Sir Purr
Well-known member
- Mar 16, 2019
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The quarterback was Kerry Collins, in only his second year after being the fifth overall selection in the 1995 draft. He usually handed the ball off to running back Anthony Johnson, a career backup who gained 1,120 yards after Tshimanga Biakabutuka, the team's 1996 first-round draft choice, suffered a season-ending injury.
When Collins did throw it, he usually targeted tight end Wesley Walls, who led the team with 61 catches for 713 yards and 10 touchdowns. The starting wide receivers, Mark Carrier and Willie Green, were retreads by NFL standards.
So despite earning home-field advantage by virtue of their surprising division title, the Panthers were considered underdogs when the Cowboys sauntered into Charlotte with a certain amount of swagger. Dallas had just dismantled the Minnesota Vikings, 40-15, in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, while Carolina sat idle with a bye.
The Panthers, however, were unfazed.