Panthers Move Back Up in Power Rankings

ESPN.com has released their weekly Power Rankings, and the Carolina Panthers have moved up four spots in the rankings, to #13.  The Panthers continue their love affair with the middle of the pack, as they have ridden a roller coaster up and down between number 11 and 20 nearly all season.  The inspired play of Old Man Football helped the Panthers to a win last week, but how long can VinnyT last?  Will Testaverde’s 44-year-old body hold up for the entire season?  Will David Carr come back anytime soon?  Do Carolina fans even want him to come back, after last week’s game?

Honestly - and I never thought I’d be saying this in the year 2007 - I think Vinny Testaverde gives the Carolina Panthers the best chance to make the playoffs.  The man is in amazing shape.  Not only for a man his age, people - Old Man Football is just simply in great shape.  Plus, he’s still got a cannon where his arm should be.  That winning-TD bomb he threw to Steve Smith was absolutely unbelievable from a man his age.  On top of that, he provides all the intangibles that Carr doesn’t have.  He gives your team leadership, direction, confidence, and poise.  Ride VinnyT to into the top 10 in the Power Rankings and into the NFL playoffs, Carolina fans.  It’s not just a great story, it’s your best shot at success.

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Keyshawn’s Take on Vinny T

Since I’m trying to mix it up and give you guys a little more than just the basic news story here and there, I’m trying to get some video into the blog.  This is Ex-Carolina Panther Keyshawn Johnson raving about Vinny Testaverde.  Granted, Keyshawn might be a little biased, since he used to catch touchdown passes from Old Man Football back in his days as a New York Jet, but I can’t say that I disagree with his take here.  I’ve been saying since Delhomme went down that the David Carr Era would not be a fun ride for Carolina fans, and I believe Mr. Carr is already proving me right.

If you need any more convincing that Old Man Football is the man to take your team into the playoffs, consider this.  Sure, Vinny is old as sin, but he has more football experience in his non-throwing pinkie than David Carr has in his whole body.  Carr may be a great talent, but he lacks the intangibles that make up a great QB.  Or at least, to be fair to Carr, up to this point he has  yet to show that he possesses any of those intangibles.  Conversely, while Testaverde may be old, the man has proven time and again that he can win in this league, and with all the talent lined up around him, all you have to do is give him adequate protection and he will find a way to make enough plays to win you the ball game.  I say VinnyT is  your man.

You can get all your Carolina Panthers tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Testaverde Carves up Cardinals in Carolina Win

The Carolina Panthers triumphed over adversity and the Cardinals on Sunday, defeating Arizona 25-10.  Both the starting QBs - who are actually both second-stringers themselves - went down in this game, leaving the match-up to be decided by recent signees Tim Rattay and Vinny Testaverde.  Testaverde got the better of Rattay, throwing for more than 200 yards and a touchdown, the game-winning 65-yarder to Steve Smith.  Rattay, for his part, threw three interceptions and two fumbles, though at least neither of his fumbles were lost to the other team.

While Carolina must be happy with this win, they are certainly in a precarious position at the moment.  When the Panthers signed David Carr, they did so with the understanding that he represented an extremely reliable and viable backup option for Jake Delhomme.  With Delhomme out for the season, Carr is already missing time and forcing the Panthers to turn to a man already on the wrong side of 40-years (for playing football anyway) to leave them to victory.  Testaverde, a.k.a. Old Man Football, rose to the occasion, much to the delight of Panthers everywhere, but are the Panthers really a contender with VinnyT at the helm?  Only time will tell.

You can get all your Carolina Panthers tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Carr Misses Practice

Panthers Nation, welcome to Chapter Two in the David Carr Chronicles.  In this chapter, Carr will apparently now become injured and leave you with a backup QB who is in no way ready to start.  ESPN.com is reporting that David Carr’s injured shoulder kept him out of practice Thursday and may sideline him for Sunday’s game versus the Arizona Cardinals.  Vinny Testaverde, signed just this week, may actually get the start.  If not Testaverde, then undrafted rookie Matt Moore will get the start.  So your options are a guy entering his 21st year with the league who was just signed this week or a kid who hasn’t even played a half year in the NFL.

Could the wheels be coming off any faster for the Carolina Panthers?  Delhomme is out for the season, and now it doesn’t look like Carr can go.  This is vintage David Carr.  The guy is just not a leader.  Only David Carr would leave his team to decide between an old man they just signed and a little kid with not experience when all it would take is a shot and some painkillers to get him out there for one week before he gets a bye to rest.  But no, this is David Carr, and David Carr is just not all about taking one for the team.  Here’s hoping Testaverde still has it.

You can get all your Carolina Panthers tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Panthers Sign Testaverde

According to reports out of ESPN.com, the Carolina Panthers have signed 43-year-old veteran Vinny Testaverde to a one-year deal.  This marks Testaverde’s sixth NFL team over the span of 20 years.  He has played in 226 games in the NFL, starting 208 of them.  Testaverde was of course brought in to back-up David Carr after regular starter Jake Delhomme was sidelined for the rest of the season with an elbow injury to this throwing arm.  The rehab from surgery on Delhomme’s damaged elbow is expected to take at least six months, so the Panthers needed a solid veteran  back-up presence just in case Carr is unable to perform.

Vinny Testaverde is a god among men.  20 years in the NFL?  Are you kidding me?  Playing quarterback?  At a decently high level?  I mean, let’s all just step back and appreciate how awesome that really is.  Now, let’s all step back and reflect on the fact that Vinny didn’t look too hot the last time he played football.  He looked old and beaten up.  A 20-year career in the NFL will do that to a man.  I understand the desire to bring in a proven guy who will be a veteran presence, but Testaverde?  What are they going to do if Carr can’t get it done?  Roll Vinny’s wheelchair out onto the field?  Carolina fans, you better hope Carr can get it done.  Or that Vinny found the fountain of youth.  Otherwise, this season could get away from the Panthers very quickly.

You can get call your Carolina Panthers tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Panthers Rise in Power Rankings

ESPN.com has released their weekly Power Rankings.  The Carolina Panthers actually fell three spots to number 17, even after their week 5 victory over the New Orleans Saints.  Apparently, losing your starting quarterback for the season counts for more than defeating a winless team by 3 points.  With QB Jake Delhomme down for the season, it appears obvious that the pundits at ESPN.com don’t have much faith that David Carr can lead this team to success.  However, the attitude in the locker room for the Panthers was upbeat after the victory, and Carr played well enough to win.  If the Panthers can get into the playoffs, anything is possible.
Carolina is going to have a tough road, however, even playing in the NFC.  The Panthers are already down in their division, and will need to win consistently to win the NFC South.  Their chances for the Wild Card are very much alive, as that chase has yet to really even take shape.  However, a really good Green Bay team hurts their chances quite a bit, and every Wild Card hopeful in the NFC for that matter.  The Bears are too talented to not make the playoffs, or so it would seem at the moment.  If Green Bay wins the NFC North, the Bears must be considered the favorites to take the Wild Card.  So the Panthers better get in gear if they want to avoid another disappointing season.

You can get all your Carolina Panthers tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Delhomme to have Season-Ending Surgery

According to reports out of ESPN.com, Jake Delhomme will finally go under the knife to have season-ending ligament-replacement surgery on his throwing elbow.  David Carr will be the starting QB moving forward and the Panthers are officially on the market for a viable backup for him.  This should come a little shock to Carolina fans.  Delhomme hasn’t really been able to throw a pass since the injury, and surgery was one possible outcome from the beginning, though Delhomme seemed intent on getting back into the game this season.  However, apparently the pain in his elbow has not subsided in the past couple of weeks, so Jake will have to call this season quits.

This comes as a huge blow to the Panthers, who are certainly a better team with their veteran leader on the field.  David Carr officially enters gut-check time, with the team now 100% in his hands for the rest of the season.  Carr has not played extremely well for the Panthers, but they have still found ways to keep themselves in games and not go totally in the tank.  Now will be a very important time for the Panthers.  They need to keep the tight-knit unity they built in their last game and carry it with them the rest of the season.  Great teams best showcase their mettle when faced with adversity.  We’re about to find out what this Panthers group is really made of.

You can get all your Carolina Panthers tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Panthers Show Heart in Win

The Carolina Panthers gutted out a big win against the New Orleans Saints on a last second 52-yard field goal from kicking John Kasay on Sunday.  With David Carr playing hurt under center, the Panthers came together and showed a grit and determination that many players felt was exactly what they needed after last week’s loss in which they played with “no heart,” in the now infamous comment from Kris Jenkins.  Jenkins praised his teammates after this game.  Apparently that team meeting did a lot of good for the Carolina Panthers, as they looked sharper and hungrier than they had up to this point in the season.

Unfortunately for Carolina fans, this is not a sign that the Panthers have arrived in the NFC this season.  At 3-2 in the awful National Football Conference, they are certainly in a good position to make the playoffs if they continue to play well.  However, the Panthers didn’t play particularly well today, needing a last second field goal to polish off the traumatically bad New Orleans Saints.  David Carr took a big hit in the first quarter, and it looked as though Carolina would be without their first and second string QBs for the game.  However, give Carr some credit.  He got back in the game and led the Panthers to victory.  Now, it’s just time to focus on next week.

You can get all your Carolina Panthers tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Panthers Upbeat After Team Meeting

The Carolina Panthers held their team meeting yesterday, and the feeling after the meeting was that things went well, according to ESPN.com.  Members of the team who spoke to the media afterward said that they felt the meeting was positive, for the most part, with players airing their grievances and concerns about the way the team has been playing as of late.  The 2-2 Panthers seemed to lack a necessary intensity in the past few weeks, with things culminating in last week’s division lost to Tampa Bay.  After that game, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins claimed the team had “no heart.”  This meeting intended to get everyone back on the same page and playing with the desire to leave everything out on the field.

While it is obviously not known exactly what was said or who was saying it, the meeting lasted 20 minutes, with teammates revealing after the meeting that everyone - from rookies to veteran leaders - who felt they had something to get off their chest was allowed to speak up.  The Panthers will need to band together like never before, for they face a new and horrifying challenge in the coming weeks.  It appears that Jake Delhomme will sit again, and his return date has not been set.  Can the Panthers overcome David Carr under center?  You’ll just have to watch the games to find out.

You can get all your Carolina Panthers tickets at www.stubhub.com.

Panthers Holding Team Meeting

According to a report on ESPN.com, the Carolina Panthers will be holding a team meeting to discuss their recent troubles. The team, while 2-2, has not played well. After last week’s loss to Tampa Bay, tensions were high and tempers flared as Steve Smith complained about the offense and not getting the ball enough and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins said the team had “no heart.” The team will hold the players-only meeting to air their grievances in the hopes of coming together as a team during these difficult times, rather than fracturing apart.

Quarterback David Carr says these types of meetings help give teammates a feeling of accountability to one another. Hopefully this meeting helps the Panthers get back on the winning track. They seem to be lacking a crispness and intensity that they will need if they want to reach the next level and make it to the playoffs. Luckily for the Panthers, at 2-2 in the NFC their season is far from over. They can still get things rolling in the right direction and overcome their injury woes and other problems and make a run at the playoffs and maybe even the Super Bowl. A lot of that will depend on how they fix their issues moving forward after this meeting.

You can get all your Carolina Panthers tickets at www.stubhub.com.

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