TEMPE, Ariz. - John Kasay was part of the early glory of the Panthers when they made the playoffs in just their second season in 1996. He was still around for the misery of a 1-15 record in 2001.
Kasay brought Carolina back to the postseason and back full circle Sunday. His 49-yard field goal with four seconds left gave the Panthers a 20-17 victory over the Cardinals 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 snapped a three-game losing streak 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."
Eight of Carolina's victories have come in the final two minutes or in overtime. Carolina tied a league record with its seventh win by three points or fewer this season; Arizona did it in 1998.
Arizona's Neil Rackers, who missed a 35-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, kicked a 44-yarder with 1:15 to play to tie it at 17.
Carolina's Jake Delhomme, who was 20-of-32 for 236 yards, hit Steve Smith five times for 41 yards in a 13-play, 44-yard drive to set up the winning field goal.
The Cardinals tried, but failed, to get pressure on Delhomme as the Panthers drove for the winning score.
"On that drive we blitzed six out of nine times," Arizona coach Dave McGinnis said. "We weren't going to let him just sit back there, but we didn't make the plays."
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 TD drives and Arizona led 14-7 at the half.
"I tell you what, I like him," Minter said of McCown. "I told him after the game he's going to be a good quarterback. Why? Because he doesn't let bad things get him down."
McCown scored on a 16-yard run and Emmitt Smith ran 4 yards for his first home touchdown of the season for Arizona. McCown didn't play well in his brief appearances as a backup, but he was poised throughout this one.
"I hope that I showed that I managed the game and played well enough that people can have confidence in me," said McCown, who was 14-of-25 for 172 yards. "But the bottom line is you've got to win. That's my goal. That's what I want to change."
Delhomme moved Carolina 93 yards in nine plays, capped by a 31-yard TD to DeShaun Foster, for a 17-14 lead with 11:29 left.
