Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme is one of the most controversial quarterbacks in the league.
The media accuses him of being the weak link on the Panthers' offense because he’s so inconsistent and too often forces throws, which leads to a lot of interceptions. He is the difference between the Panthers winning and losing.
Some Panthers fans rip him for poor stats and costly mistakes at the wrong times. Others commend him for his leadership intangibles.
But nearly everyone associated with the NFL in some way, shape, or form is now criticizing him for his historically bad performance in the Panthers’ divisional playoff game against the Cardinals, in which he turned the ball over six times, including five interceptions.
Even Delhomme’s most loyal fans began to question his effectiveness in the aftermath of Arizona's unexpected blowout win. Many are now wondering if he should even be brought back next season as Carolina’s starting quarterback.
For people looking in from the outside, it’s a no-brainer. They think the Panthers won’t hesitate to get rid of Delhomme, and they may be shocked when they hear that head coach John Fox, barring something unexpected and bizarre, plans to bring Delhomme back as the Panthers’ starting QB for 2009.
The choice he’s leaning towards already, only a few days after the Panthers’ 2008 season ended, is absolutely the right one.
It’s true that Delhomme doesn’t have the best stats of any passer in the league. He’s also not the flashiest, most entertaining, and certainly not the most publicized or the funniest.
But he doesn’t care. He goes about his business like a true professional, not worried about personal statistics or accolades or how he looks on paper. The only thing he cares about is the success of the team.
If he cared about protecting himself in the face of public scrutiny, he would not have taken the exclusive blame for the Panthers’ loss to the Cardinals at the post-game press conference. He would not have apologized to his teammates after the game for “not giving us a chance” or said that “the work I put in this week was not enough” otherwise.
8 comments Last one added 5 months ago — Leave a Comment
Paul Augustin, Jr. 5 months ago
No one was criticizing Jake when his Panthers were 5-1 this season in games that were decided by one score. Jake deserves to start in 2009.
Edit Comment Cancel
Matt Gilmartin 5 months ago
Wow. Great point. I didn't even remember that, for all the Panthers stats and records I remember by the yardage or score.
Edit Comment Cancel
Dreu H. 5 months ago
Good article. I'm glad to see that some people a keeping level heads. I've always said that he may not be the best passer in the league but he has a lot of other qualities that put him above other quarterbacks. I'm proud to have a quarterback that takes personal responsibility for his mistakes instead of blaming others.
Edit Comment Cancel
Matt Gilmartin 5 months ago
Yep, Delhomme is a class act for sure.
Edit Comment Cancel
jim warden 5 months ago
An enigma? jake has one weakness that manifests itself in bad decisions . That weakness lies in his emotional make-up which no coaching can help. it just is. this weakness is also his strength which is why us fans believe in him,like him, but deep down don't trust him. so what to do ? I don't really have an answer but i believe it lies in the game planning and specifically an offensive coordinator who can recognize the train wreck as it unfolds and adjust. To have the greatest offensive weapon in the league in Steve Smith and not call high percentage ,underneath,short crossing routes until jake snaps out of it is not recognizing, or admitting to, our strengths and weakness's. In saturday's game to watch Larry Fitzgerald do this very thing and be successful must have been very disheartening to Smith. The mental health of any athlete in any sport is a huge factor in the outcome. the ying and the yang is real. When Jake is in the " zone " so is Smith. They are a joy to watch. Unfortunately we had the exact opposite last saturday.
Edit Comment Cancel
Matt Gilmartin 5 months ago
Jake is an enigma because you never know what you're going to get from him. That's why I created the title.
Edit Comment Cancel
Austin Penny 5 months ago
i love it. the one thing that we aren't taking into consideration here, though, is money. If the Panthers decide they want to lock down Jordan Gross and Julius Peppers, there isn't a lot of room for the $11 million cap number Jake will post next year in the final year of his contract. while it doesn't sound to optimistic that Pep will return, if the above scenario occurs, it's likely Jake would have to restructure his contract to stay here--which I don't think he would have a problem doing. It all depends on how much re working would have to be done.
But, money aside, there should be zero questions about whether or not Jake is our starter next year. This city is chock full of fair weather "fans" who have been complaining since 1997. everybody is so blind to everything that Jake has done that they would gladly cast him away for a bad game and replace him with......um......well, i guess Josh McCown? The infamous starting QB for the 1-15 Miami Dolphins of 2007? That sounds like a plan. Or the unexperienced 'Knight in shining armour' Matt Moore. Sure, Matt had a couple of nice games late last year when Jake was out, but Charlotte, answer me this, are we really ready to put our entire franchise and the success we just experienced into the hands of Matt Moore?
And to draft another quarterback would mean we would have to get rid of McCown, Moore, or Brett Basanez, who is the teams favorite option at backup QB. inside the Panthers offices, Basanez is more likely a candidate to get the reigns than any of the forementioned qb's.
I am a Jake fan, always have been, always will be. Even if he isn't one of the top 5 qb's in the league on a consistent basis, he will still go out there and give you 150% every week from the practice field to the stadium, he will bring you back when you are down, he will create, and he will conquer. sure, he will have his bumps along the road--but what quarterback hasn't??? nobody talks about Peyton Manning's 5 interception game, or Tom Brady's worst games, etc etc. for any longer than the norm, so why should Jake be the constant recipient of such lame criticism.
so Panthers 'fans' who are anti-Delhomme, answer me this: Who (realistically) would you rather have, that's available or will be available this offseason, under center than Jake Delhomme?
MG: great article--5 stars and POTD
Edit Comment Cancel
TR 5 months ago
Agreed, Austin.
Edit Comment Cancel
Leave a Comment
You must register to post a comment.