Jets 17, Panthers 6

The Carolina Panthers didn’t score a touchdown in their 17-6 loss against the New York Jets. Carolina’s offense produced only 179 yards, the fewest since their season-opening blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith admitted that their performance was “pretty ugly.” Coach John Fox told the press he will evaluate Carolina’s offense this week “and, if necessary, to make lineup changes, including a possible change at quarterback.” Quarterback Jake Delhomme’s passer rating of 12.7 was his second worst in seven seasons with the Panthers. He went 14 of 34 for 130 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions. Delhomme said, “It wasn’t good. I don’t know any other way to put it. We really didn’t run it well [75 yards]. We certainly didn’t throw it well.” Fox acknowledged that he thought about benching Delhomme during the game in favor of Matt Moore. But the coach reconsidered since he “felt like Jake was the best guy to be in there for what we were doing in this game, and that’s what we did.” The Panthers return home next Sunday to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-10), then finish with the most difficult four-game stretch of their season against the New England Patriots (7-3), Minnesota Vikings (10-1), New York Giants (6-5), and New Orleans Saints (10-0). Fox’s message to the Panthers was “You just keep fighting. That’s all you can do.”

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Plenty to Be Thankful For

The Carolina Panthers have had less than a spectacular season so far this year, currently struggling against a losing record while sitting at 4-6. While the 2009 Carolina Panthers look significantly different from the 2008 Panthers, there are still plenty of things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season. Our list of the top things about the Carolina Panthers to be thankful for (tomorrow is, after all, Thanksgiving) is as follows:

- Jordan Gross. He’s currently injured, but Gross will be back, and when he returns, you better believe he’ll be better than ever. Jordan Gross is one of those dedicated players who has the intense drive to match his natural talent, and even with a broken leg we’re banking on him to continue being a leader for the Panthers.

- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs’ 1-9 record almost guarantees that the Panthers won’t come in last place in the NFC South, and that’s something to be thankful for, after all.

- Carolina’s running game. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are one of the fiercest dynamic duos in the league, and their running game, when hot, is smokin’. The Panthers have figured out how to run the ball, and that’s cause enough for praise right now.

- The New York Jets. That’s who the Carolina Panthers will play this Sunday in Week 12, and we’re already thankful for the amount of effort the Panthers will put in this game to improve their record to 5-5.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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A Verdict for Jordan Gross

The last time the public saw Jordan Gross it was with an image of the left tackle being carted off the football field in the Panthers’ game against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 10. Gross went down in the second quarter of the game when Atlanta defensive tackle Vance Walker rolled onto his right leg, and he immediately went for tests on the injury. It was first hailed a broken ankle, but now a new verdict has arrived for Gross: a broken right leg.

Gross did not, in fact, fracture his ankle like previously thought; after tests, it’s become clear that he broke both major bones in his lower leg, requiring hardware such as rods, plates and screws during surgery to help start the healing process. The only good news to come from this injury? The prospect that Gross will be even stronger after rehabilitation. “It was like the perfect break,” Gross said. “Nothing down in my ankle, no fractures, no ligament or cartilage damage. Once it heals up, they say it’ll be stronger than before, because I’ll have titanium down in there.”

For now, however, Jordan Gross will take a seat along with the rest of Carolina’s injured reserve, dealing with crutches for the next six weeks and undergoing a three-month healing process.

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NFC South Standings after Week 11

The Carolina Panthers got Week 11 off to a running start, but the team’s loss on Thursday wasn’t the only disappointment to happen to them this weekend. Last year’s NFC South champions now sit above only the 1-9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South with a 4-6 record, leaving the 5-5 Atlanta Falcons in the wildcard run for the playoffs (behind the 10-0 Saints, who are virtually untouchable this season) while the Panthers take a comfortable third place in division standings.

If the Panthers want to stay in the playoff race, they have to win their next game against the New York Jets at Giants Stadium next Sunday in Week 12. The Jets are coming off a tough loss to the New England Patriots, having lost six of their last seven games, and this could be the perfect time for the Panthers to spring a surprise attack. The 4-6 Panthers have their work cut out for them in catching the 5-5 Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South, but Atlanta’s loss to the New York Giants (34-31) yesterday helps make the feat more plausible. The Falcons have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints coming up on their schedule, but with the Panthers facing the Jets, Bucs and Patriots next up, their schedule isn’t so easy, either. Will the Panthers be able to clinch a spot in the playoffs this season? It’s all to come, so stay tuned to find out!

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Panthers Fall to Dolphins 24-17

Miami’s Ricky Williams was on fire last night, and his three touchdowns helped lead the Miami Dolphins over a disappointing Carolina Panthers team, handing Miami a 5-5 record while the Panthers fall to 4-6 after Week 11 of the regular season. Last night’s big game was missing a few of the league’s biggest names on both sides of the ball, but the Panthers and Dolphins fought to take home a win, ultimately going to Miami as the night concluded.

The Dolphins led for most of the game, up 14-3 after halftime. The Panthers made a comeback in the fourth quarter when Steve Smith made a leaping 27-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 17-14, but ultimately Carolina’s defense was no match for Miami’s offense (even without a heavily-played wildcat), and Miami ran off with a 24-17 victory. After the game, quarterback Jake Delhomme expressed his team’s trend of final-quarter meltdowns, saying, “Guys are fighting their tail off. We are just not getting it done… We are not winning the close ones.” Delhomme ended the game going 19-of-42 for 227 yards, one touchdown and one interception - a mild improvement from his early season woes. It’s now back to the drawing board for the Panthers, who face the New York Jets next Sunday in Week 12.

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Can the Panthers Make the Playoffs?

Currently standing 4-5 on the season and in third place in the NFC South, the Carolina Panthers are furiously trying to make up ground from starting the ‘09 year with a 0-3 record. The Panthers battle the Miami Dolphins tonight in the Thursday night football game of the week, and this is one important game for both teams, as both the Dolphins and the Panthers are already in a race to make the playoffs.

If the Panthers beat the Dolphins this week, it will put them at 5-5, still with a shot at making the playoffs. For the Dolphins, it’s a similar situation. Miami is 4-5 on the season, as well, tied with the New York Jets for second place in the AFC East behind the New England Patriots. The winner of tonight’s big game between Carolina and Miami is likely to stay in the running for making a wild-card appearance at this year’s playoffs, but tonight’s game could go either way.

Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme discussed his team’s mentality going into tonight’s game, saying, “The one thing that’s not brought up in our locker room is the playoffs. Because of the way we started, that’s something that’s so down the line in everybody’s minds. We have to worry about one win because wins have been hard to come by. Miami is that one win.” It all starts tonight at 8:20 p.m. EST, so stay tuned to see the Panthers tame the wildcat!

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Panthers Make Roster Moves in Preparation for Tomorrow’s Big Game

The ailing Carolina Panthers will face the equally-depleted Miami Dolphins in tomorrow’s Thursday night football game of the week, and in covering for the injured Jordan Gross, the Panthers have made a few changes to their roster over the last 24 hours. Now that Gross has been placed on the injured reserve, the Panthers have shuffled around Mackenzy Bernadeau and Travelle Wharton in his position, while rookie wide receiver Charly Martin takes Gross’ place on Carolina’s roster. Martin, signed to the Panthers’ practice squad in early September, was waived from the San Diego Chargers early in the season, and his addition to Carolina’s roster was just one of the moves John Fox made yesterday.

There was also a lot of action regarding Carolina’s practice squad following the domino effect that began with Jordan Gross’ injury, as tight end Jason Pociask was released from the squad just weeks after he signed with the team. Defensive end Eric Moore and offensive lineman Brian De La Puenta were added to the Panthers’ practice squad in Pociask and Martin’s places, giving the Panthers some more depth in advance of tomorrow’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins.

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Panthers-Dolphins: On Equal Playing Ground?

News of Carolina’s Jordan Gross breaking his ankle in last week’s Panthers-Falcons game was a huge bummer for fans of the struggling Charlotte team, but the Miami Dolphins, who the Panthers play in the Week 11 Thursday night game of the week this week, are looking just as depleted as Carolina, giving the Panthers a glimmer of hope to win this Thursday’s big matchup.

Carolina still has a smorgasbord of players out with injuries, and we’re not forgetting that, but the Dolphins also have some pretty key players down for the count, as well. The latest on the Miami front is that tailback Ronnie Brown will be out for his team’s Week 11 matchup, as he injured his right foot in the Dolphins’ last game against the Tampa Bay Bucs. Left guard Justin Smiley has also been out for the Dolphins with a shoulder injury, questionable for this week’s game against the Panthers. Tight end Anthony Fasano has also been struggling with a hip injury, leaving him to be another big question mark in this week’s Carolina-Miami game.

As previously mentioned, second-year backup Mackenzy Bernadeau will replace Jordan gross at tackle for the Panthers, shifting positions with left guard Travelle Wharton for this weekend’s Panthers-Dolphins game. Do the Panthers have what it takes to overcome injuries and pound out a win against the wildcat-happy Dolphins? We’ll soon find out!

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Panthers Beat Falcons, but At the Expense of One of Their Own

The Carolina Panthers’ 28-19 win over the Atlanta Falcons yesterday was bittersweet. On one hand, the victory gave Carolina its much-needed fourth win of the season, improving the Panthers’ record to 4-5, but on the other it wiped out one of Carolina’s most important players: Jordan Gross. Gross, Carolina’s stellar left tackle and Pro Bowl player, went down with an ankle injury during the first half of yesterday’s game, immediately taken off the field. It was later determined that Gross has broken his right ankle, and he underwent surgery last night. Of Gross’ predicament, quarterback Jake Delhomme said, “It hurts, not only for the football player, but the man. Jordan is special; he’s a leader.”

Jordan Gross will soon go on the dreaded injured reserve as he’ll be out for the rest of the season due to this disappointing injury, and now the Panthers are hard at work trying to replace him. For now, Travelle Wharton has been moved to left tackle and Mackenzy Bernadeau will take Wharton’s spot at left guard. The Panthers also have the option of shopping around for another offensive lineman, and this will all play out this week before Carolina’s next game against the Miami Dolphins.

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Panthers-Falcons Preview

The 3-5 Carolina Panthers will face division rivals the 5-3 Atlanta Falcons this weekend in Week 10 action, and the Panthers are out for revenge after losing to the Falcons 28-20 in Week 2 of the regular season this year. Jake Delhomme has proven his worth once again with Carolina, and he’s got to be hot this Sunday for the Panthers to avenge their earlier loss and pull out a win against Atlanta.

While Jake Delhomme is still the scapegoat for Carolina, the Falcons are currently dealing with their own troubles. Falcons coach Mike Smith was fined $15,000 earlier this week for a sideline melee during last week’s game against the Washington Redskins, and Atlanta’s director of athletic performance (Jeff Fish) also got slapped with a $2,500 fine for the tiff involving Washington’s LaRon Landry, Albert Haynesworth and DeAngelo Hall.

Putting the drama behind them, however, the Panthers and Falcons are stripping down to raw football and will play a heated game this weekend at Bank of America Stadium. Carolina is bound to run the ball with Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams leading the way, and it’s up to Atlanta’s Curtis Lofton to help put a stop to the Panthers’ offense.

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