| 1995 Carolina Panthers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jerry Richardson |
| General manager | Bill Polian |
| Head coach | Dom Capers |
| Home field | Memorial Stadium (Clemson, South Carolina) |
| Results | |
| Record | 7–9 |
| Division place | 4th NFC West |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | None |
The 1995 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's inaugural season in the National Football League and the first under head coach Dom Capers. They went 7–9, the best debut year for any expansion franchise since the NFL's inception. The Panthers played their first season's home games at Clemson University because what would become Ericsson Stadium was still under construction after a deadline point in 1995 for scheduling Carolina's first set of NFL games.
Offseason
The Panthers were jokingly called "Buffalo Bills South" because of the large number of former Bills on the roster. Quarterback Frank Reich, wide receiver Don Beebe, tight end Pete Metzelaars and linebacker Carlton Bailey had played key roles in the Bills' run of four consecutive Super Bowls earlier in the 1990s and were on the Panthers' inaugural roster. Furthermore, the team's general manager was longtime Bills GM and executive Bill Polian. (See also the 2001 San Diego Chargers season, in which a similar situation arose when John Butler brought several former Bills with him to San Diego after being fired.)
Expansion draft
^ Made roster.[1]
NFL Draft
| 1995 Carolina Panthers draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Kerry Collins * | QB | Penn State | from Cincinnati[upper-alpha 1] |
| 1 | 22 | Tyrone Poole | CB | Fort Valley State | from Green Bay[upper-alpha 2] |
| 1 | 29 | Blake Brockermeyer | OT | Texas | from San Diego[upper-alpha 3] |
| 2 | 36 | Shawn King | DE | Louisiana–Monroe | from Cincinnati[upper-alpha 1] |
| 4 | 132 | Frank Garcia | C | Washington | |
| 5 | 135 | Michael Senters | WR | Northwestern | |
| 5 | 171 | Andrew Peterson | OT | Washington | |
| 6 | 188 | Steve Strahan | DT | Baylor | |
| 6 | 191 | Jerry Colquitt | QB | Tennessee | from Kansas City[upper-alpha 4] |
| 7 | 209 | Chad Cota | SS | Oregon | |
| 7 | 249 | Michael Reed | SS | Boston College | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Draft trades
- 1 2 The Panthers traded a first-round selection (1st overall) to Cincinnati in exchange for first- and second-round selections (5th and 36th overall).
- ↑ The Panthers traded first-, third-, and sixth-round selections (32nd, 65th, and 173rd overall) to Green Bay in exchange for first- and sixth-round selections (22nd and 191st overall).
- ↑ The Panthers traded second-, third-, and fourth-round selections (34th, 98th, and 100th overall) to San Diego in exchange for a first-round selection (29th overall).
- ↑ The Panthers traded a 1996 sixth-round selection to Kansas City in exchange for a sixth-round selection (191st overall).
Personnel
Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
| |||||
Roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
|
Reserve lists
53 active, 11 inactive, 4 practice squad
| ||||||
Schedule
Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOF | July 29 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 20–14 | 1–0 | Fawcett Stadium | 24,625 |
| 1 | August 4 | at Chicago Bears | L 15–18 | 1–1 | Soldier Field | 50,300 |
| 2 | August 12 | Denver Broncos | W 19–10 | 2–1 | Memorial Stadium | 57,017 |
| 3 | August 19 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 10–17 | 2–2 | 3Com Park | 51,185 |
| 4 | August 26 | New York Giants | W 6–3 | 3–2 | Memorial Stadium | 49,114 |
Regular season
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 3 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 20–23 (OT) | 0–1 | Georgia Dome | Recap | |
| 2 | September 10 | at Buffalo Bills | L 9–31 | 0–2 | Rich Stadium | Recap | |
| 3 | September 17 | St. Louis Rams | L 10–31 | 0–3 | Memorial Stadium | Recap | |
| 4 | Bye | ||||||
| 5 | October 1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 13–20 | 0–4 | Memorial Stadium | Recap | |
| 6 | October 8 | at Chicago Bears | L 27–31 | 0–5 | Soldier Field | Recap | |
| 7 | October 15 | New York Jets | W 26–15 | 1–5 | Memorial Stadium | Recap | |
| 8 | October 22 | New Orleans Saints | W 20–3 | 2–5 | Memorial Stadium | Recap | |
| 9 | October 29 | at New England Patriots | W 20–17 (OT) | 3–5 | Foxboro Stadium | Recap | |
| 10 | November 5 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 13–7 | 4–5 | Candlestick Park | Recap | |
| 11 | November 12 | at St. Louis Rams | L 17–28 | 4–6 | Trans World Dome | Recap | |
| 12 | November 19 | Arizona Cardinals | W 27–7 | 5–6 | Memorial Stadium | Recap | |
| 13 | November 26 | at New Orleans Saints | L 26–34 | 5–7 | Louisiana Superdome | Recap | |
| 14 | December 3 | Indianapolis Colts | W 13–10 | 6–7 | Memorial Stadium | Recap | |
| 15 | December 10 | San Francisco 49ers | L 10–31 | 6–8 | Memorial Stadium | Recap | |
| 16 | December 17 | Atlanta Falcons | W 21–17 | 7–8 | Memorial Stadium | Recap | |
| 17 | December 24 | at Washington Redskins | L 17–20 | 7–9 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | Recap | |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||||
Season summary
Week 1: at Atlanta Falcons
Week One: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 13 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| Falcons | 3 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 2: at Buffalo Bills
Week Two: Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 28 | 3 | 31 |
at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Date: September 10
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C)
- Game attendance: 79,190
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 3: vs. St. Louis Rams
Week Three: St. Louis Rams at Carolina Panthers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 0 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at Memorial Stadium, Clemson, South Carolina
- Date: September 17
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C)
- Game attendance: 54,060
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 5: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week Five: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 7 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
at Memorial Stadium, Clemson, South Carolina
- Date: October 1
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C)
- Game attendance: 50,076
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 6: at Chicago Bears
Week Six: Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 3 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
| Bears | 7 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 31 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 7: vs New York Jets
Week Seven: New York Jets at Carolina Panthers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | 0 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 15 |
| Panthers | 3 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 26 |
at Memorial Stadium, Clemson, South Carolina
- Date: October 15
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C)
- Game attendance: 52,613
- Referee: Mike Carey
- TV: NBC
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Players dumped Gatorade on Dom Capers after the win.[4]
Week 8: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week Eight: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 20 |
at Memorial Stadium, Clemson, South Carolina
- Date: October 22
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C)
- Game attendance: 55,484
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 9: at New England Patriots
Week Nine: Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| Patriots | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 17 |
at Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Date: October 29
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C)
- Game attendance: 60,064
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 10: at San Francisco 49ers
Week Ten: Carolina Panthers at San Francisco 49ers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| 49ers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 11: at St. Louis Rams
Week Eleven: Carolina Panthers at St. Louis Rams
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Rams | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
at TWA Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
- Date: November 12
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (played indoors)
- Game attendance: 65,598
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 12: vs. Arizona Cardinals
Week Twelve: Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Panthers | 0 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 27 |
at Memorial Stadium, Clemson, South Carolina
- Date: November 19
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C)
- Game attendance: 49,582
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 13: at New Orleans Saints
Week Thirteen: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 3 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 26 |
| Saints | 7 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: November 26
- Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST/7:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: None (played indoors)
- Game attendance: 39,580
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann and Mark Malone
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 14: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week Fourteen: Indianapolis Colts at Carolina Panthers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Panthers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
at Memorial Stadium, Clemson, South Carolina
- Date: December 3
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C)
- Game attendance: 49,841
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (NBC): Jim Lampley and Bob Golic
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 15: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week Fifteen: San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
at Memorial Stadium, Clemson, South Carolina
- Date: December 10
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 33 °F (1 °C)
- Game attendance: 76,136
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 16: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week Sixteen: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Memorial Stadium, Clemson, South Carolina
- Date: December 17
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C)
- Game attendance: 53,833
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 17: at Washington Redskins
Week Seventeen: Carolina Panthers at Washington Redskins
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Redskins | 7 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C.
- Date: December 24
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 33 °F (1 °C)
- Game attendance: 42,903
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Standings
| NFC West | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| (2) San Francisco 49ers | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 457 | 258 | L1 |
| (6) Atlanta Falcons | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 362 | 349 | W1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 309 | 418 | L3 |
| Carolina Panthers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 289 | 325 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 319 | 348 | W1 |
Records
- Most victories by an expansion team (7)[5]
- First expansion team to have a winning record at home (5–3)[5]
- First expansion team to have a four-game winning streak (weeks 7–10)[5]
- First expansion team to defeat a defending Super Bowl champion in its inaugural season (13–7 over the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco)[5]
References
- ↑ "NFL Expansion Draft". Hartford Courant. February 16, 1995. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
- ↑ "NFL Draft — Team by Team". Hartford Courant. April 24, 1995. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Assistant Coaches". Panthers.com. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
- ↑ "Panthers earn first victory". Gainesville Sun. October 16, 1995. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 92
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