Fantasy News, Chiefs at Panthers

The 3-1 Carolina Panthers take on the 1-3 Kansas City Chiefs this weekend at Carolina’s Bank of America Stadium, and speculation is already on the rise for the Panthers/Chiefs matchup. The NFL Oddsmakers have placed Carolina as favorites above the Chiefs, and statistics show that the Panthers are averaging 20 points per game while allowing only 17.5 on average, while the Chiefs are averaging 16.2 points per game while allowing 24.2. This imbalance could really show through on Sunday, as the triple threat of Delhomme, Smith and Muhammad go for the kill.

That said, fantasy football lovers should look to two players to take off this weekend. First up is Steve Smith. The Carolina wide receiver has 10 receptions for 166 yards and a touchdown in the only two games he’s played this season, and he should be able to gain plenty more yards on Sunday, as the Chiefs will likely start two rookie cornerbacks to hold Smith off. As for the Chiefs, fantasy participants should look to tight end Tony Gonzalez to up the ante, as Gonzalez will almost certainly break Shannon Sharpe’s record for receiving yards.

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Carolina Signs Palmer to Practice Squad

Less than a week after suffering the losses of right tackle Jeff Otah (ankle) and left tackle Jordan Gross (concussion), the Panthers have restructured their lineup once again, bringing on board another tackle to practice in the absence of the offensive linemen, whose fates for this week’s game are yet to be announced. Former Auburn tackle Jonathan Palmer, who made a cameo on the Oakland roster for one game last year and practiced with Philadelphia and Pittsburgh last season and Cleveland and New York Giants this year, was signed to the Panthers’ practice squad this week, adding more padding in the wake of Otah and Gross’ injuries.

Making room for Palmer to come onto the Carolina practice field, the Panthers picked him up and released fullback Billy Latsko. Other tackles in the running for practice squad included Junius Coston (North Carolina A&T, Green Bay), Ken Shackleford (St. Louis, Kansas City) and Orrin Thompson (Duke, Miami, Green Bay). Other tight ends and offensive tackles who practiced alongside Palmer Tuesday included Ryan Krause (San Diego, Green Bay, Houston, Cleveland), Michael Allan (Kansas City), Ronnie Ghent (New Orleans) and Brent Miller (Arizona).

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Guidelines Keep Gross out of Commission

When Carolina left tackle Jordan Gross was knocked down in Sunday’s game against Atlanta, he suffered a concussion as Falcons linebacker Michael Boley accidentally kneed him in the head in the midst of the chaotic play. Out cold laying face down for a matter of minutes, Gross eventually came to and rolled onto his back, waving to the crowd as he was carted off the field. The veteran seemed to be recovering quickly, talking to teammates at halftime, but will precautionary measures leave Gross watching from the sidelines for next week’s important Tampa Bay game?

According to the American Academy of Neurology’s parameters in dealing with concussions, an injury as the one that Gross suffered, in which he lost consciousness for a matter of minutes, is considered a Grade 3 concussion, which is the highest level measured. The standard procedure for this type of injury involves a two-week waiting period for recovery, indicating the Panthers’ favorite left tackle will miss this upcoming week’s game. While it is relatively common for NFL players to get concussions during playing time, just 61 players have lost consciousness from taking a hit in a six-year period (1996 to 2001), placing Gross in a rare but serious condition.

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