Panthers suddenly in playoff hunt

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Making the playoffs was laughable when the Carolina Panthers had a 1-7 record. But as their win total continues to grow, it's getting harder and harder for them not to think about the possibility.

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A four-game winning streak has Carolina (5-7) back in the hunt for a wild-card spot in the weak NFC. The Panthers are still far from envisioning a return trip to the Super Bowl, but making it into the postseason isn't just a fantasy anymore.

"We're going to try to keep us on 'One game at a time,' and that's this weekend against St. Louis," coach John Fox said Monday.

Sunday's game against the Rams (6-6) is suddenly very important.

Carolina is one game behind St. Louis in the race for the NFC's second wild-card spot. A win over the Rams would move the Panthers into a tie for the final playoff berth.

Fox knows no matter how focused he tries to keep Carolina, he can't shield the Panthers from what's at stake.

"They're not brain dead," Fox quipped. "But our focus needs to be on the task at hand, and that's the St. Louis Rams, and that's going to be a very, very tough contest."

It's a bit hard to believe that Carolina is in this position at all. Devastated by injuries, the defending NFC champions fell into a six-game losing streak that seemingly destroyed the season.

Things looked bleak when receiver Steve Smith broke his leg in the season-opener. Then running back Stephen Davis had knee problems, All-Pro DT Kris Jenkins had shoulder surgery, and backup running back DeShaun Foster broke his collarbone.

As injuries continued to mount - landing 14 players on the injured reserve list - Carolina's situation seemed hopeless.

Then just like that, Carolina turned it around and has reeled off a four-game winning streak.

"I think for a while there, it just seemed like one blow... it just never seemed to stop," Fox said. "Then once it kind of stopped and people were able to re-evaluate, I think we kind of became a new team."

The Panthers are getting it done with an odd cast of characters.

Nick Goings, the sixth-string running back for most of his career, has three consecutive 100-yard games during the streak.

"He's every coaches dream, he does everything you ask," Fox said. "He's got a lot of heart, and I'm real appreciative of what he's done."

Linebacker Vinny Ciurciu bounced back and forth between Carolina and Tampa Bay's practice squad, switching positions every time. The Bucs wanted to make him a fullback and the Panthers wanted him as a linebacker.

Now that Dan Morgan is out with a concussion, Ciurciu has become a solid fill-in, proving the Panthers were right to use him on defense.

And Kindal Moorehead, considered undersized for a defensive tackle and not getting much playing time behind Jenkins, has steadily grown into his expanded role. He recovered a fumble in Sunday's win over New Orleans that set up Carolina's first touchdown.

"We have way too much character around here to pack it in," safety Mike Minter said. "Coach kept telling us during that six-game span that, 'Hey guys we're close. Just keep working and it will break through.'

"And now we're starting to see that. He saw it a long time ago. He kept telling us we were close. He said, 'This is a good football team. Trust me.'"