl appearances, six division titles, and eight playoff appearances in 29 seasons.

Did You Know?

• Dom Capers won the AP Coach of the Year award in 1995, not 1996.
• The team's most successful regular season was in 2015, finishing with a league-best record.