Carolina Panthers

Fierce Rivals

The teams considered to be the Panthers' fiercest rivals are the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both in the NFC South along with Carolina. The rivalry with Atlanta dates back to 1995, when both teams were in the NFC West, and made a resurgence in 2005 after the Panthers won twice over the Falcons, turning the tide in what was considered to be a one-sided rivalry, given the Falcons' success over the Panthers in preceding years. The rivalry with Tampa intensified during 2003, when the Panthers blocked an extra point at the end of a Week 2 matchup that would have given the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a win. The Panthers went on to win the game in overtime, 12-9.

The team also has lesser rivalries with fellow NFC South members New Orleans Saints, and former NFC West foes San Francisco, and St. Louis

Some Panthers fans have begun to suggest the Dallas Cowboys as a particular foil for Carolina. This is due to a few contested or humiliating defeats dealt to Carolina by Dallas, including a game in 2005 where Steve Smith was ejected for touching a Ref and a field-goal block was reversed by a dubious penalty, leading to a Dallas touchdown. This late-season loss led to Carolina being a wild card in the playoffs, not a division champion. Also, Dallas won 35-14 with a huge number of unanswered points on the higher-profile NBC Sunday Night Football in 2006. Dallas fans think of the Panthers as rivals because the Panthers have knocked the Cowboys out of the playoffs twice. It should also be noted that before their 1996 playoff match-up vs. the Dallas Cowboys, then Dallas coach Barry Switzer claimed to not know where Charlotte is located.

Some also considered the Jacksonville Jaguars to be their AFC rival since both of these teams came into the NFL in 1995. The Panthers first pre-season game was against the Jaguars, which the Panthers won.

Along with the Detroit Lions, the New Orleans Saints, the Cleveland Browns, the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars they are one of the only six teams to have never participated in a Super Bowl.