Although the Panthers are 11-3 and would be the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs if the season ended today, they will send the fewest number of players to the Pro Bowl among the division leaders.

The Giants led all NFC teams with seven Pro Bowl selections, while the Minnesota Vikings had six and the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys had five each.

For Gross and Beason it is their first Pro Bowl, while it is the fourth each for Smith and Peppers.

Gross, the team's franchise player, has been a mainstay on the offensive line since his arrival as a first-round draft pick out of Utah in 2003. He leads a vastly improved running game that has scored 25 touchdowns on the ground this season.

"It's a huge honor to be recognized at the top of an elite group of players," Gross said. "It says a lot about our team this year that we had four guys selected, I'm just proud to be one of them. It's a goal of every player but it's something that I've had my sights on the past few seasons when I've been playing my best football. It's great when you've been picked high to validate their selection."

Peppers has 12.5 sacks and beat out Atlanta's John Abraham. He will be joined on the team by New York's Justin Tuck and Minnesota's Jared Allen.

Arizona's Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald will start at wide receiver for the NFC, but Smith and Atlanta's Roddy White beat out players like Dallas' Terrell Owens, Detroit's Calvin Johnson and Green Bay's Greg Jennings to make the team as backups.

"It's great! I am actually more excited for Jordan, Jon Beason and Julius than I am for myself," Smith said. "Especially for the first-time guys, I'm happy to be going with those guys. Our goal is still the playoffs and to get back in the playoffs would be so relieving. I feel great about the Pro Bowl but the game before the Pro Bowl is the game you want to be playing in."

Beason was voted as the second-team middle linebacker behind San Francisco's Patrick Willis, even though Beason is having a better season - at least on paper. He leads the NFC in tackles with 122 and also has three interceptions.

"Going into the process I was skeptical knowing that numbers were only a part of it," Beason said. "I'm emotional and didn't think I would be. It means a lot to know your peers recognize the way you play and to have all the hard work pay off is a dream come true."

--Three players who deserved to make it but didn't were kicker John Kasay, running back DeAngelo Williams and guard Travelle Wharton.

Kasay was a near perfect 24-for-25 on the season with his only miss coming from 54 yards. Not surprisingly, he was beat out by the Giants' John Carney, who has only two misses this season and plays in a larger market.

--Coach John Fox praised rookie free safety Charles Godfrey for his performance against the Broncos this past week.

"It was probably one of his better games. He had some things he had to take care of earlier in the week; he missed a practice, so I think it's a real tribute to him and his preparation that he was able to get back here and get caught up and refocus. He did an outstanding job," Fox said.

--Fox still believes wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad is the best blocking receiver in the game.

Muhammad helped prove his coach's point when on Sunday when he took on two blockers downfield at the same time and paved the way for Steve Smith's 15-yard touchdown reception.

"Moose, if you really look at (him), he's a pretty fierce blocker. If there's a better one out there, I haven't seen him. He does that every week," Fox said.

--Rookie Jonathan Stewart has run for nine touchdowns on the season for the Panthers.

"I tell players all the time, 'Don't let me define you,'" Fox said. "His body of work is not done yet. He's helped us get to where we are record-wise. He's been a big part of that. We obviously thought highly enough of him to take him with the 13th pick. But I think he's been terrific."

BY THE NUMBERS: 0 -- Number of times the Panthers have been the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs during their 14-year history.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I hope not. I'd rather be peaking later. We haven't really operated on all three cylinders probably since the New Orleans game. I thought yesterday was probably the closest. We've played well enough to win as I've mentioned before. Some people call it ugly; some people say we can't play defense if it's a high scoring game. But we tend to look at it as just being a win. When we do have a lot and they have a little, then that's kind of a complete effort. So I thought yesterday against a very, very good offensive football team I thought defensively we stepped up; and we've played pretty well offensively over the last month and that needs to continue, especially going and facing a very, very good New York Giants defense." -- Coach John Fox on if the Panthers are peaking now.