Panthers Get Bye Week to Reflect 0-3 Start

In response to the Carolina Panthers’ bye week this week, the only thing tackle Jordan Gross had to say about it is, “At least we can’t lose.” That seems to be the general morale in Carolina right now, but the Panthers will have the next two weeks to get their A-game pieced back together before playing another game, as this is a bye week for the team.

Jake Delhomme isn’t the only Panther being hard on himself this week, and even if Carolina isn’t playing as poorly as they’re letting on to be, at least players have pinpointed places they needs work this week. Of Carolina’s defense, linebacker Thomas Davis said, “That is unacceptable. We feel like we want to be an elite defense in this league. And we can’t go out on any given night and give up 200 yards rushing to anybody.”

While the Panthers defense works out its kinks with defensive coordinator Ron Meeks this week, perhaps the person most concerned for the team’s 0-3 start is head coach John Fox, whose job may be in jeopardy after this season if the Panthers don’t clean up their act. Yahoo! Sports suggested the topic this week, but we’ll continue with updates if a story unfolds.

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

Panthers Fall to Cowboys, Make 0-3 Start

Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys put a hurting on Jake Delhomme and the Carolina Panthers last night, handing the Panthers another loss as the team now starts off the 2009 football season with a 0-3 record. Now in their worst start to a season since going 0-7 in 1998, the Panthers are in survival mode, out to turn around that faltering record starting immediately after the team’s bye week next week, as the Panthers’ next game is against the Washington Redskins at home in Week 5 (Oct. 11).

Although the Panthers got beat by the Cowboys last night in the Monday Night Football madness, coach John Fox is still optimistic about the rest of the season, saying, “We have lots of football left. We’re not even a quarter through the season. We’ve had three-loss skids before. We have to stick together.” Jake Delhomme once again got slammed for his interception last night that helped the Cowboys nail in a 21-7 lead, but Steve Smith stepped up to say it was his fault for changing the route in a called slant that ended with the interception, saying, “I put Jake in a bad situation. The bottom line is that I (hurt) Jake.” Don’t expect the Panthers to stay in this funk they’re in now, as Jake Delhomme and Co. are ready to bounce back and become NFC competitors as the season kicks into full-gear.

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

Panthers, Cowboys Battle for Big Win Tonight

Both the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys are down on their luck so far this season, and after tonight one of those teams will be down even further. Tonight’s Panthers-Cowboys matchup is one of the most crucial games of Week 3 action as both teams are looking to make up for big blunders over the last couple weeks, and all eyes will be on quarterbacks Tony Romo and Jake Delhomme tonight as Monday Night Football unfolds.

John Fox recently spoke about his stance on winning games, saying, “They’re all must-wins. There are only 16 of them. We wanted to win the first one, we wanted to win the second one. This one’s not going to be much different in that way.” When Romo was asked, however, he gave a more complete answer, revealing more of the teams’ woes by saying, “Obviously with the situation they’re in and we’re in, we both need this game very badly.” Will the Carolina Panthers be able to turn their luck around and finally post a W on the team’s record? It all starts tonight at 8:30 p.m. (EST) on ESPN, so stay tuned to this Monday night battle!

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

Panthers-Cowboys Preview

Both the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys have had less-than-stellar starts to the 2009 regular season, but that could all change this weekend for one team as the Panthers and Cowboys meet at the larger-than-life Cowboys Stadium Monday night to provide the action for Monday Night Football on ESPN. Both the Panthers and Cowboys are in the same position when it comes to ailing quarterbacks and pathetic defenses, and Monday night’s game could be the perfect opportunity for Jake Delhomme to show up Tony Romo and regain the confidence he’s lacked over the last couple weeks. Last week, Romo posted an even worse performance than Delhomme, completing just 13-of-29 passes going for 127 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

Though the Cowboys are coming off a loss to the New York Giants, the Panthers, too, are coming off a loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Both teams’ defenses need to step it up this week, and it could all come down to the wire for the Panthers as the team works on improving its 0-2 record in Week 3. The Panthers have a tendency to surprise competitors on the road, so let’s see if Jake Delhomme and his Carolina Panthers can overtake the Dallas Cowboys Monday night!

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

What about Julius Peppers?

Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers made a big stink about being traded from the Carolina Panthers this past offseason, but after receiving a $16.7 million one-year salary after being slapped with the franchise tag, Peppers is back in Carolina and, for once, silent. The big name being tossed around Carolina with dissatisfaction lately is Jake Delhomme, but is this sudden transfer of the spotlight from Peppers to Delhomme necessarily a good one for Peppers?

Peppers knows he needs to punch out a solid season this year in order for other teams to pick him up at a hefty price next year, but so far Peppers just hasn’t proven his worth this season - especially in last week’s game against the Falcons. Peppers made just two tackles in last week’s game, putting no exceptional pressure on QB Matt Ryan, and even though his role as a defensive end doesn’t always give him the opportunity to post astounding numbers, he still needs to be playing above par to be noticed around the league. Does this mean that Julius Peppers is to blame for last week’s loss against the Falcons? Of course not, just like it wasn’t only Jake Delhomme’s fault that the Panthers lost to the Eagles in Week 1 of the regular season. When Julius Peppers is hot he’s on fire, and we’re only waiting for that explosive Carolina team from 2008 to come back and prove its worth - perhaps next week when the Panthers play the Cowboys in the Monday Night Football game of Week 3.

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

Panthers Sign Burton, Place Leonard on IR

The Carolina Panthers can’t catch a break this season, and the team is again down on defensive linemen after both Maake Kemoeatu and his replacement Louis Leonard suffered major injuries earlier this season. The Panthers have a huge void to fill at defensive tackle because of Kemoeatu and Leonard’s absences, but the team took steps to move onward yesterday, placing Leonard on the injured reserve to make room for another replacement on the roster. After moving Leonard to the IR, the Panthers signed defensive tackle Antwon Burton, who was released earlier this season by the St. Louis Rams.

Burton, a 6-foot-2, 325-pound defensive tackle out of Temple, played with the Denver Broncos in ‘06 and ‘07, joining the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008 before playing with the St. Louis Rams during this preseason. Hopefully the Panthers’ recent curse on defensive linemen won’t be passed along to Burton; Louis Leonard, who signed with the Panthers less than a month ago, is already off the active roster, having spent just weeks playing with Carolina before fracturing his ankle in last week’s game against the Falcons.

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

Panthers Will Need a Replacement for the Replacement

The Carolina Panthers picked up defensive tackle Louis Leonard earlier this season in a trade with the Cleveland Browns to use Leonard as a replacement to the ailing Maake Kemoeatu, who injured his Achilles tendon in the first practice of training camp, and now it looks like the Panthers will need a replacement for Leonard, who broke his ankle in Carolina’s game last week against the Atlanta Falcons. Leonard was injured during Sunday’s 28-20 loss, and while John Fox has largely refused to comment on the situation, it’s almost expected that Leonard will be placed on the injured reserve to make room for another tackle on the roster.

The only other defensive tackle currently on the roster is rookie Ra’Shon Harris, claimed off waivers from Pittsburgh, and it’s still unknown whether or not Nick Hayden will play next week’s game or not, as he was out last week due to a toe injury. The only two other options are Damione Lewis and rookie Sunny Harris, so the Panthers will likely want to find a replacement at DT sooner rather than later.

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

Falcons Trump Panthers with Third Down Conversions

Jake Delhomme improved his game yesterday when the Carolina Panthers played the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2 of the regular season, but even his progress wasn’t enough for Carolina to post a win on the team’s record so far this year. Atlanta’s strong offense ultimately overpowered Carolina’s in yesterday’s game, leading to a 28-20 win over the Panthers and handing Carolina its second loss of the season. Most of all, the Panthers’ defense was frustrated by its inability to get off the field, as the Falcons’ third down conversions were plenty to credit for the team’s victory.

After the game, Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis commented on Carolina’s trouble with stopping Atlanta’s offense, saying, “Defensively, it’s very frustrating, because you always want to get off the field when it’s third down.” Linebacker Jon Beason also had a similar opinion, stating, “Not getting off the field is demoralizing.” The Panthers are beat up now after starting the season 0-2, but they’ll get a shot at redemption next week in Texas, where the Panthers will take on the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3 of regular season play.

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

Panthers-Falcons Preview

The Carolina Panthers have an uphill climb ahead of them already coming into Week 2 of regular season play, and Jake Delhomme knows all eyes are on him this Sunday to erase the memory of last week’s ugly game against the Eagles. This week, the Panthers take on NFC South rivals the Atlanta Falcons in what’s sure to be one of the biggest games of the week, and the Panthers are out to avenge last year’s 45-28 regular season loss against the Falcons the last time the two teams met. The Falcons are rolling on momentum after thrashing the Miami Dolphins 19-7 last week, and now Atlanta will attempt to do the same to the Panthers at the Georgia Dome this Sunday.

The number one thing for the Panthers to do this weekend is get that stellar offensive running pattern back. Jonathan Stewart has been a question mark for most of the preseason, but now he’s expected to make a cameo in this week’s game. The power punch of Stewart and fellow running back DeAngelo Williams is unstoppable once it gets going, so perhaps this weekend Double Trouble will make its return to the football field. As for Jake Delhomme, the quarterback under fire this week, quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer thinks his psyche will be just fine. “We all have memories. That’s why we have history books,” Scherer said. “I think he’s human. He doesn’t change clothes in a phone booth. That’s a human instinct, but I also know he’s a competitive guy and a tough-minded guy enough to transcend that and to learn from it, and know if he’s in that situation (again) not to let those thoughts creep in there and just move on.” The Panthers and Falcons square off this weekend at 1 p.m. Sunday, so don’t miss the big game!

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

Panthers on the Mend

The Carolina Panthers are determined not to be repeat offenders of the turnover this weekend, and the spotlight isn’t just on Jake Delhomme. Carolina’s embarrassing 38-10 defeat to Philadelphia last week will hopefully be the Panthers’ only blowout this season, and there have been a few new developments since the Week 1 travesty that are sure to play out this weekend as the Panthers take on the Atlanta Falcons.

Perhaps the biggest change for the Panthers is the addition of quarterback A.J. Feeley, who jumped ship from Philadelphia to become a replacement of sorts for injured No. 2 QB Josh McCown. In a recent statement, Feeley talked about his decision to pick Carolina over Philly when both teams came calling, saying of the Eagles, “I loved those guys, but it was time to move on.” He also said he hoped he wouldn’t get the chance to play this season, as that would mean that Jake Delhomme was still in a funk.

And as for Delhomme, linebacker Na’il Diggs summed it up by saying, “We know he’s going to get better. We’re all going to get better. We’ve made mistakes, too. Maybe not as evident, but we all had our hand in that game. Everybody is being accountable. He’s being accountable. Coaches are being accountable. So there’s nothing left than to go out and really prove ourselves and get better.” Bring on the Falcons.

To get Carolina Panthers tickets, go to StubHub.

 Page 1 of 3  1  2  3 »