10 greatest Carolina Panthers teams of all time

Final record: 7-9 

Carolina walked into its debut with immensely low expectations. Many envisioned they’d end the ’95 season by landing the No. 1 pick of the 1996 NFL Draft. An 0-5 start added fuel to that vision.

Except the Panthers rolled up four straight wins to even their record. Which included knocking off annual NFC West heavyweight the San Francisco 49ers.

Frank Reich handled starting quarterback duties before eventually giving way to Carolina’s first-ever draft pick Kerry Collins. Veteran Mark Carrier scaled the 1,000-yard receiving mark.

Head coach Dom Capers, though, built the first blueprint on defense. Carolina rose to seventh across the league on that side of the ball. Lamar Lathon rose as the first defensive star in the Queen City by snatching eight sacks. The Panthers showed right out the gate they desired to become an immediate playoff contender, not the new kid who gets picked on.

9. 2004 — The late push amid injuries

Final record: 7-9 

Smith went down hard in the Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers. A pileup of injuries later followed. And the Panthers sat at 1-7 overall — earning several write offs by NFL analysts and fans.

Carolina, however, showed it was still mathematically alive for the playoffs. The John Fox led Panthers won their next five games. Then positioned themselves for a possible final playoff spot in Week 17. Yet fell 21-18 to the New Orleans Saints.

Still, Carolina showed its resiliency. Julius Peppers is best remembered for rising as a Defensive Player of the Year contender. Muhsin Muhammad also returned to the 1,000-yard receiver club by delivering an NFL-best 1,405 yards and 16 touchdowns.

8. 2017 — Debut of ‘Run CMC’ 

Final record: 11-5 

Now we dive into the first playoff team to make this list. The ’17 Panthers were established already with Newton behind center. Except he gained a new valuable weapon.

Christian McCaffrey entered the fold and immediately changed the complexion of the offense. He handed the Panthers their first running/receiver threat.

The result led to an 11-5 finish. But a Saints team that swept the Panthers immediately knocked them out of the opening round of the postseason.

7. 2008 — ‘Smash and Dash’ and ‘Double Trouble’ 

Final record: 12-4

This ’08 squad looked very much like a Super Bowl contender. Thanks to Carolina fueling the two-back system craze through “Smash and Dash” and “Double Trouble.”

DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart launched the new two-back movement. The former led the league by scoring 18 touchdowns and racking up 1,515 yards. The latter piled 836 yards with 10 touchdowns as the power back.

Carolina delivered the NFL’s best scoring offense for rushing. The 2008 Panthers also watched Jon Beason lead the NFL with 110 solo tackles. But their season ended at the hands of the eventual NFC champion Arizona Cardinals. This team eventually became the final playoff roster Fox produced before getting fired two seasons later.

6. 2013 — Rise of Cam Newton and ‘Riverboat Ron’ 

Final record: 12-4 

Both Newton and Ron Rivera faced the hot seat. Most analysts and fans wondered if the QB was mature enough to handle losses. Rivera got blasted for being too conservative.

Newton responded by putting together a stronger season three — that led to his first postseason experience. “Riverboat Ron” was birthed too, as the head coach showed more aggressively play-calling decisions that won over the Panthers fan base.

Carolina eventually secured a first round bye before the 49ers ended its run early in the divisional round.

5. 2014 — The sub .500 division winners 

Final record: 7-8-1 

Why is this Panthers team ranked higher than the ’13 one? Carolina went further in the playoffs, that’s why.

Even by carrying its sub .500 record into the postseason.

Carolina even found itself 3-8-1 and staring at a top five draft pick for 2015. Newton even endured a scary car crash but eventually finished out the year. He guided four straight wins to secure the NFC South. Then knocked off the Cardinals to open the playoffs before falling to Seattle.

4. 2005 — Year of ‘Smitty’

Final record: 11-5

Smith rewrote the narrative of how the league viewed smaller wideouts. Terrell Owens and Randy Moss earned “prototype” labels for their chiseled or towering frame. The 5-foot-9 Smith, however, emerged as the league’s top wideout.

“Smitty” led all wideouts through the three major receiving stats of receptions, yards and touchdowns. He carried Carolina into the NFC title game before losing to the Seahawks.

Smith secured NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors after returning from his devastating knee injury of 2004. He sparked MVP conversations as well.

3. 1996 — The first playoff team in Charlotte 

Final record: 12-4 

Season two of existence proved Carolina built itself to contend immediately. Not five years down the road.

The Panthers breezed through a loaded NFC West by winning the division. Capers delivered the second-best scoring defense. Perennial Pro Bowler Kevin Greene even joined the party, leading the league with 14.5 sacks. Greene formed a wicked linebacker trio featuring him, Lathon and the late Sam Mills.

Carolina ’96 holds this other claim: Helping end the Dallas Cowboys 1990s dynasty by eliminating them in the divisional round. Dallas never returned to the NFC title game after the 26-17 defeat. The Panthers eventually made their first-ever NFC Championship game before losing to eventual Super Bowl champ Green Bay.

2. 2003 — The first conference champ 

Final record: 11-5 

Fox took over a team that stumbled to 1-15 two seasons earlier. He whipped them into immediate, and surprising, NFC contenders.

They showed their cardiac side too. Erasing large double-digit leads to pull off the late win. Which began in Week 1 as little-known veteran Jake Delhomme led the team past the Jacksonville Jaguars — all after being down 17-0 to win 24-23.

The ’03 team played in five overtime games and went 4-1 in those contests. Beating the high-powered St. Louis Rams in the extra quarter too during the playoffs. Carolina then smothered a favored Philadelphia Eagles team for the NFC title. They then took Tom Brady and the New England Patriots to the wire before losing 32-29 in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

1. 2015 — The near perfect campaign

Final record: 15-1 

This Panthers unit shattered franchise marks. And played with a strong sense of confidence led by the league MVP.

Newton produced his best season to date. Luke Kuechly emerged as the league’s top linebacker. Even Josh Norman launched a Pro Bowl season and pursued the title of best cover cornerback.

Carolina jumped to 14-0 before settling on 15-1. But the Denver Broncos ruined what could’ve been one of the NFL’s greatest teams ever assembled with Carolina’s record and litany of Pro Bowl talent that season.