1996 Carolina Panthers season - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Regular season

Week	Date	Opponent	Results		Game site	Attendance
Week	Date	Opponent	Final score	Team record	Game site	Attendance
1	September 1	Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	W 29–6	1–0	Ericsson Stadium Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium is a 73,778-seat football stadium located on of land in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It is the home facility of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. It also hosts the annual Belk Bowl which features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East...	69,522
2	September 8	at New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....	W 22–20	2–0	Louisiana Superdome	43,288
3	Bye Bye (sports) A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
4	September 22	San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...	W 23–7	3–0	Ericsson Stadium	72,224
5	September 29	at Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...	L 14–24	3–1	Jacksonville Municipal Stadium	71,537
6	October 6	at Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...	L 12–14	3–2	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...	60,894
7	October 13	St. Louis Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...	W 45–13	4–2	Ericsson Stadium	70,535
8	October 20	New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....	W 19–7	5–2	Ericsson Stadium	70,888
9	October 27	at Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	L 9–20	5–3	Veterans Stadium Veterans Stadium Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...	65,982
10	November 3	at Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	L 17–20	5–4	Georgia Dome Georgia Dome The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...	42,726
11	November 10	New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	W 27–17	6–4	Ericsson Stadium	70,298
12	November 17	at St. Louis Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...	W 20–10	7–4	Trans World Dome Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome (more formally known as the Edward Jones Dome at America's Center, and previously known as The Trans World Dome (from 1995–2001) is a multi-purpose stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, and home of the St. Louis Rams of the NFL. It was...	60,652
13	November 24	at Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...	W 31–6	8–4	Astrodome Reliant Astrodome Reliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, USA. The stadium is part of the Reliant Park complex...	20,107
14	December 1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...	W 24–0	9–4	Ericsson Stadium	57,623
15	December 8	at San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...	W 30–24	10–4	3Com Park	66,291
16	December 15	Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...	W 27–16	11–4	Ericsson Stadium	70,075
17	December 22	Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...	W 18–14	12–4	Ericsson Stadium	72,217
NOTE: Division games are in bold text.

Postseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Results		Game site	Attendance
Week	Date	Opponent	Final score	Team record	Game site	Attendance
Wild Card	Bye Bye (sports) A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
Divisional	January 5, 1997	Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...	W 26–17	13–4	Ericsson Stadium Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium is a 73,778-seat football stadium located on of land in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It is the home facility of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. It also hosts the annual Belk Bowl which features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East...	72,808
Conference	January 12, 1997	Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...	L 13–30	13–5	Lambeau Field Lambeau Field Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field...	60,216

Week 2: at New Orleans Saints

Acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

, quarterback Steve Beuerlein

Steve Beuerlein

Stephen Taylor "Steve" Beuerlein is a former football quarterback, and currently is an NFL and college football analyst for CBS.-Education:...

did not throw a single pass, instead rushing three times for a net loss of ten yards; Kerry Collins

Kerry Collins

Kerry Michael Collins is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first choice in the franchise's history...

handled the quarterbacking duties, throwing for 171 yards and one pick while Jim Everett

Jim Everett

James Samuel Everett III is a retired professional American football quarterback who played for twelve seasons in the National Football League ....

threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns. This game, though, was a battle of field goals; following an 84-yard Winslow Oliver

Winslow Oliver

Winslow Paul Oliver is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons.-Career:...

punt return touchdown John Kasay

John Kasay

John David Kasay is an American football kicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...

provided the rest of Carolina's offense with five field goals, two of them 51-yarders, for a 22-20 Panthers win.

Week 4: vs. San Francisco 49ers

The first sign that perennial NFC West

NFC West

The NFC West is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: Arizona Cardinals, St...

champion San Francisco was in for a serious season-long fight with Carolina came as both 2-0 teams clashed at Ericsson Stadium]. Steve Beuerlein

Steve Beuerlein

Stephen Taylor "Steve" Beuerlein is a former football quarterback, and currently is an NFL and college football analyst for CBS.-Education:...

started and threw for 290 yards, two touchdowns, and one pick; a second pick was called back on a Niners holding call. The Panthers controlled the game from the opening kick as Steve Young was sacked four times and picked off in the fourth quarter by Brett Maxie; Willie Green

Willie Green

Willie J. Green is an American professional basketball player who last played for the New Orleans Hornets in the NBA. He was selected in the second round of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics and later acquired by Philadelphia from Seattle in a draft-night trade for the draft rights...

and Merton Hanks

Merton Hanks

Merton Edward Hanks is a former safety in the National Football League.Hanks attended Lake Highlands High School, where he was a district track and field champion. He went on to the University of Iowa, earning all-Big Ten honors at cornerback...

also spent the day jawing at each other following Green catches, ultimately finishing up in a 23-7 Carolina win.

Week 5: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Former Jaguars quarterback Steve Beuerlein

Steve Beuerlein

Stephen Taylor "Steve" Beuerlein is a former football quarterback, and currently is an NFL and college football analyst for CBS.-Education:...

was knocked out of the game after being sacked five times. Kerry Collins

Kerry Collins

managed a touchdown throw but the Jaguars sealed the 24-14 win by recovering a late onside kick.

Week 7: vs. St. Louis Rams

The Panthers erupted to over 30 points for the first time in their short history as they hammered the 1-4 Rams. Anthony Johnson rushed for 126 yards and Kerry Collins

Kerry Collins

threw for 196 yards and three touchdowns, while Michael Bates added a 93-yard kickoff-return score. Tony Banks was pounded all day, fumbling to Kevin Greene

Kevin Greene

Kevin Darwin Greene is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League for 15 years and who retired after the 1999 NFL season...

for a 66-yard touchdown and then getting crushed by Panthers defenders as he unloaded a pass picked off by Chad Cota

Chad Cota

Chad Garrett Cota is a former professional American football strong safety in the NFL. He attended Ashland High School followed by the University of Oregon. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the 1995 NFL Draft and went on to play for the Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints,...

. The Panthers rocked to a 45-17 win.

Week 8: vs. New Orleans Saints

The Panthers rolled to a 19-7 win, but the story of the game turned out to be a postgame interview with Saints coach Jim Mora

Jim E. Mora

James Earnest Mora is the former head coach of the USFL's Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars and the NFL's New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts. He played football at Occidental College where he was also a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. His son Jim L...

, who ripped the team by saying, "We couldn't do diddley poo offensively" in a tirade that became one of the most famous soundbites in sports history.

Week 15: at San Francisco 49ers

The Panthers effectively ended San Francisco's hopes of another division title in a matchup of two of the league's best defenses. The two defenses, however, got crushed by offense. The Panthers raced to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter but Steve Young found Brent Jones

Brent Jones

Brent Michael Jones is a former American Football tight end who played almost his entire career with the San Francisco 49ers from 1987 to 1997. He was selected in the 5th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1986 NFL Draft...

for a 10-7 score; the second quarter was a points explosion as Kerry Collins

Kerry Collins

connected with Willie Green

Willie Green

and ex-Niner Wesley Walls

Wesley Walls

Charles Wesley Walls is a former American football tight end who played 14 seasons in the National Football League.-Early career:...

while Young found rookie Terrell Owens

Terrell Owens

Terrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...

from 46 yards out; at the half the Panthers led 27-17. Jerry Rice

Jerry Rice

Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...

's five-yard touchdown catch in the fourth was the closest the Niners came to the Panthers as Young was picked off twice and the Niners fumbled two more times; they also were hit with 14 penalties and 121 yards. Carolina thus finished a season sweep 30-24; Collins and Young combined for 620 passing yards.

Week 17: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Former Steelers coach Dom Capers

Dom Capers

Ernest Dominic "Dom" Capers is an American football coach, the current defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers, and the only man to serve two different National Football League expansion teams as their inaugural head coach....

and former Steelers linebacker Kevin Greene

Kevin Greene

Kevin Darwin Greene is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League for 15 years and who retired after the 1999 NFL season...

greeted Bill Cowher

Bill Cowher

William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...

and his AFC Central champions for the regular-season finale. After a Wesley Walls

Wesley Walls

Charles Wesley Walls is a former American football tight end who played 14 seasons in the National Football League.-Early career:...

touchdown catch Mike Tomczak

Mike Tomczak

Michael John "Mike" Tomczak is a former American football player. Tomczak played quarterback for several NFL teams including the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers....

was hit in the endzone; he threw the ball before going down but it was ruled intentional grounding, for a Panthers safety. Kordell Stewart

Kordell Stewart

Kordell Stewart, nicknamed "Slash" , is a former American NFL quarterback. Stewart attended the University of Colorado and was drafted 60th in the 1995 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers...

ran in an 80-yard touchdown, but in the fourth down 18-14 the Steelers choked on a procedure penalty and then a Chad Cota

Chad Cota

interception in the endzone. The moment of the year, though, came in the second quarter on a Panthers punt; the ball fell into the endzone and the mascot Sir Purr

Sir Purr

Sir Purr is the mascot of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He is an anthropomorphized panther wearing a Panthers football jersey, jersey #00....

jumped on the ball even though it was still live; Cowher was laughing hard at the miscue and Sir Purr was listed as having one punt return for zero yards.

NFC Divisional playoff

The second-year Panthers held Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman to 165 passing yards and forced three interceptions en route to their first playoff win in team history. On offense, running back Anthony Johnson was their top performer with 104 rushing yards and a 9-yard reception. Dallas scored first on kicker Chris Boniol's 22-yard field goal, but wide receiver Michael Irvin was knocked out of the game with a separated shoulder. Carolina quarterback Kerry Collins

Kerry Collins

then threw two touchdown passes, a 1-yarder to tight end Wesley Walls

Wesley Walls

Charles Wesley Walls is a former American football tight end who played 14 seasons in the National Football League.-Early career:...

and a 10-yarder to wide receiver Willie Green. The Cowboys countered with a 73-yard drive to score on Aikman's 2-yard touchdown pass to running back Daryl Johnston

Daryl Johnston

Daryl Peter "Moose" Johnston is a former National Football League fullback who played his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 to 1999.-High school career:...

, but they failed on the extra point attempt and the Panthers lead was only cut to 14-9. A bad snap on a Carolina punt attempt went out of the end zone to give the Cowboys a safety. But Panthers safety Chad Cota intercepted a pass and returned it 49 yards to set up kicker John Kasay

John Kasay

's 24-yard field goal with three seconds in the half, giving Carolina a 17-11 halftime lead. The second half was a battle of field goals with Kasey kicking 3 over Boniol's 2.

NFC Championship

The Packers recorded 201 rushing yards and 476 total yards of offense. Green Bay running back Dorsey Levens

Dorsey Levens

Herbert Dorsey Levens is a retired American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame and later Georgia Tech.In his career, Levens also played for the...

recorded 117 yards receiving and 88 yards rushing, including a 29-yard touchdown catch. Quarterback Brett Favre

Brett Favre

Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...

managed to overcome two early turnovers that set up 10 Carolina points, completing 19 out of 29 passes for 292 yards and 2 touchdowns. Packers running back Edgar Bennett, who recorded 99 rushing yards, scored a touchdown from 4 yards out, and kicker Chris Jacke

Chris Jacke

Christopher Lee Jacke is a former professional American football placekicker best known for playing for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League....

added 3 field goals.

Early in the first quarter, Panthers linebacker Sam Mills

Sam Mills

Samuel Davis "Sam" Mills, Jr. was an American football linebacker who played twelve seasons in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers.-Early life:...

intercepted a pass from Favre and returned it to the Packers 3-yard line, setting up Kerry Collins

Kerry Collins

' 3-yard touchdown pass to fullback Howard Griffith

Howard Griffith

Howard Griffith is a retired American football fullback who spent 11 seasons in the NFL . While at the University of Illinois, Howard set the NCAA record for touchdowns in a game with eight. It occurred on September 8, 1990 against Southern Illinois University...

. Green Bay struck back with Favre's 29-yard touchdown pass to Levens, but after forcing a punt, Carolina lineman Lamar Lathon

Lamar Lathon

Lamar Lavante Lathon is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Houston Oilers in the 1st round of the 1990 NFL Draft. A 6'3", 249 lbs...

recovered a fumble from Favre on the Packers 45-yard line. A few plays later, John Kasay

John Kasay

's 22-yard field goal put the Panthers back in the lead, 10-7.

But after that, the Packers dominated the rest of the game. Favre responded by leading Green Bay 71 yards in 15 plays and scoring with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman

Antonio Freeman

Antonio Michael Freeman is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League, most notably for the Green Bay Packers. He attended the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, dominating his high school conference. Freeman played college football at Virginia Tech...

. Then on the first play after the ensuing kickoff, safety Tyrone Williams intercepted a pass from Collins on the Packers 38-yard line. Favre's completions to Andre Rison

Andre Rison

Andre Previn Rison is a retired American football wide receiver who played professionally for the National Football League's Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and the Canadian Football League's...

and Freeman for gains of 23 and 25 yards moved the ball into field goal range, and Jacke's 31-yard field goal finished the drive, giving Green Bay a 17-10 halftime lead.

On the first drive of the second half, Green Bay moved the ball 73 yards in 11 plays and scored with another Jacke field goal. The Panthers managed to respond with an 11-play, 73-yard drive of their own and score with Kasay's second field goal, which cut their deficit to 7 points. But Green Bay stormed right back with a 74-yard touchdown drive, featuring a 66-yard reception by Levens. On the next play, Bennett's 4-yard touchdown run gave the Packers a 27-13 lead with two minutes left in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Jacke's third field goal put the game out of reach.

Awards and records

Dom Capers, NFC Coach of the Year
Dom Capers, Associated Press, NFL Coach of the Year

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.