CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Dom Capers could face a difficult weekend in his old digs.

The Jacksonville Jaguars' new defensive coordinator returns Sunday to Ericsson Stadium, where he spent four seasons as the Carolina Panthers' first head coach. Less than nine months ago, he cleaned out his office at the stadium after being told he had failed and was no longer wanted.

If Capers ever needed extra incentive to win, he's got it. He should be filled with emotion when he sees his old team on the opposite sideline.

"You know the answer right off the bat," Carolina tight end Wesley Walls said when asked if his ex-coach would be looking for redemption. "What would you do? What would you feel like?"

Capers wasn't talking. Instead he was focused on the defense he's revamped, helping to turn offensive-powerhouse Jacksonville into a strong Super Bowl contender.

Coach Tom Coughlin said Capers' return to Charlotte was no big deal.

"Not one word has been mentioned about it at all from the players and coaches," said Coughlin, who refused to let Capers speak with reporters. "It will remain that way."

Well, not exactly. Safety Carnell Lake said Capers, who still lives in suburban Charlotte in the offseason, was disappointed that things did not work out with the Panthers.

"I think he knows deep in his heart that he's a good coach and he has a lot to offer, and I'm sure he wants to prove that he's still capable of coaching," Lake said. "As far as we're concerned, we're believers."

They should be. The Jaguars are coming off a 41-3 victory over San Francisco, their biggest blowout ever and the most lopsided regular-season defeat for the 49ers since 1980.

The Jaguars were favored by a touchdown and a field goal to beat a Carolina team whose quarterback, Steve Beuerlein, was sacked seven times last week and knocked down another 10 times in a 19-10 loss in New Orleans.

The repeated pounding Beuerlein took left him with torn cartilage in his left knee. He plans to play Sunday, but judging from what he's going up against, that may not be a good move.

Jacksonville forced five turnovers last week and sacked Steve Young, one of the NFL's most mobile quarterbacks, four times. San Francisco got inside the Jacksonville 20-yard line twice, only to fumble once and see the other possession end with an interception.

Carolina coach George Seifert knows what to expect Sunday, given that the Jaguars were successful blitzing San Francisco and the Panthers couldn't defend the blitz against the Saints.

"I would anticipate they would come at us until we slow it down," Seifert said. "And then they would continue to come at us."

Teams have been coming at the Panthers regularly since 1996, when Carolina won the NFC West. The Panthers advanced to the conference title game that year while their expansion counterparts, the Jaguars, did the same in the AFC.

Carolina has lost 22 of 33 games since then, exposing a failed franchise-building plan.

The Panthers built their offense mainly through the draft and their defense with veteran free agents. But the only pick remaining from the Panthers' original draft in 1995 is center Frank Garcia, a fourth-round selection who is part of what has been an inconsistent line.

And there are no players left on the roster from Carolina's 1995 defense, forcing the Panthers to completely rebuild the unit. So far, it hasn't worked; Carolina finished last in the NFL's defensive rankings in 1998.

As for Jacksonville, it chose to build through youth on both sides of the ball and has made better use of its draft picks. Three of the Jaguars' top four original draftees -- offensive tackle Tony Boselli, running back James Stewart and linebacker Bryan Schwartz -- are still with the team.

The Jaguars' youth movement has helped Jacksonville advance to the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. The defending AFC Central champs are seeking their third consecutive 2-0 start.

"We're just scratching the surface here," Coughlin said. "If we take care of our business, I've always felt like we'll be OK."

While the Jaguars are viewed as Super Bowl contenders, the Panthers are viewed as a team that has a long way to go under Seifert, who arrived in Charlotte with the best winning percentage of any coach in NFL history.

"We're not in sync yet, and I take responsibility for that," Seifert said. "I just want to win a game. Please, let us win a game. It could be against anybody. I don't care who it is."

JACKSONVILLE Season schedule and results

CAROLINA Season schedule and results

September 12 San Francisco W 41-3 September 19 @Carolina 1:00pm ET September 26 Tennessee 4:05pm ET October 3 @Pittsburgh 1:00pm ET October 11 @NY Jets 9:00pm ET October 17 Cleveland 1:00pm ET October 31 @Cincinnati 1:00pm ET November 7 @Atlanta 1:00pm ET November 14 Baltimore 4:05pm ET November 21 New Orleans 8:20pm ET November 28 @Baltimore 1:00pm ET December 2 Pittsburgh 8:20pm ET December 13 Denver 9:00pm ET December 19 @Cleveland 1:00pm ET December 26 @Tennessee 1:00pm ET January 2 Cincinnati 1:00pm ET

September 12 @New Orleans L 10-19 September 19 Jacksonville 1:00pm ET September 26 Cincinnati 1:00pm ET October 3 @Washington 4:05pm ET October 17 @San Francisco 4:15pm ET October 24 Detroit 1:00pm ET October 31 @Atlanta 1:00pm ET November 7 Philadelphia 1:00pm ET November 14 @St. Louis 1:00pm ET November 21 @Cleveland 1:00pm ET November 28 Atlanta 8:20pm ET December 5 St. Louis 1:00pm ET December 12 @Green Bay 1:00pm ET December 18 San Francisco 4:15pm ET December 26 @Pittsburgh 1:00pm ET January 2 New Orleans 1:00pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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