Defensive end Julius Peppers had two more sacks on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, giving him five sacks in the past two weeks and nine for the season.
He also forced his fifth fumble of the season, repositioning himself for a fourth trip to Honolulu and the Pro Bowl in February.
Peppers had a sack on Detroit's first series and later stripped Daunte Culpepper in the fourth quarter, accounting for one of four takeaways by Carolina's defense.
But after Sunday's game Peppers was more concerned about the things the Panthers didn't do right on defense rather his personal accomplishments, saying there's plenty of room for improvement. Rookie Kevin Smith became only the second running back this season to run for more than 100 yards against the Panthers.
"We...