CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Panthers coach Ron Rivera said hes never experienced a season like this one since he joined the NFL 30 years ago.Carolinas journey to the NFC divisional playoffs has included quarterback Cam Newton flipping his truck and being hospitalized with two fractures in his lower back, franchise defensive end Greg Hardy being convicted on two counts of domestic violence, and Riveras house catching fire and causing $500,000 worth of the damage five days before the biggest game of his coaching career.It has been different, Rivera said. You cant make this stuff up.Theres been nothing ordinary or predictable about the Panthers on the field, either.Carolina became the first NFL team to go more than two months without a victory and reach the playoffs. The Panthers won the NFC South despite a 7-8-1 record. And last Saturday, a defence that gave up 35 or more points in four of its first seven games held Arizona to 78 yards in the wild-card round, the fewest ever allowed in the NFL post-season.Safety Roman Harper said he wasnt expecting this type of adventure in his first season in Carolina. The Panthers visit Seattle (12-4) on Saturday with a trip to the NFC championship game on the line.It isnt the prettiest thing, but we got a date to the prom at the end of the day, Harper said, laughing. Were here. Shes probably not the best-looking one; shes not going to win prom queen, but well have a good time.The Panthers arent apologizing for their record.In fact, in some ways they believe the season has toughened them and left them playoff ready.They had to win their last four games just to get into the playoffs.Newton has fought through ankle and rib injuries and the back fractures, and he has the Panthers on a five-game winning streak.Rivera is already hunkered down preparing for Seattle while his wife handles the details of where hell live for the next 6-8 months while their burned-out home is rebuilt.Hardy still isnt eligible to play, but his absence paved the way for fellow defensive end Charles Johnson to step out of character and become one of the teams vocal leaders.Cornerback Josh Norman is convinced the Panthers have benefited from some divine intervention — particularly when it came to Newtons accident.If it werent for Gods angel covering him in that truck, I dont know what would have happened, Norman said. We could have been talking about missing our quarterback, our leader, forever. But he was blessed.The idea the Panthers are even still playing after a 3-8-1 start speaks volumes about the team, said centre Ryan Kalil.Some strange things have come up, Kalil said, but its been very telling of the character and closeness of this team that whether it is something happening inside or outside the locker room, this is a group that stuck together and continue to work and work.Kalil said that is also a reflection of Rivera, the 2013 NFL Coach of the Year, for staying positive and keeping everyone together when it would have been easy to quit on the season.Rivera said he never once lost faith in his team.At the end of the day you learn how to deal and cope with these things, Rivera said, and if you can keep your focus then you will have an opportunity and a chance.Then again, maybe Carolinas season isnt that unusual.Former Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery was asked about this year and simply laughed.Well, I played in New York, Cotchery said, so I wont even go there.NOTES: The Panthers have moved practices inside their stadium this week and are piping in crowd noise to help simulate playing in Seattle, which features one of the loudest stadiums in the league. ... Rivera said hes sticking with returner Brenton Bersin despite a muffed punt that resulted in a turnover against Arizona. ... Wide receiver Philly Brown (shoulder) did not practice Tuesday. Bersin is taking his reps in practice.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL Jim McMahon Bears Jersey . Roy says he will know more about Duchenes potential playing status Sunday. Duchene has been out since damaging the MCL in his left knee when he ran into a teammate against San Jose on March 29. Hes been skating on his own all week, before joining the team Saturday hours before a pivotal game in a series tied at 2. David Montgomery Youth Jersey .Heres Ralph the Dog with the crew here at TSN jumping into the James Duthie TradeCentre selfie: Happy to drop by! RT @TSN_Sports: @tsnjamesduthie: Take this Ellen. https://www.bearssportsgoods.com/Womens-...nverted-Jersey/. PAUL, Minn. Akiem Hicks Womens Jersey .com) - Jimmy Butler made four key free throws down the stretch to lift the Chicago Bulls over the Boston Celtics, 109-102, on Friday. Richard Dent Bears Jersey . As their best player continued to orchestrate his dramatic exit from the club, the Whitecaps added size and creativity at Thursdays Major League Soccer SuperDraft.SEATTLE - Fresh off spending more than two hours winding his way in front of a parade crowd that surpassed the population of Seattle, Pete Carroll was ready for the post-season to finally arrive. Perhaps Carroll was so prepared for a break because he believes there is very little the Seattle Seahawks need heading into the off-season. "I dont see anything that we need to add. We just have to get better," Carroll said. "These players know that they got better all the way to the last game of the season. Thats always out there for us and that will continue to be our focus." Carroll and his team were feted in grand fashion on Wednesday, enjoying the first championship parade for a team in one of the four major sports in the city of Seattle since 1979. Seattle officials estimated the crowd along the parade route at 700,000 while owner Paul Allen, addressing a celebration at CenturyLink Field, said it was 1 million fans that crammed downtown streets. Carroll was at the front of the parade and later was leading the charge that this team he helped put together is not expecting to be a one-year wonder. "They have come together to do something very special and its not just one year," Carroll told the crowd. "Were just getting warmed up if you know what Im talking about." That means Carroll doesnt believe the Seahawks need to make major off-season additions as they did a year ago when Seattle signed defensive linemen Cliff Avril, Tony McDaniel and Michael Bennett in free agency and traded for Percy Harvin. Seattle will continue to mine the draft for gems like those they have found in the past and look at free agency but Carroll said they are very comfortable with the roster they have moving forward. "The priority is for us to get back to work and work really hard again. Thats going to be more important. Its not going to be something from the outside of us. We have what we need, we just need to get back to work when the time comes with the right attitude and the right focus. Thats all Im concerned about." It appears SSeattles free agency focus will be on trying to retain players on its current roster that could be coveted by others.dddddddddddd Wide receiver Golden Tate and Bennett will both be free agents in the off-season and both expressed their desire to return to Seattle. Tate is at the end of his rookie contract, while Bennett gambled on a one-year deal with Seattle last off-season and now could be in line for a significant pay increase after a standout season with a team-high 8 1/2 sacks in the regular season and another 1 1/2 in the playoffs. Bennett became the interior pass rusher that Carroll has sought since his arrival in Seattle and part of a defensive line rotation that caused havoc. "I want to be back here 100 per cent," Bennett said. "I love the team. I love my teammates. Pete does a great job letting us play. I want to be a part of that. I know we can go back and win a Super Bowl again with all of these guys." Tate was Seattles leading receiver this season, his fourth with the team after being a second-round pick in 2010 as part of Carrolls first draft class. Tate said he would consider accepting a "little" less money for a chance to stay with the Seahawks. "In my eyes I would rather stay and play in a great organization, in a great city, around great people, around great teammates for a little less than go to a crappy city and win a ball game every now and then and be miserable for six months and have a fan base that doesnt care about the sport," Tate said. "Youve got to give a little or take a little, whatever. Well see how it works out. Hopefully, it does work out. I think Ive done everything in my power to earn the trust and respect of this organization." Carroll said Seattle will go into the off-season very healthy, the only lingering concern being a possible surgery on the toe of left tackle Russell Okung, who was injured in Week 2 against San Francisco and aggravated it later in the season. Harvin came out of the Super Bowl fine with his hip and now gets an entire off-season to get healthy. ' ' '