In 1996, the second year of their existence, the Panthers found themselves in the NFC title game, playing the Green Bay Packers but losing. That season, the Panthers became the youngest franchise to ever win a division title, beating out the San Fransisco 49ers to take the NFC West.
During the next few years, the Panthers made nearly as much news off the field as on, much of it negative. In 1999, wide receiver Rae Carruth was convicted of murdering his pregnant girlfriend. The following year, running back Fred Lane was shot to death by his wife during a domestic dispute.
In 2001, the Panthers set a rather dubious record by becoming the first NFL team to lose 15 straight games in one season. The Panthers picked up an encouraging win against the Minnesota Vikings to start the season, but fell flat the rest of the season.
In 2003, two years removed from a 1-15 season, the team returned to the NFC championship, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles to earn a trip to Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston, Texas. The team fell in that game to the AFC champion New England Patriots, 32-29, following a field goal with :04 remaining by Patriot kicker Adam Vinatieri.
Early in the 2004 campaign, the Panthers sustained a number of injuries to key players. During the first half of the season, their record was a dismal 1-7. But, the team rallied to win 6 of its last 8 games. However, the turnaround was not enough to carry the Panthers into the post season. A loss to the Atlanta Falcons in week 15 and a loss to the New Orleans Saints in the final game of the season combined to keep the defending NFC Champion Carolina Panthers out of the playoffs.
--Wikipedia
