 They performed even better in their second season, finishing with a record and winning the NFC West division, as well as securing a first-round bye.The Panthers beat the defending Super Bowl champions Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round before losing the NFC Championship Game to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Green Bay Packers.The team managed only a finish in 1997 and slipped to in 1998, leading to Capers' dismissal as head coach.