CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera occasionally refers to the New England Patriots as the measuring stick for what he wants his teach to achieve in terms of consistently making the playoffs and challenging for titles.
But during the early years of the Carolina organization, the Panthers' measuring stick was the Jacksonville Jaguars.
And vice versa.
Carolina and Jacksonville began their NFL journeys in 1995 as the league’s 30th and 31st teams, the first expansion teams in almost 20 years.