| 2003 Carolina Panthers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jerry Richardson |
| General manager | Marty Hurney |
| Head coach | John Fox |
| Home field | Ericsson Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–5 |
| Division place | 1st NFC South |
| Playoff finish | Won Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Cowboys) 29–10 Won Divisional Playoffs (at Rams) 29–23 (2OT) Won NFC Championship (at Eagles) 14–3 Lost Super Bowl XXXVIII (vs. Patriots) 29–32 |
| Pro Bowlers | RB Stephen Davis DT Kris Jenkins DE Mike Rucker P Todd Sauerbrun |
The 2003 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 9th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the second season under head coach John Fox. They improved on their 7–9 record from 2002, and made it to the playoffs for the first time since 1996 and only the second time in franchise history.
The season would be a huge success. Just two years after going 1–15, the Panthers would go a surprising 11–5 to earn the #3 seed in the NFC Playoffs. They would defeat the Dallas Cowboys 29–10 in the Wild Card playoffs. The next week in St. Louis, the game would go to double overtime and on the first play of the second overtime, Steve Smith caught a pass by Jake Delhomme and took it 69 yards into the endzone to put an end to the game.
In the Conference Championship game, the Panthers traveled to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to play the Eagles who were in their 3rd straight conference championship game, but had yet to win one. The Panthers would continue the story with a 14–3 victory, which was dominated by Ricky Manning’s three interceptions that kept the Eagles at bay. With winning the NFC as the #3 seed, the Panthers were the first NFC champion seeded neither first nor second since the playoff field expanded in 1990.
The Panthers advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history, but lost 32–29 to the New England Patriots on a last-second field goal by kicker Adam Vinatieri.