playing their home games in Clemson, South Carolina during their first season, the Panthers began play at the newly completed Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina starting in September. The team's second year proved even better than the first; following a 5–4 start, the players found a groove and rattled off a seven-game winning streak to end the season with a record of 12–4. They ended up winning the NFC West division for the first and only time in franchise history. In their first ever playoff game, they beat the Dallas Cowboys 26–17 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at Ericsson Stadium. The following week, however, they fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers 30–13 in the NFC Championship. Their fellow second-year expansion team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, played in the AFC Championship against the New England Patriots but lost 20–6; the NFL nearly had an all-expansion Super Bowl. Following the successful season, the Panthers were represented at the Pro Bowl by eight players, including Kerry Collins, John Kasay, Sam Mills, and Michael Bates among others. Capers also won NFL Coach of the Year, becoming the first Panthers coach to win the award. 1997 season The Panthers picked up several talented players in the 1997 NFL Draft, including safety Mike Minter, tight end Kris Mangum, and also signed running back Fred Lane as an undrafted free agent. Following an impressive second season, the Panthers fully expected to return to the playoffs in 1997, but a 2–4 start quickly began to cloud the minds of Carolina fans. The team finished their third season with a record of 7–9, and missed the playoffs. The Panthers lost their first ever appearance on Monday Night Football by a score of 34–21 to the San Francisco 49ers. They were also shut out for the first time in franchise history in a week 11 loss to the Denver Broncos, 34–0. 1998 season The Panthers started the 1998 season 0–7, the franchise's worst start ever. Quarterback Kerry Collins started the first four games for the team before Steve Beuerlein was given the starting job; he started the season's remaining 12 games. The team got their first win of the year with a 31–17 victory over the New Orleans Saints in week 9, breaking a nine-game losing streak dating back to the previous season. After rallying to win their last two games, the Panthers finished the year