Revenge of ‘08 Playoffs in Mind as Panthers Face Cardinals

Last time these two teams met, the Arizona Cardinals squelched the Super Bowl dreams of the Carolina Panthers, and it wasn’t pretty. Quarterback Jake Delhomme was picked off five times as the Panthers fell prey to the Cardinals in a 33-13 loss, and the season-ending slaughter is probably still haunting some Panthers fans. This weekend, however, Carolina has the chance to get revenge on Kurt Warner and his hot-and-cold Cardinals as the Panthers travel to University of Phoenix Stadium, and a win would grant a much-needed reprieve for this 2-4 Carolina team.

This Sunday’s game is important to both the Panthers and the Cardinals, but one player in particular who has to post stellar numbers in the game to survive is Jake Delhomme, who has been teetering around being benched over the last few weeks. Also to take into consideration this weekend is Arizona rookie Beanie Wells, a rookie out of Ohio State who might just be the explosive running back weapon the Cardinals need. Any way you look at it, this Sunday’s Arizona-Carolina game is one that’s sure to bring up old memories and draw emotion from all players involved, so if you’re set on watching just one football game this weekend, make sure the TV is locked into the Panthers-Cardinals game on Sunday, as this is sure to be one of the best games of Week 8!

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Week 8 Shakeups for the Panthers

John Fox and the Carolina Panthers have once again chosen to go with Jake Delhomme as the team’s starting quarterback going into Week 8, though coaches have probably put a lot more thought into their backing of Delhomme at this point. Fox made the decision to go with Delhomme on Tuesday, saying he has confidence in the veteran “because I think he gives us the best chance to win. Sometimes with the 48-hour rule, you go back and you look. There’s no question we’ve struggled in that area. Going through and looking at some of our mishaps, I don’t think it’s one guy, and I still think he gives us the best chance to win.”

In other news, the Panthers are still looking for new talent elsewhere, signing free agent tight end Jason Pociask to the practice squad yesterday and releasing defensive tackle Rashaad Duncan. Pociask, a native of Plainfield, IN and a four-year NFL veteran out of Wisconsin, was selected into the NFL in the fifth round of the ‘06 draft for the New York Jets, and he has also seen offseason time this year with the Tampa Bay Bucs and Indianapolis Colts. With tight end Dante Rosario currently out with a knee injury, the Panthers need to add more depth at tight end, and the 6-foot-3, 259-pound Pociask is looking to step up in the position.

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Panthers Get Wesley Back from Suspension

The Carolina Panthers’ special teams has been faltering this year, and we’re not just talking about the suspension of Dante Wesley. Wesley was ejected from Carolina’s Week 6 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after he made an illegal hit on Tampa returner Clifton Smith, who suffered a concussion, and he was subsequently suspended from last week’s game, as well. Now that Wesley has been plucked from the reserved-suspended list, however, the Panthers have waived his replacement Keith Lewis. Lewis was signed last week to fill in for Wesley upon his absence, and now with Wesley back he won’t be needed on the team’s 53-man roster.

Aside from Wesley’s comeback, the Panthers still have some work to do on their special teams. Kickoff returns especially are an area of focus for Carolina, as the team ranks last in the entire league for average drive-start position on kickoffs that don’t result in touchbacks. Kickoff coverage is something else Carolina is focused on, as John Fox recently said, “(Against Tampa Bay), our kickoff coverage wasn’t exactly stellar. That was a potentially game-changing play (when the team was) up 21-7, and (to) have a kickoff taken back 97 yards doesn’t do a boatload for your confidence. We missed three tackles on the play, one by our kicker.” Look for Carolina’s special teams to improve over the next couple weeks, as Dante Wesley is back in action and focus is given for repair.

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Panthers are Going Green

Well, kind of. They’re still suiting up in Carolina blue and black, but the Carolina Panthers are also making a conscious effort to take out the trash - and we don’t mean Jake Delhomme. A new project known as the Tailgaters has arrived at Bank of America Stadium, and this new program is focusing on keeping Charlotte as green as possible. The Tailgaters are making an effort to get Panthers fans to throw away their trash and recycle while attending Panthers games and tailgates at Bank of America Stadium, and so far the endeavor seems to be working.

Moving along in part by the Charlotte Solid Waste Services, fans attending Panthers games are given trash bags for garbage and recyclables upon arrival at parking lots on game days, and so far this season 34.3 tons of trash and 8.2 tons of recyclable materials have been collected on game days at the stadium. According to Jake Wilson, executive director of Keep Mecklenburg Beautiful, “Our goal to begin the program is to divert 20 percent of this volume. We know we can grow from there.” Keep it green, Carolina!

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Will the Panthers Finally Bench Delhomme?

After yesterday’s 20-9 loss against the Buffalo Bills, it’s clear that something has got to change for the Carolina Panthers to turn around their less-than-stellar season. Is that variable Jake Delhomme? Many people think so, and now maybe even Delhomme’s biggest supporter, Carolina head coach John Fox, will reportedly consider benching his go-to quarterback for next week’s game.

Fox has reiterated time and again that Jake Delhomme is his No. 1 pick as the Panthers’ starting quarterback, but after Delhomme threw two more interceptions in yesterday’s game against the Bills, adding up to a league-high 13 so far this season, Fox’s tone seemed to have changed. Starting with a disclaimer that he still thinks Delhomme is the team’s best quarterback, Fox acknowledged that the Panthers are reevaluating their options, saying, “We’ll do whatever it takes to develop some confidence in that phase of the game. We need to do what helps us win. If that’s Jake, he understands, and if that’s not Jake, he understands.”

The next batch of quarterbacks waiting in the wings to be called to action include Matt Moore and A.J. Feeley, and we’ll see over the next couple weeks which of these backup quarterbacks could possibly soon see playtime and silence the crowd of Delhomme haters looking for a fresh start.

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Bills-Panthers Preview

The Carolina Panthers might just see what a backup quarterback can do this weekend, but it won’t be their own. That’s because the Panthers face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, and with starting Bills quarterback Trent Edwards possibly out after suffering his second concussion in a year, backup Ryan Fitzpatrick could suit up in Bills gear on Sunday for the big game. Keep in mind Fitzpatrick went in last week and was just 10-of-25 for 116 yards with one interception and one touchdown, but he got the job done for Buffalo and could get comfortable enough in his newfound role to wreak havoc in Carolina.

The biggest thing to watch for in terms of Carolina’s own team this Sunday is the offensive scheme. Will Steve Smith get more action this week or will the Panthers again restrict their offense to a running game? Also, Julius Peppers has seemed to have found his groove for the Panthers’ defense, so look for this Pro Bowl player to prove his worth in this weekend’s Bills-Panthers matchup. Who will come out on top when the 2-3 Panthers play the 2-4 Bills this weekend? It’s all to come on Sunday, so stay tuned!

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Steve Smith Isn’t Happy with Panthers’ Lack of Passing Game

Jake Delhomme’s several interceptions so far this season just might be part of the reason why the Panthers have diverted to being strictly a running team. The duo of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams help this cause, but for one Panther, the team’s running game is leaving him high and dry. That player, of course, would be receiver Steve Smith, and he’s not keeping quiet about his discouragement this season. After Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers when he caught just one pass for four yards, Smith announced that he was “no longer an asset” to the Carolina team. This was partly a jab at quarterback Jake Delhomme, but when asked this week whether he’d like to take his words back, Smith declined.

“Am I going to go back and apologize for what I said? No. I want to win, and I want to be involved in a win. And if a person feels like he’s uninvolved, it should be taken in the manner in which it has been said. That’s how I felt at the moment. I don’t think I was disrespectful. I don’t think I singled out any one particular person. That’s how it was received by the individuals who spoke to me.” Will the Panthers try to work on that passing game for this weekend’s big game? Stay tuned to find out!

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Panthers Do Some Shuffling

The Carolina Panthers are looking to buff up their lineup, and all at the expense of their 2010 fifth-round draft pick. The Panthers just picked up defensive tackle Tank Tyler from the Kansas City Chiefs just a day before the NFL’s trade deadline, sending the team’s 2010 fifth-round pick to the Chiefs in exchange for the 6-foot-2, 306-pound tackle. Tyler was a third-rounder in the ‘07 draft and started every game last season for the Chiefs, and now he’ll serve as much-needed backup for Hollis Thomas at nose tackle.

Tank Tyler is the next name on the long list of defensive tackles lining up in starting position for the Panthers this year, as starter Maake Kemoeatu and original backup Louis Leonard have both suffered injuries keeping them from the field. The Panthers signed Hollis Thomas after Week 3, and now Tyler will serve as Thomas’ backup. His arrival in Carolina is much-anticipated, as general manager Marty Hurney said, “Tank is a young defensive tackle who we think will fit in well with us. He has good size and athletic ability.” Keep it tuned to the Panthers to see how Tank Tyler will play in black and blue!

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NFC South Outlook

The Panthers have won two straight and are looking like a more capable team than they did in the first three weeks of the season.  They’ve still got a lot of work cut out for themselves if they’re going to challenge for the division title, though.  The New Orleans Saints sit atop the NFC South right now at 5-0.  New Orleans is coming off a big win at home against the New York Giants, a victory which has many pundits declaring the Saints as the cream of the crop in the NFC.  The Panthers also have the 4-1 Falcons to worry about, as they look like a playoff team as well.

The Panthers’ remaining schedule is not an easy one.  They’ve got Buffalo this week, but a lot of tough games await this team.  They’ll have to really step their game up in upcoming matchups with the Saints and Falcons if they’re going to challenge for the division crown.  The most important thing for the team is to keep the ground game rolling.  One can’t expect a similar performance to what the running attack was able to do against the Bucs, but DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are two big weapons that the team must use early and often.

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Panthers Beat Bucs

The Panthers took home their second consecutive victory yesterday, downing the Tampa Bay Bucs by a score of 28-21.  The Carolina running game finally resembled the one of last season, as DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined for 262 yards on the ground.  The Panthers’ ground game was their bread and butter last season and it’s clear that John Fox is looking to return to what made the offense so successful in 2008.  Williams and Stewart form one of the most dangerous backfield duos in the entire league and complement one another very well.

Jake Delhomme did not fare particularly well in this contest, but he didn’t have to do much with the running game working as efficiently as it was.  Still, Delhomme has to find a way to step his game up if this team is going to seriously contend.  The Carolina defense played well in this one, as one of Tampa’s three scores came via special teams and another other off a Delhomme interception.  The Panthers’ rushing attack and defense can carry them a long way this season, but some games are still going to fall on the shoulders of the quarterback.  If Delhomme can regain his form, this team could make the playoffs.

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