Are the Panthers Doomed for a Losing Season?

There’s no way to get around it: the Carolina Panthers have started the football season 0-3, and they’ve got to do some things very differently over the next several weeks to improve that record and have a shot at seeing the playoffs. The blame game is being centered around Jake Delhomme right now, but what about the fact that the Panthers just have a darned tough schedule this year? The NFC South champions in 2008, the Carolina Panthers are certainly a different team than they were last year, and some of it has to do with the team’s competition this year. Forbes listed the Panthers as one of the two NFL teams with the toughest schedules this season (along with the similarly-winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers,) and perhaps it’s worth a look at the schedule to help determine where the Panthers stand.

Two of Carolina’s losses so far this season could have swung either way, with a 28-20 loss to the Falcons in Week 2 and a 21-7 loss to the Cowboys in Week 3, but what’s in store for the rest of the season? The Panthers have a shot at redemption in Week 5 when they play the Washington Redskins, but taking a glance at the end of the regular season, the Panthers are sure to see some stiff competition when they face the New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and New Orleans Saints in the last four weeks of regular season action. Does this mean that the Panthers are going to have a horrible season this year? No, they just need to pick it up if they’re going to survive the regular season with a winning record.

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October Is Looking up for the Panthers

The Carolina Panthers had a bye week over the weekend, giving them the chance to analyze and reanalyze the team’s 0-3 start on the season. Carolina’s losses so far to the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys could have been worse, especially considering that these three teams are all doing relatively well so far this season, but taking a look at the Panthers’ schedule for the upcoming month, October should give Carolina an easier time than September did.

Next week, the Panthers play the 2-2 Washington Redskins at home, next taking on the 0-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road and then returning to Bank of America Stadium to play the 1-3 Buffalo Bills on Oct. 25. All of the Panthers’ games this season have been close, and, according to Damione Lewis, Carolina just needs to refocus, as, “Being 0-3 and having two tough losses like the Atlanta game and this game (at Dallas), very winnable games for us, and not to get them - the difference between last year and this year is we got those wins in those games… we need to sit back, refocus and kind of get the fire rekindled and come back out here and make a run.”

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Panthers Gain Depth, Weight and Humor with Addition of Thomas

Hollis Thomas is the newest contestant called upon to plug the holes at defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers this season, and all 340 pounds of him made the leap to Charlotte from St. Louis yesterday, quickly snapped up by the Panthers after being let go from the Rams earlier this week. Thomas is a seasoned veteran expected to jump right into the game with the Panthers, and his sense of humor isn’t hurting the morale in Carolina, either. When asked by reporters what he’d bring to his new team, Thomas replied, “A little levity, a little thickness. Everybody wants to be focusing on the other fat guys; they’ll focus on the new fat guy. It’s like the first day of school. You don’t want to wear the wrong outfit because you’ll be the object of ridicule for the rest of the year.” (This, by the way, comes from the same guy who’s been photographed wearing a head-to-toe outfit with a SpongeBob SquarePants theme.)

Thomas was released from St. Louis earlier this week as the Rams are attempting to put younger players on the line, and of his fresh start with Carolina he said, “I was in a situation where I got to go through training camp with St. Louis and see if I could still play a three-technique, and I really can’t. So it was good to come back and play some nose guard. I know a few guys in there, and they seem like a great bunch of guys. I was happy that they welcomed me in.” Thomas has a whole week to adapt with the Panthers before making his debut in blue and black next week, so stick around for more following Hollis Thomas and Carolina’s defense!

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Fox Reiterates Confidence in Delhomme - Again

Jake Delhomme has become the scapegoat for the Carolina Panthers, and even while his own mediocre performances seem to be improving as the weeks continue, the team as a whole still hasn’t yet clicked this season, making it tough for outsiders to believe in Delhomme as a decent starting quarterback. Coach John Fox has stated time and again that the Panthers will continue to rely on Delhomme at the helm as starting QB this season, and his assurance was again a major news story on NFL.com and ESPN.com this week.

In an interview yesterday, Fox was again asked the status of Jake Delhomme and whether or not the quarterback would continue to start for the team, by which Fox replied, “I didn’t think that was a question, but if that needs to be clarified, yes with a capital Y.” Delhomme threw two interceptions in Monday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, and even though receiver Steve Smith took the blame for one of those interceptions, it’s still put Delhomme in the face of criticism. As Jake Delhomme continues to prove his critics wrong, backups A.J. Feeley and Matt Moore are still ready for anything, as No. 2 QB Josh McCown is out for the season.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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.

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