Kasay Creates an Old-Time Feeling

John Kasay was part of the early glory of the Carolina Panthers when they made the playoffs in 1996, their second season. He was still around for the misery of a 1-15 record in 2001.

Kasay brought Carolina back to the postseason with a 49-yard field goal with four seconds to play to give the Panthers a 20-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday and the NFC South title.

“To watch how fast we rose, and then the battles we have had over the year to try to get back to this spot,” Kasay said, “this is a special day.”

Carolina (9-5) ended a three-game skid to earn its second playoff berth.

“It’s just been a bunch of good people doing their job well,” Coach John Fox said. “We haven’t arrived yet, but we’ve sure made a lot of progress.”

As usual, the Panthers won the hard way.

Eight of Carolina’s victories have come in the final two minutes or in overtime. Carolina tied an NFL record with its seventh victory by three points or less -- the Cardinals did it in 1998.

“Are we playing our best football right now? Probably not,” quarterback Jake Delhomme said. “But we still got the win, and that’s an encouraging sign.”

Neil Rackers, who missed a 35-yard field-goal try early in the fourth quarter, kicked one from 44 yards with 1:15 to play to tie the score, 17-17.

Delhomme, who completed 20 of 32 passes for 236 yards, connected with Steve Smith five times for 41 yards in a 13-play, 44-yard drive to set up the winning field goal.

“We just saw what we had to work with and made the plays when we needed to,” Smith said. “They were playing a lot of off coverage. They didn’t want to get beat deep.”

Second-year quarterback Josh McCown, in his first NFL start, had his first pass returned 35 yards by Mike Minter for a touchdown, then regrouped to direct two time-consuming touchdown drives and Arizona (3-11) led, 14-7, at the half.

McCown, starting in place of Jeff Blake, completed 14 for 25 passes for 172 yards with one interception.