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And why not? In only their second year of play, the Panthers went 12-4 and won the NFC West. In their first postseason appearance, they bounced the reigning champion Cowboys, then made a game of it before falling to the Packers in the conference title game. After tinkering with the roster this off-season, Carolina is now ready to take the next step.

"We're all confident it can be done," says linebacker Sam Mills, one of seven Panthers voted to last year's Pro Bowl.

Carolina will be tested, though, by a brutal schedule and heightened expectations after last year's charmed run.

"Pressure in itself is neutral," says Panthers coach Dom Capers. "If you're prepared, it becomes good pressure. That pressure makes you more focused, makes you more disciplined, makes you tuned in to what you have to do."

One area Carolina tuned in to during the off-season was the vertical passing game. The Panthers chose not to re-sign the team's top receivers, Mark Carrier and Willie Green; instead, they'll go with speed to stretch defenses and open up the middle for Pro Bowl tight end Wesley Walls. Newcomers include former Steeler Ernie Mills, who was sidelined much of last year with a knee injury, and former Raider Rocket Ismail. But the big impact might come from a pair of young speedsters: Muhsin Muhammad, who missed much of his rookie year with a hamstring injury but displayed tantalizing big-play ability to go with his considerable size (6'2", 217 lbs.), and first-rounder Rae Carruth out of Colorado.

The passing game will be in good hands with third-year quarterback Kerry Collins, an emerging star who played brilliantly down the stretch in '96. He and his offense should benefit from the return of running back Tshimanga Biakabutuka, last year's first-round pick, who tore an ACL in the season's fourth game. Anthony Johnson filled in and had five 100-yard outings, and with Biakabutuka looking dazzling in camp, the Panthers plan to go with two-back sets to keep both runners in the game.

The defense set an NFL record by allowing just 56 second-half points all season, and it could be even stingier with the addition of free agents Ray Seals (who will start at right end after missing all of '96 with a torn right rotator cuff) and Micheal Barrow (who replaces Carlton Bailey at inside linebacker). Barrow brings even more pass-rushing ability to a defense that already has plenty; led by quarterback-menacing outside linebackers Kevin Greene (14 1/2 sacks) and Lamar Lathon (13 1/2), the Carolina defense had a league-best 60 QB takedowns. Barrow also will replace Mills on the inside in passing situations, significantly upgrading the coverage and giving the 38-year-old some breathers.

This last is more important than it sounds, as the performance of the Panthers' defense depends on how the so-called Grumpy Old Men—Mills, Greene, 35, and nosetackle Greg Kragen, 35—hold up. "We're older guys who are still at it," says Mills dismissively. "We're not sitting down on the job with our belly hanging over our pants buckle."

The solid secondary will be led by Pro Bowl left cornerback Eric Davis and steady free safety Pat Terrell, but keep an eye on strong safety Chad Cota, an emerging big hitter who has a nose for the ball. A seventh-round pick in '95, Cota tied for the team lead with five interceptions last year; his pick in the end zone in the finale against Pittsburgh secured the division title for Carolina.

Plays like that are the hallmark of the opportunistic Panthers. They have been flagged for fewer penalties than their opponent in an NFL-record 20 straight games, and in their two-year history they are 19-5 in games in which they're even or better in turnover differential. Carolina's special teams play is also stellar. The Panthers led the league in field position to start drives after kickoffs (a 31.3-yard-line average), and placekicker John Kasay pinned opponents to the second-worst starting field position after kickoffs (a 22.7-yard-line average) in the league. He also set an NFL record with 37 field goals.

Surveying the success of 1996, Walls says, "Everything broke our way. Guaranteed, we're going to face more adversity this time around. But we'll be ready. I'd be very disappointed if we didn't get as far as we did last year, and one game further."

—by Alan Shipnuck