Twenty years ago, this fall, the Carolina Panthers embarked on a journey to the franchise's first ever Super Bowl - Super Bowl XXXVIII. When training camp began in July of 2003, Panther fans were daydreaming about an unlikely return to the playoffs, and the coaching staff was struggling to name a starting quarterback. Few, at that time, thought an NFC Championship was a realistic outcome for the 2003 Carolina Panthers, but when the season kicked off and a franchise quarterback emerged, fans and media members alike would be forced to adjust their expectations. In this full-edit version of Cardiac, Anish Shroff relives the Panthers journey to Super Bowl 38 with many of the people responsible for the thrilling wins and beloved memories that helped establish the foundation of a young NFL franchise.

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In their 9th season of existence, the Carolina Panthers had reached the doorstep of football El Dorado – the Super Bowl. The Cardiac Cats ultimately came up one heartbeat short. There would be no name engraved on the Lombardi Trophy. Instead – the Panthers etched their names in the hearts a city and its fans.

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The Carolina Panthers journey to the 2003 NFC Championship was a roller coaster ride. It was a season defined by four overtime wins, late game comebacks, personal hardships, soul-defining moments and at times improbable saviors. But belief never blinked in the face of adversity. Hope always floated.

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The Cardiac Cats carried their heartbeat into January. Carolina won the NFC South and returned to the postseason for the first time in seven years. The Panthers opened the postseason by smashing through Dallas’ top ranked defense in a 29-10 home win. For the divisional round – Carolina hit the road to face St. Louis – the NFC’s top scoring offense. Late in the game, the Panthers needed a play and a playmaker to keep their Super Bowl dreams alive.

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The Carolina Panthers missed multiple chances to clinch the division during the 2003 regular season, but they finally secured a division title with a road win at Arizona in week 15. The Panthers would claim the #3 seed in the NFC playoffs and host the Cowboys in the wild card round on January 3rd, 2004. But what took place on January 2nd, 2004, still echoes today.

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The Carolina Panthers entered the homestretch of the 2003 regular season eyeing the #1 seed in the NFC. At 8-2 Carolina boasted the best record in the conference, but a late season swoon doomed any designs of homefield advantage for Jake Delhomme and the Panthers. As the Panthers boarded their cross country flight for a week 15 tilt with Arizona - a team that had shown so much poise under pressure - now started to feel the weight of expectations.

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Through the first 10 weeks of the 2003 NFL season, the Carolina Panthers were sitting atop the NFC standings with a 7-2 record. In week 11, the Panthers were well on their way to sweeping the defending Super Bowl Champion Buccaneers when the Carolina Prowler appeared on the jumbotron and swung the momentum in Tampa's favor. The Panthers had shown they could stiff-arm adversity - now they had to prove they could handle success.

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Two seasons removed from a 1-15 campaign, the Carolina Panthers opened the season with two heart-pulsing wins. Jake Delhomme came off the bench to spark a 4th quarter comeback in Week one. In week two, Carolina blocked three kicks in an overtime road win against the defending Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 4th quarter comebacks and a bone-crushing defense would become hallmarks of the season… but there was a storm brewing in the backfield…

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The Carolina Panthers opened the 2003 season with a rousing comeback win against the Jaguars. Jake Delhomme came off the bench to spark the rally… and firmly entrenched himself as the new #1 QB. But Week 2 presented its own challenge… a trip to Tampa to face defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers. It was one of those games that started with Brentson Buckner's mouth.

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When Jake Delhomme first arrived in Carolina, his teammates knew little about him, no one wanted his autograph, and no one expected much. One game into the 2003 regular season, all that changed. Relive the moment Jake Delhomme became a franchise QB and the moment Carolina Panthers became the Cardiac Cats.

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