Beason Injures Knee in Saturday’s Loss to Dolphins

The Carolina Panthers just can’t stay healthy. Injuries were prevalent in showing Carolina’s lack of depth once again on Saturday as the Panthers suffered a 17-27 loss to the Miami Dolphins in week two of the preseason, and this time it was linebacker Jon Beason who went down on the football field, succumbing to a strained knee ligament mid-action. “I was getting off a block and I’m not sure if someone came at me intentionally or if they fell on it,” Beason said of his injury. “I’m assuming someone fell on it.” Beason underwent an MRI and is said to have strained a knee ligament, though his agent Drew Rosenhaus claims that the linebacker could return for the start of the regular season.

In his place, backup Dan Connor will take over at linebacker. Connor played in three games last year as a rookie before tearing his ACL, and he is expected to start next Saturday as the Panthers take on the Baltimore Ravens in another preseason game. While Dan Connor is suddenly in for Jon Beason, Nick Hayden and rookie Marlon Favorite continue filling the shoes of Maake Kemoeatu at defensive tackle. Kemoeatu tore his Achilles’ tendon earlier this month in training camp, and it’s yet to be determined if he will return this season or if the Panthers are looking to replace him with an outside source.

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Panthers-Dolphins Preview

The Carolina Panthers will migrate south this weekend to play the AFC East’s Miami Dolphins at the newly-hailed Land Shark Stadium tomorrow evening in the teams’ second preseason game in ‘09, and the Panthers are out to avenge their disappointing preseason loss to the Giants last weekend, ready to take on Tony Sparano’s Dolphins in a Saturday night matchup.

The ‘phin to look out for in tomorrow’s preseason game is most definitely going to be rookie cornerback Sean Smith, a second-round pick for Miami in the ‘09 draft. Smith was one of the shining pieces of the Dolphins’ puzzle in last week’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he’s most certainly a player to take into account in tomorrow’s Panthers-Dolphins matchup. On the Panthers side, we’re still waiting to see less turnovers from the team that’s looking to make up for a six-turnover divisional playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals last year, and last week’s five turnovers weren’t quite convincing enough to erase the memory. If the Panthers can minimize fumbles and turnovers, the team should be able to slide past the Dolphins, who beat Jacksonville on Monday 12-9.

Tomorrow’s Carolina-Miami matchup starts at 7:30 p.m. EST, and after this week’s preseason game the Panthers play their last two preseason battles at home, the next being Aug. 29 against Baltimore and the last on Sept. 3 against Pittsburgh.

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The Brett Favre Effect

Brett Favre has duped the public once again, coming out of retirement for a second year in a row - this time joining up with the Minnesota Vikings. Last season, Favre’s last-minute decision to join the New York Jets put a spin on the AFC East for a New York minute, but his rocket arm wasn’t enough to really boost the Jets to the top. What will happen this season with Favre and the Vikings? Will his arrival in Minnesota be enough to shake up the NFC and affect other top teams in the conference?

When it comes to the Carolina Panthers, we’re sure to see some early speculation, but it all comes down to how much steam Brett Favre has left. Last month, he made a statement to ESPN on his retirement, saying, “I didn’t feel like physically I could play at a level that was acceptable.” That said, the Panthers likely have nothing to worry about this season, especially with Carolina’s top-notch players returning to the field this year. There are several other tough teams in the NFC, including the Cardinals, Giants and Eagles, so the Panthers have more to concentrate on this year than just the Vikings, who they play in Week 15 of the regular season.

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Panthers Looking to Add a Defensive Tackle?

Sure, Nick Hayden has stepped up to the plate now that it’s clear that starter Maake Kemoeatu won’t return to the football team for quite some time this year, but is Hayden good enough to start at defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers? This is exactly what the preseason will prove, and so far it’s not looking great. Hayden is obviously not the same player as Kemoeatu, and he’s already been the target for opposing teams’ offenses, leaving the Panthers to scour the market for another experienced tackle to fill the void Kemoeatu has left.

While Carolina hasn’t directly come out and said the team is looking for another defensive tackle, some of the players have commented on the situation, one of them being Jon Beason. Beason, the Panthers’ starting middle linebacker, recently spoke of Carolina’s DT position, saying, “Last year, Maake was down, Damione (Lewis) got hurt during that Giants game, and you had young guys like Nick Hayden step up and play well at times. We feel good about the young guys, but we definitely need to get a veteran guy in there.” Acquiring an outside defensive tackle almost seems inevitable at this point, and now the only questions left are who to get and where from.

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Panthers Fall to Giants in Final Play of Preseason Opener

The Carolina Panthers still have some work to do before the regular season begins, and it was glaringly obvious last night as the team fell just short of a win to the New York Giants. The Giants pulled ahead with a 24-17 lead when, on the final play of the game, New York defensive tackle Ledger Douzable hit Carolina fourth-team quarterback Hunter Cantwell and knocked the ball loose. New York defensive tackle Tommie Hill then took the fumble and returned it for an 18-yard touchdown, and the Giants captured their first win of the preseason as so.

In last night’s preseason matchup, Carolina’s starters played about a quarter of the game, though neither Maake Kemoeatu nor Steve Smith played at all. Quarterback Jake Delhomme was 5 for 9 with 38 yards, and after the game he said, “As an offense, it was great to get out there and get some work. We didn’t start as fast as we would have liked, but we did some nice things. We have a lot of work to do and a long way to go to get where we need to be.” Next up for the Panthers is a Saturday preseason game against the Dolphins in Miami!

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Panthers Meet Giants in Tonight’s Preseason Game

The Carolina Panthers will open their preseason tonight with a game against NFC rival the New York Giants, and this game is sure to be a test of strength for both sides as the two teams both have some replacing to do before the start of the regular season. Manning Jr. and Jake Delhomme are sure to make cameos in tonight’s big game, but the big focus will be on the lesser-known players, as rookies and backups battle for a few starting positions.

For the Panthers, the important position to watch tonight is at tackle, where Maake Kemoeatu’s absence will make a significant difference this season. Tapped to take his place is Nick Hayden, a tackle who has only played two games in the NFL, and undrafted rookie Marlon Favorite will back up Hayden in the spot. While this defensive fiasco works itself out for the Panthers, the Giants have their own holes to fill - namely in the receiving area, as both veterans Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer are with the team no longer. Drafted rookie Hakeem Nicks will step up to the plate in the position, so look for this assessment to take place tonight, as well. The Panthers and Giants face off tonight at 8:00 p.m. EST.

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No Vick for Panthers

The final decision’s been made, and it looks like we were right about John Fox not willing to take Michael Vick up on a contract. It was announced yesterday that Vick signed a two-year agreement of sorts with the Philadelphia Eagles, shocking the football realm as the former convict now prepares for the ‘09 season, in which he could potentially see ample playtime. After talking with the Eagles’ owner Jeffrey Lurie, president Joe Banner and starting quarterback Donovan McNabb, Eagles coach Andy Reid made public the team’s decision to sign Vick to a contract, saying, “Michael has proven he’s on the right track. I’ve had a chance to talk to Michael a few times to make sure I know exactly where he’s at, and he’s in a good place.”

While it’s still unclear when commissioner Roger Goodell will let Michael Vick start playing in the regular season (he could be suspended up to six games), Vick could potentially see playing time starting Sunday, September 13, when the Eagles take on the Panthers in the first game of the regular season. The Week 1 Panthers/Eagles matchup will now be one of the most-anticipated games of the season, especially if Vick does get to play in it, so mark your calendars now and don’t miss this big game!

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John Fox Pulls a Belichick

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is the ultimate master at manipulation and vague or misleading answers when it comes to his public comments, and it seems as if Panthers head coach John Fox is right there along with him. The Michael Vick issue has had teams across the league under fire for weeks now as the former Atlanta Falcons QB tries to find a team to sign with in the ‘09 season, and his headline-worthy attempts at reentering the NFL have officially come around to the Panthers, as John Fox recently fed the fire by saying that when it comes to Vick, “As I’ve said before, you always keep all options open. I can’t say that’s something that we’re heavily involved in at this point. I hate ruling out really anything.”

While Fox’s comment got the rumor mill spinning, the bottom line is that the Carolina Panthers don’t need Michael Vick. They don’t need another quarterback after signing Jake Delhomme to a lucrative contract this offseason. Vick doesn’t even fit into the Panthers’ offensive scheme, and even if he did the team doesn’t need to take a chance on someone who hasn’t played in two years and carries around baggage that includes a backlash from animal lovers and a suspension up to six games. Keep talking, John Fox, but we’re calling your bluff.

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Panthers Get Visit from ‘Big Cat’ Richardson

Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson has been an active team owner ever since bringing the franchise to Carolina, and even a heart transplant last winter couldn’t keep him away from his team now as the Panthers trudge through training camp. Monday morning, Richardson made a cameo on the practice field at Wofford College, where the Panthers are currently training, and all reports have emphasized the inspiration Jerry Richardson provided there for his coveted team. After Richardson’s visit, team members had nothing but praises to sing for the Panthers owner as Richardson gave the men a pep talk, and, said receiver Muhsin Muhammad, “There was some added enthusiasm in practice today for a Monday. It was good to see [Richardson] because everyone knows how his health was and just assure to the players that he’s on the road to recovery, I think that did some good for everyone to hear. And then it’s always nice to hear him talk because he’s always going to say something that’s funny. And he’s going to let you know how focused he is and how focused he wants the team to be. So it was great to see him out there.”

Quarterback Jake Delhomme also spoke highly of Jerry Richardson’s visit Monday, saying, “On any other team when the owner comes… players turn the other way or try to hide. But guys (here) flock to him and go to him. To me, that says it all right there.” Richardson will be watching the Panthers in action for the first time this season starting next Monday, when Carolina battles the Giants at New York in the team’s first preseason game of the year.

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Another Man Down in Carolina

It’s been one week since Carolina defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu injured his Achilles’ tendon at the Panthers’ first day of training camp in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and today he’s got a friend on the sidelines with him. Last night, star receiver Steve Smith was carted to the locker room after colliding with cornerback Chris Gamble in a play during last night’s training camp practice, held without pads. After getting tangled up with Gamble, Smith was seen punting his helmet before walking into a nearby tent, favoring his right arm as he walked off the field. Smith has had X-rays on his arm and may return to Charlotte for further medical inspection this week.

While Steve Smith’s injury doesn’t appear to be as serious as teammate Kemoeatu’s injury last week, projections have already been made claiming Smith will possibly be out for two weeks or more, depending on the severity of the injury. In a report by the Charlotte Observer, coach John Fox said, “Steve has a high threshold of pain, and he’s in a lot of pain, so something’s off-kilter.” Here’s to a speedy recovery!

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