CHARLOTTE - The Carolina Panthers (1-3) had been playing pretty miserably, to say the least. That was true until the final 25 minutes of Sunday's game was played at Bank of America Stadium.

And finally, QB Jake Delhomme let out a scream with his shoulder pads out, after a month-long struggle following his game-clinching nine-yard rush.

Down 17-2 at home, and still winless with an 0-3 mark in the 2009 season, Delhomme awoke from his throwing coma, and led the Black and Blue to a come-from-behind 20-17 win against the Washington Redskins.

Delhomme found Jeff King for a 17-yard touchdown in the left corner of the endzone with 8:38 remaining in the third to cut the lead to 17-9.

After a John Kasay fourth quarter field goal, the Panthers still trailed by five.

Then, the drama happened in Uptown Charlotte, when the Josh Baker punt bounced off Bryant Westbrook's foot. The ball was recovered by Dante Wesley and after an official review, the zebras gave Carolina the ball on the Washington 12-yard line with just over 10 minutes remaining.

Two plays later, Jonathan Stewart scampered into the endzone giving the Panthers an 18-17 lead. A Steve Smith two-point conversion gave Carolina the lead that they would hold on to for their first mark in the win column.

Delhomme finished the ball game with 181 passing yards and a touchdown.

The Carolina defense was great too.

Julius Peppers tallied two of the team's four sacks on the afternoon and Jason Campbell was never able to establish anything offensively, other than their two short touchdowns after costly Panthers turnovers.

The Panthers held Washington (2-3) to 124 passing yards and 198 total offense.

Washington's Clinton Portis scored a rushing and receiving touchdown for the Skins, for his first two scores since week 17 of last year.

Carolina returns next Sunday when they head to Raymond James Stadium for a divisional match-up with the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5) at 1 p.m.

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