Bleacher Report - Articles by Rick Weaver

Breaking Down The Carolina Panthers Preseason: Questions Grow Larger

Rick Weaver — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:15:21 -0400

This week marked the halfway point of the Carolina Panthers' preseason. While the first two preseasons games don't get "game plans," the third contest will. So, this Saturday's home opener will be the first real look at the Panthers since the team's abysmal playoff loss to the Arizona Cardinals in January.

A quick glance back to this past January shows just how the Panthers arrived at where they are now.

Following the playoff loss to the Cardinals, lots of Panthers fans were irate and many still are. The coaching staff received some heat for allowing the game to go down the way it did. More specifically, fans were upset with quarterback Jake Delhomme for having a record night—that record being throwing interceptions in a home playoff game.

The Panthers faithful were also upset with a defensive scheme that saw their beloved Panthers going up against one of the top wide receivers in the NFL in a single-coverage package facing the Panthers' weakest cornerback.

Many fans and Monday-morning quarterbacks could not figure out why the league's hottest receiver, Larry Fitzgerald, had been allowed to run free that night while not being double-covered. Since Fitzgerald was only covered by one defender, why at least, did the Panthers not use arguably their best cornerback, Chris Gamble, to be that defender? It made little sense to anyone.

By the end of the first quarter, most Panther fans in attendance realized the game was over and some jokingly thought the white "growl towels" they were given when they entered the stadium were a bad omen. A note to the Panthers organization: Next time. Please do not hand out the surrender flags before the opening kickoff.

After that brutal night, Panthers fans started to hear rumblings that sounded impossible. One of the team's superstars indicated he wanted out. As if the playoff loss was not hard enough, hearing North Carolina native Julius Peppers talk about parting ways with the team who had drafted him was the straw that broke the camel's back.

After a trying time, Peppers finally agreed to play but only after the franchise tag was placed on him. The only thing was, by the time Peppers agreed to sign his tender offer, the team had used its only viable bargaining chip (their top draft pick) to find a replacement player if Peppers had refused to play.

Not only was next year's first-round draft pick used to try and shore up the defensive end's position, but almost every spare penny left under the salary was used to pay Peppers' healthy one-year franchise tag.

Fast forward to the 2009 preseason. The offseason goings-on seemed overwhelming. However, when it all settled down, there were only a few things Panthers' fans actually knew for sure before training camp started.

One, the Panthers have one of the league's toughest schedules to contend with.

Two, there was little room for any type of real injuries to crop up in the starting lineup. Namely, there was no space for a defensive tackle to even catch a cold.

With that in mind, the Panthers' training camp could not have started off worse. Within thirty minutes into a defensive line warm-up drill, Ma'ake Kemoeatu, the team's most effective defensive tackle and largest run stopper, ruptured his Achilles tendon. He was placed on injured reserve and lost for the season.

The loss of Kemoeatu stunned the Panthers and their fans. Panthers fans remembered all-to-well when Kemoeatu went down with an injury last season, and just how much the defense suffered because of it.

The team's once strong run-stopping defense was suddenly relegated to working behind a patchwork defensive line. The defense found itself abused when they faced any team with little more that just an average rushing attack. Could it be that way going into the 2009-2010 season?

The Panthers 12-4 record consisted of more than a few games where lesser opponents simply had to be outscored in order for the Panthers to win. This was the first time John Fox's Panthers had ever really been pointed in the "offense first" direction. The defense had always been the cornerstone of the team and the offense was simply asked to go out and try and put together 17-20 points and rely on their defense and special teams to force games to fall their way.

For the first time the Panthers' game plan relied on the offense to go out and try to outscore the teams they faced. Last year's schedule permitted that formula until the Panthers met up with stronger teams.

With all of the recent injuries to the Panthers' defense the topic of the offense carrying the team came up last week. Jake Delhomme spoke out about the offense in a recent interview. Delhomme made it known the offense goes all-out in every game and they never intended to go out and "carry" the team's depleted defense.

Delhomme said, "the season comes in waves..." (Meaning sometimes the offense gets hot for a period of, but just as easily, there are times when the defense gets hot as well and is able to take over games as well.)

The defense may have been hot last season when they shut out the feeble Kansas City Chiefs, but those types of games are not on this season's schedule. There are no real cupcakes on this year's schedule. The Panthers will basically face the best the league has to offer. Allowing 31 points per game—as the Panthers did in 5 of the last 7 games last season—simply will not work this season.

Now, fast forward to this week. The Panthers' training staff had begun to take on the look of an army M.A.S.H. unit, assigned to get wounded players off of the field.

The most disturbing injury was, of course, was the loss of Ma'ake Kemoeatu. But now the entire middle of the Panthers' defense is in a state of disarray as the Panthers suddenly find themselves with their defensive interior ripped out. Last weekend's injury to LB Jon Beason (a sprained MCL) has the star linebacker possibly sidelined somewhere in the four-week range.

Dan Connor will play the inside linebacker position until Beason is able to go. On a good note, linebackers Thomas Davis (knee) and Landon Johnson (groin) returned to limited practice this week.

The next defender to fall prey to the injury bug was safety Charles Godfrey. Godfrey, who started every game as a rookie last season, just had surgery to repair a broken bone in his hand. There is a possibility Godfrey may be able to play in the season opener, but he would be wearing a cast. The Panthers picked up former Saints safety Kevin Kaesviharn to help shore up the depleted safety corps.

The offense has suddenly tried to match the defense in producing injured players. First wide receiver Steve Smith injured his shoulder in a light-contact drill. He hasn't seen any preseason game action but has been a part of limited practice. Smith may play in this weekend's game and should be ready for the regular season home opener.

A bothersome injury to plague the offense has been the Achilles tendon soreness that has been nagging running back Jonathan Stewart. Stewart was quoted as saying he would be "ready for the regular season," but it would certainly be nice for one of the team's top offensive weapons to actually play a down of preseason football. Some have indicated it possibly was never an option for Stewart to see much contact during the preseason in hopes of giving him more time to heal in order for him to be in the best possible condition when he is finally needed in the regular season.

Most recently this week, many in Panther nation had their hearts skip a collective beat when news came out that DeAngelo Williams missed practice due to a knee injury. Now the injury was mild and Williams only missed a day of practice, and he'll probably see a bit of limited action in this Saturday's game. But that is definelty not the kind of thing to even joke about when dealing with this roster and a shaken fan base.

Now for the good, the bad and the ugly of the Panthers pre-season.

The good:

The Panthers may have done better than they thought they did when they drafted running back Mike Goodson in the fourth round this year. Goodson has easily spelled Williams when called on, showing great vision and cutback skills while carrying the ball. Goodson has also shown he belongs in the role of kick returner as long as he can can secure the ball as he runs.

Even though holding onto the ball was an issue for Captain Munnerlyn on a punt return, he has still probably secured himself a roster spot with the recent injuries in the Panthers' secondary and with his flashy punt return skills.

Though Everette Brown did not take the team by storm, the undersized defensive end has shown he does have a spin move and has looked good a the few times he was been get free and get after opposing quarterbacks. Whether Brown will become an NFL starter any time soon is yet to be seen. However, Brown could probably not be in a better situation than he is now. With Brown having defensive coordinator Ron Meeks to help guide him in his young playing career, he could not ask for a better chance at success.

The Panthers tight ends have also looked pretty decent this preseason. Dante Rosario has looked good displaying his downfield blocking skills.

The bad:

Ryne Robinson was supposed to return from last season's injury, walk away with the punt and kick return duties and also be a viable fourth option for Jake Delhomme's passes.

However, Robinson has not accomplished a single one of those tasks. Munnerlyn and Goodson have taken the punt and kick return jobs, respectively, and most importantly Kenny Moore seems to have clinched the fourth receiver position.

The Panthers placed a lot of faith in Robinson and had kept him in the fold after he went down with an injury last season. But Robinson's weaknesses have been exposed and that is a bad thing for the young receiver. Robinson did not help himself any by contributing to last week's loss. This weekend's game will be put-up or shut up time for Robinson, that is, if he has not already been penciled in as one of the first to be cut.

The endless stream of dinged-up players have been bad for the Panthers. Again, the only person who is missing from the lineup is Ma'ake Kemoeatu. But having names like Beason, Stewart, Smith, Godfrey and even Williams pop up anywhere near an injury report is bad news for a team with such little depth.

The ugly:

Again, the worst thing so far has been Ma'ake Kemoeatu's collapse after simply jogging for ten yards. Kemoeatu looked as if he had been knocked down with an elephant gun as he was dropped in his tracks. It was an ugly and painful episode to watch.

If the Panthers are going to have success this season they have to be watching the waiver wire in hopes of finding a hidden defensive tackle talent who simply cannot make a roster due to a glut of talent at the position. There are a few teams out there with too many talented DTs, and the Panthers need to find them.

Now as far a starting defensive tackle coming to the Panthers via the waiver wire, well, to put it mildly, that is a lot easier said than done. So, do not get too excited just yet. There are very few quality defensive tackles available. To make matters worse the Panthers get to stand in line and watch 27 other teams select the first 27 players before it is their turn to select the 28th player released. There needs to more than a just a little luck at play if the Panthers are to obtain a tackle off of waivers.

If the waiver wire is not where the Panthers choose to find their newest tackle then the trade route is the only other real option they have. The Panthers have suddenly found themselves with an extra running back and yes, they still have a few draft picks left for next year's draft.

As far as draft pick trades go there are options out there. One has to see Cleveland Browns' defense tackle and former first round draft pick Corey Williams as a possible defensive tackle who could find his way to Charlotte. Williams is a 4-3 defensive tackle and with Cleveland's switch to a 3-4 defense, Williams has struggled to try and become a defensive end. While the Williams experiment may work in Cleveland there has to be those who believe it may better to try and load up on another draft if the switch from tackle to defensive end does not work out as planned.

As far as a player trade I have to believe DeAngelo Williams, who takes up very little cap space and who is the bedrock of the offense, is going nowhere. However, do not dismiss any other options in the Panthers' backfield. If the right defensive tackle were to become available in a trade deal, I could see the Panthers possibly making a dramatic move—even if that deal meant exposing any running back who is not named Williams to the trade market. With Peppers return to the fold it is not out of the realm of possibility for Carolina to possibly wave around one of their young defensive ends as trade bait as well.

It is a long season and the Panthers do look shaken a bit. The season may even start out on a down note, but don't be fooled. This is a solid rushing team with a very elite offensive line and and all-pro wide receiver; they can win games.

Also, when the Panthers face the meat of their division race they will facing teams with issues of their own. Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and New Orleans all have gone through changes and face obstacles of their on this season. With this in mind, the NFC South remains a division where a 9-7 or 10-6 team could take the division title.

Steve Smith's Shoulder OK After Camp Collision, Can Still Carry Panthers Offense

Rick Weaver — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:40:29 -0400

The collective sigh heard along the North Carolina-South Carolina border Monday night was from that of Carolina Panther fans finding out that their all-world wide receiver, Steve Smith, did not have a broken bone after his akward fall at practice.

During Moday's late practice session, Smith got tangled up with corner back Chris Gamble on a passing route. The receiver lost his footing after contact with Gamble and landed on his shoulder. From there, Smith spent the next few minutes on the ground, yelling out in pain while assistant trainer Reggie Scott worked to calm Smith down.

Following his on-the-ground injury tirade, Smith then got up and continued, seemingly in disgust rather than in pain, and yanked his helmet off and kicked it while giving his best Rhys Llyod impersonation. Luckily, Smith did not break his toe kicking the helmet.

As far as Smith's shoulder goes, it was described as "strained" and "structurally sound" with no breaks. Upon a review of Smith's motions following the injury, the shoulder did not look dislocated, but anything else would be speculation at this point.

The only other semi-definitive piece of information about the injury was contained in a statement released late Monday by Smith's agent, Derrick Fox. Fox said that Smith "likely would miss a minimum of two weeks with what appears to be a strained shoulder."

Smith's agent, unwittingly, came up with just enough time for his prized client to miss the Panthers' first two preseason games.

Smith may just be a bit banged up and ready to go in no time, but do not expect to see No. 89 going up for jump balls over the middle in the Panthers' pre-season games. Sorry Carolina fans, but there is a good chance Steve Smith may not even appear in any preseason Panther games this year.

Do the Carolina Panthers Have the 2009 NFL Draft Held Hostage?

Rick Weaver — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 04:46:40 -0400

The release of the NFL schedule on Tuesday is one of the first things that helps to kick off the NFL's 2009 season. The next big step towards getting this NFL season off of the ground is next Saturday's 2009 draft. For those die-hard fans who are interested in and have been waiting on next Saturday's draft, well, it cannot come soon enough.

Even though teams prepare for the draft with scientific precision, there may just to be a 6'8" elephant, wearing a No. 90 jersey standing in middle of the room at your draft party just waiting to stir things up.

At this point in the draft process every NFL team has their draft boards completed and they have backup plans for the "just in case" scenarios. Teams even have redundant plans just in case the backup plans go awry.

The combine, pro days and special workout visits are all over. The medical reports are in, the player background checks are done, the most recent "40" times have been reviewed and all the game film you could ever imagine someone reviewing, has been watched.

However, the 2009 draft is still up in the air for teams picking after the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Carolina Panthers and any other team that would like to have the services of a pro-bowl defensive end.

Why are those team's draft boards in possible disarray? Well, it comes down to two words, Julius Peppers.

So, can an uncertain team with an unknown combination of potential draft picks really hold part of the NFL draft hostage? Well, the Carolina Panthers may not hold the entire in their draft in limbo but one had better believe that teams drafting near any potential Carolina trading partners are getting a bit antsy at this point.

Things even get more hairy if any of the teams who follow the potential Julius Peppers suitors are in the draft market waiting on a top-tier defensive end or a defensive tackle and are hoping one will be left when their turn to make a draft pick comes. A Peppers' trade could cause stomach ulcers for a few coaches and GM's who think they have their defensive tackle or defensive end picks already penciled in.

There are only a few teams who are even capable of getting close the services of Julius Peppers. Why are there not more teams in the fray, trying to make a deal with Carolina?

It would have to be because they simply cannot afford the salary cap hit, they do not have the draft picks needed to trade to Carolina or they are not a team Peppers has expressed an interest in. The two teams that do have a real shot at trading for Julius Peppers are the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles.

According to Jared Allen's agent, Ken Harris, the Eagles were deep in the process of trying to sign Jared Allen last season, and the Eagles were there, right in the thick of things, trying to get a deal done and acquire Allen, all the way up until the Vikings decided to fill up a Brinks truck and back it up into Allen's driveway.

The Eagles were also very interested in acquiring Panther pro-bowl tackle Jordan Gross, earlier this season. Gross said he loved the Charlotte area and was happy raising his family there. Though the deal went down to the wire, Gross did not hold the Panthers hostage trying to see if there was another dollar or two out there with his name on it. As far as Gross goes, or anyone for that matter goes, I am all for getting paid for what one's services are worth, but taking a stab at destroying the franchise in the procress is not a good idea. What does that mean and why did Jordan Gross go ahead and make a deal, just in time for Carolina to place the franchise tag on Julius Peppers?

Gross is a smart guy and he knows there is a point where he could probably have gotten more money out of the Panthers but I have to believe he understood the overall cost in the big picture. Had Gross not agreed to a new contract before the free agent flood gate opened up I believe Gross knew the Panthers would have bent over backwards in order to keep him. The Panthers would possibly have bent so far over, trying to keep Gross, that it would have been detremental to the entire team. Now, I am not saying the "hometown discount" was in play with the Gross deal, but Gross knew if the compensation numbers for the first year of his new contract had gotten any larger, then his team could possibly find themselves in a scenario where they were unable to even sign the few draft picks they will select next Saturday.

The other thing the Gross deal did was to allow the Panthers to make an 11th hour franchise tag placement on Julius Peppers. Had the team's hand been forced, the tag would have been used on Gross for the second year in a row. Using the tag on Gross would have opened the door for Peppers to simply walk away and ir would have left the Panthers with nothing in return for their former first round pro-bowl end. The logic for franchising Gross was two fold.

First, assuming Carolina traded Peppers after franchising him they would have had the draft picks and cap space to go after a free agent defensive and a wide reciever or they could have simply used both of the picks they would possibly had gotten for Peppers and then just tried to fill their needs in the draft.

Secondly, had the Panthers lost Gross they would have found themselves scrambling as there were only a few "very" capable offensive left tackles in this coming draft. The team knew if they just let Gross "walk," they could not have gotten anywhere near a starting left tackle with the team's first draft pick coming late in the second round.

re were really no free agents left tackles out there who were anywhere near as dominating as Gross and therer were no guarantees they could have used the money they would have spent on Gross to aquire a very good free agent in a trade due to the fact they had nothing to trade with. You can interchange offensive linemen from right tackle to guard, to center and back, but putting someone other than a left tackle in that position can be a quick recipe for disaster. So, franchising Jordan Gross was a no-brainer had he not signed a new contract.

As of this past Friday the Philadelpia Eagles took care of their very much needed tackle position after a deal with the Buffalo Bills was struck. The Eagles are sending the Bills the Panthers' former first round pick and next year's fourth round pick and an undisclosed 2011 draft pick in exchange for tackle Jason Peters. The move does push the Eagles back, to a large extent in their quest for the ultimate defensive unit with a Julius Peppers type of player coming off of the end. But it does not close the door completely.

Things may just go as planned in next Saturday's draft and the Panthers may just go forward and try to find the best defensive lineman available with their 59th pick. Panthers' General Manager, Marty Hurney said, this week, he fully expected Julius Peppers to play for the Panthers this season.

If Hurney is correct and Peppers is going to play for Carolina this season then some very specific things need to occur if Panthers want a chance at a successful 2009 season.

First, the Panthers have to strike draft "gold" and find a defensive lineman, with the 59th pick, who is a game changer (an almost impossible task on any GM's "to do" list.)

Secondly, Jake Delhomme must restructure his current deal in order to allow the Panthers to free up some cap space to let them pick up a few viable free agent offensive linemen and find at least one, hopefully, start worthy, defensive tackle.

Finally and most importantly, if Peppers does play for the Panthers, for the $1 million plus, per-game-fee this season, then the Panthers will not have the luxury of allowing a single player to even catch a cold this season and miss a game. That is a lot to ask, I know, but when one guy is making $17 million a year there is little room for starter capable backups to be hanging around on a 53 man roster.

Taking Hurney at face value can be a a bit tricky at this point. Just ask Denver fans and they will all tell you they "heard" their Broncos' organization talk about how they expected Jay Cutler to remain a Bronco in 2009, that, of course, was just before Cutler was traded away. As it was for the Broncos the Panthers situation with Peppers is a high stakes poker game and there is no real tipping of the hand before the game is over.

Hurney may be genuine in his beliefs that Peppers will be around and playing hard for the Panthers in 2009, just because of the money and the draft picks it would cost another team to make a run at Peppers makes it a hard thing for most teams to even consider.

I am completely sure that Marty Hurney and John Fox saw this day coming. They both knew Peppers had walked around all season with a new cotract extension in his pocket that would have made him the highest paid defender. But Peppers did not take the deal and couple that with the this post season fiasco and you can see exactly how the Panthers knew they had no shot at filing their most needed position with an Albert Haynesworth type, free agent defensive tackle deal. They had to know something was up when Peppers agent, Carl Carey, would not talk finances while the season was in process. Now the immediate future of the team may just rest on the Carey's shoulders and the kind of deal he can broker with a potential trading partner for the Julius Peppers.

Another thing that does not bode well for an 11th-hour draft-day deal is the fact Peppers has yet to sign the $17 million tender offer that is currently on the table. Until that document is signed nothing at all can happen. No other team can "officially" even try to negotiate with the Panthers until Peppers signs the current offer. Again, this only leaves Peppers' agent, Carl Carey, to be the only person who can officially talk to any other teams about his client's services.

New England Patriot officials have made it clear they are very interested in Peppers possibly becoming a Patriot, but they want him to sign his current tender offer so any possible deal can be discussed and possibly struck with the Panthers.

Before last year's draft the Philadelphia Eagles did not get Jared Allen, but they tried. As much as the smothering Eagles' defense covets a super quick, devastatingly hard hitting pass rusher coming off of the end of the line, they missed making the deal for Allen. But this year is different.

Even after the Peters' trade the Eagles still have the draft picks needed to make a run at Peppers if they want to do so. The Eagles also have the salary cap space to pay Peppers. It also does not hurt that the Eagles are contenders and they do play the kind of defense Peppers wants to play in. Donovan McNabb has said he wanted to see what the Eagles would do to better themselves before he committed to them for the long term. Now he is seeing it come together. A defensive end would be a very nice addition and but a chain moving power runner or a wide receiver could be even better.

The Eagles and Bills deal begs the question, are the Bills a potential bidder in the Peppers' circus or are they now desperate for a tackle? Julius never mentioned anything about loving cold weather and how he would like to play on a team with T.O., other than he was willing to play for Dallas. However, the Bills are trying to right their football ship and it would only take one of their first round picks to find a worthy offensive tackle, to replace Peters, and they would still have that other first round pick in their hip pocket needed for a trade to aquire a defender like Peppers. Peppers may be the missing link in the Bills' chain and the final piece of the puzzle the Bills have needed to finally take down their rivals, the New England Patriots.

The Bills are making moves to get better, yet now they need to find a very good tackle, but Friday they also signed running back, Dominic Rhodes, to backup Marshawn Lynch. This was a much needed transaction as Lynch will be serving out an early season suspension and the Bills were already very thin this coming season in their run game. However, to be a complete team there are other areas the Bills desperately need to address and one is the need for a top notch pass rusher. The money looks to be available for a player like Peppers. However, it seems there is really only one team in the AFC that Peppers has expressed an interest in. That team of course, is a Bill's team and I do not mean Buffalo or Parcells either. The team he has shown interest in is Bill Beichick's Patriots' team. This seems like the one place a deal for Peppers may just occur.

If a deal does happen it will impact this year's draft and the teams who are looking for top quality defensive ends and defensive lineman who are drafting after New England's first round pick. Of course any teams who pick anywhere near the teams involved in a possible trade with Carolina will have to adapt.

When it comes to a deal, the Eagles stock dropped a bit after giving up one of their first round picks today. On the flip side, for Panthers' fans, the Eagles still have the better of their two, first round picks left and they have a nice third rounder as well. The Eagles have something in their corner that New England does not have. The Eagles have a few veteran pass rushers on their roster that the Panthers would love to get their hands on and a trade could always contain a first rounder and a combination of a player or players in order for Peppers to become an Eagle. It is not set in stone that a first and third round pick are a must for making this deal happen.

For one thing, the Eagles have linebacker, Omar Gaither, a Charlotte native and a very popular fellow in the Charlotte area and he has most impotantly been a very productive football player just tucked away on the Eagles' bench due to depth at his position. Carolina also has a few extra linebackers, but veteran Na'il Diggs is no spring chicken and some fresh blood may be what new defensive coordinator Ron Meeks needs to have in place in order to get this Panthers' defense back to a top ten status.

The Panthers had success making their last deal with the Eagles. The 2008 draft day trade turned out to be brilliant as Jeff Otah was arguably the best rookie tackle to play in the NFL last season.

Many believe had Otah been part of the 2009 draft that he may well have been the top pick or at least taken in the top five. So, the Panthers have to feel good about their past dealings with the Eagles.

Will the Eagles use their last remaining first round pick to go after Peppers? It may not seem that way after Friday's pickup of Jason Peters. The Eagles have pressing needs in their run game and a very good tight end is very much needed as well. But there is another way to look at what that the Eagles did by getting Peters. The Peters' deal may have signaled Andy Reid does not want to be in the business of trying to turn a rookie offensive tackle like Michael Oher or a similar pick, into the next John Runyan.

Reid knows he and his quarterback are not getting any younger and he knows they were very close to an NFC Championship game last season. Even though his team's rushing attack is hurting, especially with their former "second" running back, Correll Burkhalter now in Denver and with Brian Westbrook now showing some real signs of wear and tear. Andy Reid knows the formula for his success has been winning by winning "dirty" or winning close games by using a smothering, hard hitting, grinding defense and Julius Peppers would help him keep that game plan together. The Eagles may not need to use their first round draft pick on trying to find a running back or wideout if Reid does not want to try and roll the dice on the hopes a solid college player will be as beneficial as a pro-bowl defensive end would be.

Andy Reid knows, no matter how spotty his team's offense may be at times, a superior defense will keep any game close and from there, well, that is why Andy Reid has David Akers. One just has to look back at this past January's NFC Divisional playoff game between the Eagles and Giants is a good reminder of this philosophy. The final score was 23-11. The Eagles won that game due mainly to a swarming defense, but the three field goals and two extra points David Akers posted were big keys as well in the Eagles win.

The following NFC Championship game saw the Eagles lose to the red hot Arizona Cardinals in touchdown throwing contest. A big difference in the games outcome were the four touchdown passes Kurt Warner was able to complete. Though Eagles' defensive end Trent Cole had one sack during the game he did not get the four sacks that his team really needed for him to make. That would have been nice for the Eagles if Cole could have gotten one sack on any of the plays that resulted in the four touchdown passes completed by Warner. Not to take anything away from Trent Cole but he could have used some pressure from the opposite defensive end's position in order to slow down Warner's quick release. A real dominating defensive end could have been a game changer and Andy Reid knows it. So, it may not be too far fetched to think Julius Peppers may be on Reid's mind just about as much as Knoshown Moreno probably is.

Whether the Eagles even consider a deal with the Panthers is another thing altogether. But Andy Reid does know his defense has to stay very fast and able to get penetration and pressure on opposing quarterbacks, no matter how good or bad his team is at the running back's, tight end's or wide receiver's position.

There are a handful of scenarios that could happen this coming Saturday as it relates to the Panthers' trading Peppers away and that kind of move could change the face of the draft.

One has to remember, when it comes to these types of deals taking place there always seem to be that one quite team, lurking in the tall grass, that has the ability to spring up and make a trade happen thus sending several unsuspecting teams, waiting their turn to draft, into a tailspin. It will all unfold next Saturday.

For the conspiracy theorists out there: There is one little straw for you to grasp at, if you are so inclined. The thing that may just be a tip of the Carolina Panthers' draft game plan is all about scheduling. I know the Panthers feel they owe their fans something for last January's loss to Arizona in the playoffs and that is probably all this "draft party" is.

So, why does the Panthers' weekend "draft party" at Carowinds Amusement Park seem a bit peculiar? I know it is a stretch and the whole thing looks like it is nothing more than corporate goodwill and marketing combined in an attempt to promote the team and to attract Panthers' fans back into the fold but after January's devastating playoff loss. However there is something that just does not sit right about having a draft party with no draft picks.

Seriously, when your favorite team gets to the point where they are making a top five pick then it is a time worthy of sitting in the sports bar with other fans waiting to see what will happen. It is also a time worthy of splitting a six-pack and sitting on some sofa, speculating with another fan about what your team will do, until your team makes its' pick. But when your team picks at the bottom of the second round, well, there is nothing very special to see.

No casual football fan cares about draft picks being made by other teams after their team has chosen and very few people care about the draft picks that are taken long before their team has its' turn. Most fans like to see where the top five or ten players wind up but after that, unless your team is close in line to making a pick, or unless you are a die-hard, there is not much to see.

So, what is the big deal with next Saturday's Panthers' draft party? Remember, this is a party which is specifically for the Carolina Panthers' draft and having Panther fans join together at an amusement park, in order to have a good time but also to see just who the Carolina Panthers will select with their pick. With that in mind it all comes down to when this "draft party" is held. It may not seem like anything special, except one look at the scheduling of the event reveals an obvious logical flaw.

The event the Panthers are sponsoring ends at 8:30 EST. What does that have to do with anything? Well, one has to consider the Panthers draft pick and when it comes up. The Panthers are scheduled to make their first pick at the 59th spot of the second round.

The funny thing is, according to the draft day "clock" and the past NFL drafts the 59th draft pick will come at approximately 9:30 EST. The pick may actually come closer to 9:45 if more teams take more time making their picks.

What does this scenario mean? Either someone is a lousy planner and scheduler or someone at the Carolina Panthers organization knows a whole lot more about something that may happen with the Panthers and their ability to make a draft pick before the 8:30 shutdown occurs.

How many birthday parties have you been to where the person having the birthday does not show up? How many times have your friends rented a grand ballroom on New Year's Eve to celebrate the ringing in of a new year and yet telling everyone, "Oh, by the way, the party is over at 10:30?" That would be a bit odd to say the least. When you are a one billion dollar organization, like the Panthers are, and you plan an event and set it to end at 8:30 pm when the biggest part of the whole event, that involves your team, happens at 9:30, seems, at best, a bit strange.

We will all have to wait and see if anything "big" happens this Saturday. But for now, all we know is, there is a pro-bowl defensive end who wants out of Charlotte, NC and a General Manager who believes that same end will play for him next season.

All the facts we actually know are minimal. Marty Hurney says Peppers is expected to play for Carolina next season. We know Julius Peppers says he wants out and there are four teams he would like to play for and that he wants to play in a 3-4 defense.

That sort of narrows the list of options, especially since one of the two teams, that have been leaked by the Peppers' camp as teams on Peppers' preference radar is not really in a position to accommodate Peppers on their roster.

The Dallas Cowboys, a destination where Peppers would like to land, do not have the draft picks to get close to a deal with the Panthers and the only other team that has been announced as a team Peppers would like to play for is the New England Patriots. The Patriots have seemed receptive but they do not pick until the bottom third of the first round and the Patriots have a pressing need for an inside linebacker to pair with Jerod Mayo.

Finally, it would a dereliction to overlook all of the teams picking in the upper tier of the draft, who just happen to need a defensive end. Peppers may snub other teams that do not fit his particular model but there may be a point over the next week when money and reason change his mind.

With that said, the team with the very first pick in the 2009 draft needs almost every position on their roster filled. The Carolina Panthers picking first overall, no way, right?

Call me crazy but the Detroit Lions could really use a proven defensive end and a proven NFL superstar pass rusher is a lot more appealing than a college player who may possibly have had just one productive season before winding up as a first round pick.

The Kansas City Chiefs, picking third, are still stumbling after trading away Jared Allen and have yet to get anywhere close to filling Allen's shoes.

The Green Bay Packers desperately need a defensive end and the Panthers just completed a trade with the Packers for long snapper, JJ Jansen, earlier this week. The Packers have the ninth draft pick, and defensive end, Tyson Jackson, looks like a natural fit fot the new 3-4 Green Bay will use this season. However, if the Packers really want to pair a true pass rusher up with Aaron Kampman, then Tyson Jackson may not be the man to step in and hit the ground running. If the Packers can obtain the services of a true pass rushing defensive end, then the 2009 season may turn out a lot better for those living on the frozen tundra than the 2008 season did.

I wonder if all the the Panthers and Packers talked while about trying to put together this week's trade was only about a backup long snapper or if a particular defensive ends name happen to pop up? Now, the odds of the Panthers getting anywhere near the top ten in the first round of this draft is very unlikely.

Another team that could use a defense end is the San Francisco 49er's. If the Niner's can get their collective minds around the idea that one of the quarterbacks they now have in their corner can be their starter next season and if they the team does not want to gamble their tenth pick to go after a player like Brian Orapko who may or may not turn out to be a game changer then a run at Peppers may be an option.

The Denver Broncos have already shown they are ready to do almost anything in this off season. Could they be a player in the Peppers' affair? Well, they have the draft picks, the money and Mike Nolan is installing the all important 3-4 defense that Peppers is wanting to play in, in order to "further himself as a well rounded player and maximize his athletic abilities."

Let us not forget that exactly one year and one month ago that Peppers' Alma Matta, the UNC Tarheels, were playing in the "all important" ACC tournament in Charlotte, NC. On March 17th, 2008 Peppers was in Denver, watching a Nuggets' game while his old college team were playing in a tournament just one minute away from the field were Julius Peppers works.

The odds of the Panthers getting anywhere near a top five or 10 draft pick is about as unlikely as Julius Peppers' comments were after cleaning out his locker the morning after the Panthers' stunning loss to the Cardinals.

Who would have ever guessed this home-state, fan favorite whose hometown is just a relatively short drive away from his Lake Norman estate would ever say he wanted to leave the only team he has ever played for and a team where he was about to become the highest paid defender in the history of the sport.

Who could have guessed Peppers would leave the place where he is arguably the face of the franchise and is adored by the team's owner and by a huge portion of the team's fan base?

Peppers did toss out that one bit of hope for Panthers' fans and that was his comment about not crippling his team. This Saturday will be the first big sign if there was any validity to the "not cripple" part of Peppers' comments.

My best guess for the Panthers' future, as of right now, is just accepting things at at face value. Peppers will probably play one last season in Carolina and be the highest paid player on the block earning over a million dollars a game.

I feel the Panthers will restructure Delhomme's contract so they can sign their second round defensive lineman and so they can acquire a few free agent defensive linemen and another possible defensive end who may just pop up as training camp ends and cuts approach.

However, ask me my opinion tomorrow afternoon and the answer may be 180 degrees different.

The Carolina Panthers' Jordan Gross To Sign Up and Julius Peppers to Sign Out

Rick Weaver — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:24:37 -0500

With free agency rapidly approaching the Carolina Panthers have found themselves "over a barrel" by not having Jordan Gross already signed to a new contract and not having their, weapon of last resort, the "franchise tag," placed on Julius Pepper.

Peppers seemed to feel his team, of seven years, should focus all of their efforts and their all important "franchise tag" on Jordan Gross and not him. That would be a senseless move for any team to make in this situation. A franchise cannot just let a first round draft pick simply walk away.

Peppers' career with the Panthers has been very successful, for the most part. However, Peppers' having only 2.5 sacks in 2007, while the Panthers paid him more than virtually any other player did not help Peppers' case. Couple Peppers multi-million dollar contract and his lack of production in 2007 along with his occasional taking plays "off" and his seemingly carefree attitude while losing a close game all had a way of irritating many Panthers' fans and left many others wondering if the mult-imillion dollar salary and the restrictions that salary placed on the team were actually really worth all of the trouble.

Even though Peppers' carefree demeanor was generally taken out of context, the smiles and laughs Peppers displayed on the sidelines just did not sit well with many Panthers fans. To many fans, having their team lose was no laughing matter. It just seemed like the wrong thing for a star player to do. With that said I will not question Peppers' desire to win. I feel Peppers wants to win as much or more than 52 other guys on his team and his career numbers prove it. But the way he deals with adversity may just be to laugh it off, but many fans will never understand that and will always take it as an "I don't care" attitude. I have heard fans say, more times than I can remember, "I would be laughing and smiling too if I was making almost a milion dollars per game just for playing football each week, even if I was losing!"

Now, Peppers did bounce back in 2008, posting a career high 14.5 sacks. Last season's output would surely be the platform from which Peppers will base his negotiations for his future contract this year.

This current dilemma may get nasty as the Panthers will have their hand forced, one way or the other. Though Peppers may not want any part of the franchise tag, he is going to get it.

Peppers may well start dictating the teams he would be interested in going to and Peppers could threaten to sit out if the Panthers did not oblige him. Those are the occasional reactions a player goes though when contract talks fall apart or when a player wants out of a city but is controlled by the team.

Now, head coach John Fox and general manager Marty Hurney may have been born at night, but trust me, they were not born last night. I am sure Peppers' coming demands will bother them, but they will not fold to them.

I cannot see the Panthers' "brass" just allowing Peppers to play for any NFC team and even moreover, I cannot see any situation where he would be allowed to play for an NFC South opponent.

Peppers landing spot will most certainly have to be in the AFC. The Panthers' position in the Peppers deal will be finding a team with the best drafts available who are wanting to enter the Julius Peppers contest.

Peppers may well threaten to veto many of the Panthers' possible trade deals, he will do so at his own peril. Peppers would effectively be giving up, what is viewed by most who know physiology, as the best potential year of his career.

A typical male athlete will reach their peak production between the ages of 28-30. Following 30 years of age, production usually has a pretty sharp angle of decline. Would Peppers waste the prime season of career going forward, just to prove a point?

I cannot see it. Peppers has accumulated numbers that have him on an NFL Hall of Fame pace and a one year vacation during his "peak" prime would put a dent in a future bid as a hall of famer.

With the combine already here and and the draft right down the road, the Carolina Panthers have no first round draft pick, no superstar defensive end and they also have an All-Pro offensive lineman who now has the keys to the franchise's future in his hip pocket.

That is not exactly how the Carolina Panthers felt the 2009 offseason would start off but that is how things have turned out.

The rather precarious situation the Panthers find themselves in can be directly attributed to a surprise announcement by Julius Peppers.

Peppers let his desires be known in a series of comments, following the Panthers embarrassing loss to the Superbowl losing Arizona Cardinals.

When Julius Peppers and his agent, Carl Carey, let it be known that Peppers wanted out of Carolina the whole dynamic revolving around the team was turned upside down in a flash.

Every single offseason need the Panthers had planned for had to be shelved until the team could get their situation worked out.

With the Carolina Panthers buffeting the outer limits of the NFL's salary cap, it was was already going to be very difficult to get potential free agents, Jordan Gross and Julius Peppers signed before the franchise "tag" designation time deadline arrives.

With Peppers' announcement, that he no longer wanted to play in Carolina, coming out while star tackle, Jordan Gross and the Panthers were in the midst of an intense contract negotiation, suddenly had huge implications regarding the Panthers' ability to sign players and operate successfully as a team that needing to make multiple changes during the 2009 offseason.

The announcement altered the teams ability to re-sign current free agents and even squelched the teams possible thoughts of making a move towards the addition of another quarterback. in other words, everything had to be put on hold.

The ironic thing this is that Peppers said he did not want to "cripple" his team of seven years. However, his move has the ability to be one of the most destructive blows he could possibly use against his team.

If Peppers could have done anything for any of his teammates or given them any gifts, on his way out of town, there is no way it could have been bigger than what his statement did for Jordan Gross.

Gross, who is arguably the best tackle who could become a free agent in 10 days, was handed the defacto, "keys to the Panthers' safe" when Peppers made his sentiments public.

More specifically, Peppers' announcement meant Gross did not have to fear having playing under the "franchise tag" for another season and again, it gave Gross a position of power in his negotiations with the Panthers.

The Panthers had worked hard to re-sign a long term deal with Gross, since the 2008 offseason. The team had worked just as hard to get a long term deal worked out with Peppers. But those contract negotiations hit a dead end as Peppers did not respond to the offer that was given to him at the beginning of the 2008 season.

The contract the Panthers reportedly offered Peppers would have made him the highest paid defensive player in the history of the NFL. The Panthers knew the franchise tag was there if they could not get both deals worked out.

However, using the tag on Peppers would have costs the team $17 million and they were prepared to use it if they had to.

Now the Panthers are handcuffed and are "on the clock." Everything, and I do mean everything revolves around what Jordan Gross decides to do.

Sources close to the Panthers said the sides are close to an agreement, "being closer than they have been in a year." In a conversation Tuesday with a former teammate of both Gross and Peppers, I was told the Gross deal should be wrapped up by late in the afternoon on Wedensday.

The whole Gross and Peppers contract ordeal could either work out quite well for the Panthers or the whole thing could be a complete disaster, that could set the Panthers back for years.

When Peppers made his desires known he seemed to think the team might possibly release him so he could pursue playing for another team. But Peppers, more than anyone has to know just how much of a business professional football is. Peppers trade value, once the franchise tag is placed on him, becomes enormous.

The Panthers, who have no first round draft picks this year, could possibly get two first round picks or any combination of a first round pick, plus a second round, and third round pick or any combination of a first round pick and either one, two or three later round picks depending on what the current market is for Peppers' services and just what type of draft picks the interested teams happen to have.

Things look as if they will actually play out pretty well for all involved, especially for Gross who can now force the Panthers to step up and agree to the contract terms he wants before this Thursday's franchise tag deadline or have the team risk losing either himself or Peppers and lose any chance for any compensation for the player not franchised.

If this situation was a "Texas hold'em" game, Peppers would be "all-in" as would the Panthers be, but Gross is sitting back, watching the clock, and is either bluffing or just trying to get everyone at the table "all-in" before he calls and lays down his royal flush.

Speaking of Texas, watch the Dallas Cowboys to see just how much the glimmer of a new, billion dollar, stadium and a team full of under achieving former Pro Bowlers seem to play on Peppers' decision to pick a team with a 3-4 defense.

If a deal is not worked out by late Thursday, the Panthers could franchise Peppers, trade him and get two top draft picks and simply let Gross go play for another team. Though this is very unlikely, one has to remember, the Panthers already have a starting tackle, Travelle Wharton, who is currently playing in the guard's position yet is being compensated as a tackle.

The Panthers also have two back-up guards and another tackle who are all capable being starters for most teams in the league. The draft picks gained from Peppers could then be used to acquire a top rated defensive free agent or used to build the defense using the newly acquired draft picks.

The other option for the Panthers, if Gross did not come to terms with them in time, could also wind up with the franchise tag being placed on himself, thus letting Julius Peppers have his way and sign anywhere he wants and give the Panthers nothing in return.

It is highly unlikely the Gross deal will not be worked out in the next 24 hours and Peppers franchised with trading partners lining up on Moorehead Street in Charlotte, with draft picks in their hand.

Until this whole contract debacle is settled all of the speculation as to what the Panthers might do in draft or free agency have become a topic that is still soon to comment on. The glaring need, will of course be at defensive end position, the interior defensive line, the cornerback's slot and a proven, "number two" wide receiver.

Julius Peppers: Thanks for the Memories

Rick Weaver — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 07:36:58 -0500

"I'm thankful for everything they've done for me and I don't want to leave them crippled or in a bad situation, and I don't want to do that to myself, either" is just how Julius Peppers left it with the media in Charlotte, just one day after the Panthers were taken to the woodshed by the Arizona Cardinals.

The translation—"thanks for the ride, thanks for the good times, and I hope you can get a fair trade for me, but I now want to become the highest paid defender alive...for another team if needed and in a new city. I need one that is possibly just a little bigger and can maybe even show a player a little more love."

It sounds selfish—I know...but why? Why would Peppers really want out of Carolina?

If Peppers just wanted to leave to go play for a team that would be a better contender for a Super bowl title than Carolina is (that is what I think a small part of this is), then Peppers needs to remember he was just two wins away from the 43rd Super bowl just one week ago.

Had the Panthers possibly been the Wild Card team and continued playing good football, on a streak, instead of getting the time-off that comes with a bye week, they may have been able to pull out the win against Arizona.

The bye week seemed to have slowed the Panthers. The same thing happened after the regular season bye as the Panthers struggled with timing issues when they back from their week off.

If quarterback Jake Delhomme had not had the single worst game of his career, the Panthers could possibly have won that game. With that said, if Carolina had won the Arizona game, advanced, and they were now preparing to meet the Eagles for the NFC Championship this weekend, things may have been different with Peppers. But that was not to be and probably would not have that much difference.

I just cannot accept that the only reasons that Peppers wants out of Charlotte is for more money and the chance to play for a better team. How much more money does a fellow need? Is playing for a team that employs a 3-4 defense all that critical for Peppers to be a part of? Will that help him get to the Hall of Fame any quicker? Most ex-players will tell you that next to the Hall of Fame that a Superbowl ring was the most coveted thing that was in their sport.

How many teams finished better than 12-4 last season? How many teams came within two wins of making it to their second Super bowl in five years, even though they were playing with a challenged defensive line and a suspect defensive secondary?

The Panthers, at certain times, were about as good as it got last season. Their run game was excellent, their passing attack seemed to be getting back on track following Delhomme's absence (until the last game), and early on the Panther defense played well.

Personally, I really thought the Panthers were over achievers this season. They had some very young players and a few rookies in some key positions and for the most part, they did not disappoint. I felt as if this coming offseason would be the time for Carolina to try and re-tool their defense as they had done for their offense last season.

The Panthers need new talent on the defensive line and they have a serious need for a "lock down" corner to play opposite of Chris Gamble in order to get their defense back to a top five or at least a top ten caliber squad. At that defensive level, they could truly vie for the Lombardi Trophy.

Remember the four teams who are playing this weekend to see who goes to the Super bowl? Three of those four teams play a level of defense that most teams can only dream about.

With the defensive changes probably coming in just a few months and if Delhomme's arm gets even better this offseason, I feel the Panthers may well be a contender again next season. Maybe Peppers and his agent saw things differently. Peppers was very possibly tired of Charlotte, NC.

Face it, after spending time in Chapel Hill playing both Tar Heel football and basketball, Peppers found the large "college town" to be closing in on him during his last season there.

Peppers had communicated with the press and with potential agents, for some time, through his guidance counselor, tutor, and academic adviser. Peppers wanted to stay above the fray at all costs and even asked his tutor to represent him in contract talks following the NFL draft.

That may be sort of a similar thing that is going on now. Peppers has friends all over the nation and spends a lot of time in the Houston area among other places.

He has trained in multiple locations during the offseason and has no unbreakable ties to the Charlotte area. He has made it clear that he does not necessarily "live" in Charlotte.

After last season, Peppers took a beating in the press and it got even worse on local sports talk radio stations. Some thought he possibly had some serious health concerns impacting his game. Others openly questioned Peppers' heart, desire, and will to win.

Well, one can theorize that it does not take too much repetitive criticism, hounding by the media, small market fans chasing you, and having no real chance for privacy to make a person want to be in a bigger city.

Seriously, if you ever go to a Panthers' home game and hear the pre-game player introductions, you will find there is only one player who drives the stadium into a fervor when his name is called.

One reason is No. 90 was a Tarheel and is seen as one of North Carolina's own. The other reason is those same fans who criticize Peppers also remember all of his amazing plays with the Panthers. They are still looking forward to the ones he will be a part of in the future.

As of right now, there seems to be no future for Peppers in Charlotte. This whole thing really starting to look planned.

Peppers had an offer from the Panthers and never had his agent make a counter offer. He would never really address the issue in the press until just recently and his response resembled an encrypted message.

Finally, the timing of this news also looks suspect. It was a week after the season was over, on a weekend, when no one is around, and when most coaches and their staffs had taken a short vacation break.

Well, for whatever reason, Peppers has probably played his last game as a Panther. He sure was amazing to watch.

To see him drop in man coverage against the league's top wide receivers or to sit back and watch him just totally flatten Jay Cutler as he tried to run out of bounds was truly amazing. The Cutler tackle seemed to change the entire game and give Carolina the much needed win over Denver.

Those are only a few of the many things that this special athlete did while wearing Panther blue and teal. It is almost a shame it has to end this way.

Peppers is truly one of the only players around who could probably play almost every position on the field—rushing a passer, run stop, and covering receivers. That is a rarity.

When a team gets such a talented player, they need to do everything possible to keep that player. Just ask the Kansas City Chiefs how things are this season without Jared Allen. If it's any indication, I think Carl Peterson was fired.

Panthers-Giants...A Blessing in Disguise For The Panthers?

Rick Weaver — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:48:00 -0500

Almost 80,000 bewildered Giants fans watched in the New Jersey swamp land for almost 60 minutes only to see their beloved Giants lose to the Panthers on a last second field goal, from the only original Panther, John Kasay. But wait just a minute, when the 51 yard kick left Kasay's foot it was true and Panther fans cheered and Giants fans started to feel that sick feeling....until the back judge crossed his arms and waived the kick off. The last five feet of the kick had been blown just left by that infamous Meadowland's wind.

The Giants had survived. The Giants' fans were elated and the Panthers and the Panther fans had just had the wind sucked out of their sails. But, looking at this from another perspective reveals this may just be a blessing in disguise for the Carolina Panthers.

The game was one of the most entertaining of the year. The Giants capitalized on the Panthers' shortcomings. Carolina's interior defensive run stopper, Ma'ake Kemoeatu was on the sidelines, out with an injury. If that was not enough, defensive tackle, Damione Lewis, was moved over to the "nose" position where he had almost no experience and wound up hurting his shoulder and was still asked to stop the league's leading rushing offense. It got even better for the Giants as Carolina had activated a rookie defensive tackle, Nick Hayden, from their practice squad on Saturday and played him in the most critical juncture of the game on Sunday. If that was not bad enough for the Panthers, another backup, defensive tackle Gary Gibson, was effectively playing with one arm tied behind his back as he was on the field with a cast on his hand and finally, arguably, Carolina's best defensive player, Jon Beason, had been sick with food poisoning and seemed to play nowhere near his actual ability.

The perfect storm had culminated and the Giants took advantage of it. Now, it is hard to explain why Carolina coach, John Fox had his rookie running back, Jonathan Stewart, on the field during the most critical drives of the game while the NFL's touchdown leading running back, DeAngelo Willliams, was merely a spectator. It was hard to explain a run play and not a pass on third down near the end of regulation and it was hard to explain why Carolina's defensive back, Ken Lucas, seemed to give everyone he covered, a five yard cushion.

Those questions can be debated but the Panthers had better be out of the argument. Their season lies fully in their hands going forward and looking back will not get it done. The Panthers, once again, face another "biggest game of the season." Face it, every game they have played since their last loss was their "biggest game of the season." This team has had to rise up when called on before this season and they have done it. Sunday night's game in the Meadowlands, just goes to show the Panthers are capable of playing up or down to their opponent's level.

Coach Fox knew the pros and cons of a win against the Giants. His conservative play calling near the end of the game and his post game press conference can almost lead one to believe Fox was not completely sold on the "do or die" nature of Sunday's game. John Fox remember's John Gruden's woes when he had a meaningless last game and rested his starters before going into the playoffs. Fox had already seen, earlier this season, how his team had trouble trying to bounce back after a bye week. It is a double edged sword. With a win Sunday Carolina would have gotten a meaningless last game and would have had the chance to avoid injury and simply rest their starters for two weeks and then play a home playoff game against a team coming off of a big win.

However, Sunday's loss assures the Panthers of one thing, this week's game in New Orleans is their biggest game of the 2008 season. Not only will Fox have the opportunity to have his team go out play hard in a big game that matters on the season's last week, he will also have the chance to let his team rest and heal for one week before a home playoff game after a win in New Orleans. Finally, Fox walked away from the Meadowlands with a huge bag of intangibles going into the postseason. Fox has a team that now has even more of a reason to want another shot at the Giants. Their is now the revenge factor. The Panthers want Sunday's night game back and if they follow this loss the way they have followed their other losses this season, they will probably get their re-match.

Now, the Panthers' focus and venom will turn toward the New Orleans Saints this Sunday. The Panthers will be asked to bounce back for the fifth time this season, but coming off Sunday's loss there could not be a bigger "bounce back" game. A win Sunday will secure the Panthers a second seed in the NFC Playoffs and then they will be two wins away from the Superbowl. If the playoffs were held today the Panthers' would face the winner of the Dallas-Minnesota game. The Giants would face the winner of the Arizona-Atlanta game.

The road to the Superbowl will not be easy for Carolina but it is doable. John Fox's coaching philosophy is all about field position and getting his team into a doable situation then letting the chips fall where they may. The road to a Panthers-Giants re-match will be loaded with land mines for both teams. There is no gimmie for either team. But it can happen and hopefully, for football fans, it will. The Panthers have been consistent this season as they have not lost any back-to-back games and have followed losses with at least two victories. Time will tell and nothing is certain but I will bet the Giants would prefer to not see a Panther team with a healthy defensive line and an adjusted game plan in the NFC Championship game.

The Panther faithful will get all of their questions answered this Sunday in New Orleans. The Panthers are a veteran enough team to not let the Giants' loss follow them into their next game, but it will be a hard loss to shake and a challenge to overcome, however, again it is doable. On the other hand, Giants' fans have to be happy with home field advantage going forward and the return of Brandon Jacobs. The Giants will face a bruising Vikings' team this weekend and Tom Coughlin seems to remember last season and the importance of keeping his starters active and riding a winning wave into the playoffs. If the Bears lose Monday the Vikings are in the playoffs and the Giants' game becomes a lot less important to the Vikings at that point. It could wind up with the Vikings resting key personnel and that could lead to a big closing weekend in New Jersey.

If the Vikings game does matter due to a Chicago win then this should one of the best closing weekends for the NFL in quite a few years. To have the San Diego Chargers with a heartbeat going into this weekend is unbelievable and to have the Carolina Panthers, who were chosen by many in the pre-season to be at best, an 8-8 team is almost as incredible. On another note, the Panthers' star running back, DeAngelo Williams has to get at least a legitimate look at the league's MVP award after blowing out all comers with his league leading touchdown total, his very healthy cumulative rushing yard total and his value to Carolina and their success this season.

Panthers-Giants: Can New York Afford To Lose?

Rick Weaver — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 21:32:09 -0500

I know the question seems to border on the fringe of practical football thinking. Can any team afford to lose any game? However, before you send out the men in white coats, I will bet that Giants' coach Tom Coughlin has given it some thought as well. Coughlin's Giant's are banged up, very banged up...so, could a loss actually help them?

The Giants' injury report sounds like a list of "who's who" of the Giants' roster. Players like key power running back Brandon Jacobs, who was forced by the Giants' medical staff to sit out last week after an MRI revealed damage to his knee. Jacobs was also limited in practice this week.

Giants' tackle Kareem McKenzie has been hampered by a back injury, safety Kenny Phillips is coming off of a concussion, Justin Tuck has as lower leg injury and Domenik Hixon has an ankle injury and this list of Giants is less than half of the Giants' players listed on their injury report.

It is expected that everyone will play, however, there is still somewhat of a question mark by Brandon Jacobs' name.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin is, among other things, a logical guy. Much to the chagrin of the New York fans and media, Coughlin has erred on the side of caution before and has usually succeeded in doing so.

However, this week may be different. Coughlin knows there is so much at stake in this game that anything short of throwing every player he has, plus the kitchen sink, at the Carolina Panthers could be seen as "taking a dive."

But he also knows that "overplaying" his key players could possibly cost him any real chances of a deep playoff run.

What does this game mean to New York? This Sunday's game versus the surging Carolina Panthers is for home-field advantage and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. However, Tom Coughlin knows his Giants team, when healthy, can win on the road.

He knows a team with its' key players healthy in the playoffs has a much better chance of getting to the Super Bowl than a team missing their star players. Also, Coughlin and the Giants have already "been there, done that," just last year in their trip to the Super Bowl as a wild-card team.

As far as the numbers go, the Giants have already clinched the NFC East and even with a loss Sunday the Giants, under a few scenarios, could still have a one-week bye and can possibly still get both playoff games at home, if things fell their way.

Anything can happen when players are coming off of an injury and the Giants can ill afford to lose Jacobs, McKenzie or Tuck for any period of time in the playoffs.
With this in mind, why would Coughlin risk putting an unhealthy Jacobs and a handful of his key players on the field against a very physical Carolina Panther team?

Well, for one thing, the Giants have lost two in a row and a losing trend is no way to enter the playoffs. Coughlin knows that game experience will keep his players sharp and can help keep them get better prepared for the coming playoffs.

Finally, Coughlin knows all about home-field advantage and just how hard it has been for other teams to come in and win in the blustery, windy, hostile, cold and sometimes snowy confines of the Meadow lands.

Finally, not fully competing and giving 100 percent runs contrary to everything Coughlin stands for. The Giants' offensive output has been abysmal as of late, due partially to Jacobs' absence and also due to Plaxico Burress being out of the mix.

Eli Manning was banged up last week after being continually smothered by the Dallas Cowboys' defense and is only one akward fall away from a visit to the injury report himself...Did I mention Julius Peppers is playing against a banged up offensive line?

So, what would might a coach do?

One argument could be made to go out with adequate substitutes and just have a banged up team simply rest while trying to get your key personnel healthy.

The thought process behind that is the fact that you need your stars for the future games that "really count" and depending on how the NFC playoff picture is settled you can possibly still have some or even all of the benefits of being a number one seed.

Remember, regular season wins and a good record will get you into the playoffs. January wins will get you into the Super Bowl. No coach can force a team to "peak," yet nobody wants to come off of a three game losing streak.

However, placing players who are nowhere near being healthy, back in harm's way and risk having a huge "setback" can definitely impede a team's chances for future wins.

Where do the Carolina Panthers come in on the subject. One the injury front, the Panther's starting guard Keydrick Vincent, was placed on the "Injured Reserve" list Saturday.

Vincent will be replaced by former starter Jeremy Bridges. Vincent has been a very consistent member of an above average offensive line this season. However, Bridges has played well when called on, he knows the offense and there should he very little drop off when he lines up Sunday.

The only other Panthers' starter who is really in question is inside run stopper Ma'ake Kemoeatu.

If he were held out, it could possibly allow for the Giants to have some advantage running the ball on the inside as the Giants' line may be able to more easily get to the second level of the Panthers' defense, and more specifically, allow their offensive linemen to get "chip" blocks on the Panthers', league's second leading tackler, Jon Beason.

However, Carolina has a few options to play if Kemoeatu cannot go. The one thing Carolina cannot replace in Kemoeatu's position is size.

The Carolina Panthers know the road has not been their friend this season. The have picked up their only three loses, this year, on the road. On the other hand, the Panthers know that home-field advantage has meant everything to them this year. They are undefeated at home.

The Panthers are playing inspired football. They are number one in scoring over the past eight weeks and their rushing duo of Williams and Stewart is number one rated one-two punch in the NFL.

Steve Smith has been on fire as of late and quarterback Jake Delhomme reminded the Denver Broncos just what can happen if you try and stack the box to slow the Panthers' run game.

Then there are the intangibles. The Panthers' owner, Jerry Richardson, came to last weeks Panthers' home game after getting the nod from his doctors. However, the entire Panther organization knows the "Big Cat" is going through very tough challenge as he was placed on the heart transplant waiting list after suffering multiple heart problems since 2002.

This past offseason Mr. Richardson challenged this team to win and he challenged Julius Peppers to take more of a leading role in doing so. While Jon Beason and Muhsin Muhammad have been the de facto leaders of the team, the normally quite and reserve Peppers has rallied the Panthers' defense on more than one occasion this year and has made some very timely plays that have given the Panthers the opportunity to win some very close games this year.

If there was ever time for the Panthers to win one for someone else, this is the game. If there was a time to leave it all on the field in a game, this is it for the Panthers. If there was ever a time to play hurt, play hard and make sacrifices to win, this is it for the Panthers.

Finally, the Panthers 11-3 record had not even promised them a playoff invitation until a late Saturday loss by the Dallas Cowboys happened to hand the Panthers a wild-card spot to the postseason.

There are more won-loss scenarios that will happen Sunday afternoon before the Panthers take the field that could help the Panther's position. A Tampa and Atlanta loss could propel the Panthers into winning a division title, and if the football Gods decided on a Minnesota and Atlanta tie, with a Tampa loss, the Panthers would take a first-round bye, no matter what happens tomorrow night in New Jersey.

Panther fans are all too familiar with scoreboard watching and having to depend upon other teams to win or lose games just to keep their team in the mix.

This Sunday night's game is a schedule maker's dream. It could not have been planned better. But who could have known. During the preseason and early on this season, the Panthers were picked by many to finish 6-10 to 8-8.

The Panthers were on nobody's radar. Jake Delhomme was washed up as he had irreparable damage to his throwing arm because no other professional quarterback had ever successfully come back after Tommy John surgery.

In Week Three, Fox pregame "analyst," Howie Long, when asked which 2-0 team would not make the playoffs, quickly reported "the Panthers would not make the playoffs." After the bye week, Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith seemed to have some major timing issues more questions arose.

The duo had spent four days away from practice, something they had not done in months. Delhomme had more than a few passes "sail" on him and even the casual observer could tell the pair was not on the same page.

During this same time the Panthers' run game began to take over games, but Howie Long had to step back in on another Fox pregame show, four few weeks following the bye and declare, "Sources in Carolina have reported that Jake Delhomme had a dead arm."

Now, I openly question the "sources" and their information. The next game saw Delhomme make tough touchdown passes and critical third-down throws. Long was even "ribbed" by co-host Terry Bradshaw on the Fox postgame show about Delhomme's "dead" arm following the Panthers' win. A win that was made possible after key passes from who? Well, you guessed it, Jake Delhomme.

So, what happens? Coughlin isn't giving up anything. Neither is Carolina coach, John Fox. The players all swear they are healed up and ready to go. Now, as far a scenario that may play out...I have to believe Coughlin plays his starters but does it with reservations and care.

Occasionally, some big-time boxing matches are postponed for months due to a fighter suffering a cut during training. They postpone the fight due to the fact if the fighter is not given time to heal properly, his cut will easily re-open and could quickly cost him a fight or even worse, a career.

It is called living to fight another day.

Would either coach do that Sunday? I could see at least one coach not force the issue and change up his personnel if there is any injury issue that could become more problematic if he kept that player or players in the game.

I can also see another one of the two, NFC leading, coaches try every play in the book to walk away with a win. I think you can figure out what happens. Who has the most to gain and the most to lose should answer all of your questions.

DeAngelo Williams: A Rising Star and Possible MVP?

Rick Weaver — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:11:27 -0500

Can an NFL player who does not make the Pro Bowl even be considered to be a contender for the league's MVP award? Sure, anything can happen in this world in which we live.

Will it happen? Not likely.

Does that end the conversation about how and why the Carolina Panthers' star running back, DeAngelo Williams, has placed himself in a position to even be considered for the hallowed award?

The league MVP award is all about a player's value to his team and how that player's contribution has impacted his team and added to their overall success in the NFL.

Those close to the Carolina Panthers know John Fox's version of a successful team is one with an above-average defense, a very tough rushing backfield that can average five yards per carry, a quarterback good enough to manage a solid run game and talented enough to throw the deep ball when opposing defenses decide they have to "stack the box" in order to slow the Panthers' run game down.

So, who is DeAngelo Williams? What does a 45-year-old former Panther quarterback, a rookie running back, with whom Williams has had to split his carries with this season, and a professional wrestling "tag-team" duo all have to do Williams' on-field success and his likable persona and the respect he has earned from his fellow Panthers?

Well, in a way, almost everything.

First of all, last year's parade of backup quarterbacks rolling through Charlotte included the walking legend, Vinny Testaverde. Before being injured, Testaverde had a degree of success during his short tenure in Carolina. What was it about the former 1st round draft pick, who was still competitive at 44 years old, that impressed his new Panther teammates, including a backup running back named DeAngelo Williams?

The impressive part had to do with the professionalism Testaverde brought to the table and the mere fact that a man who was old enough to be many of the player's fathers was actually able to win a professional football game.

It was also quite a testament to Testaverde's work ethic that he could actually bench press more weight, bad back and all, than some of the "stronger" players on the Panthers' roster.

"I think he's (Testaverde) probably impacted my season the most this year than anybody because of the conversation that we had before he left," Williams said Wednesday in an interview with the AP's, Mike Cranston.

In the same AP segment by Cranston, it was stated, "We had a lengthy conversation and everything he said to me made perfect sense," said Williams, Carolina's first round pick in 2006.

"From the film room down to work ethic and everything of that nature. He really left me with some things that really touched me and stayed on my heart, as you can tell from this season."

What epiphany did the backup running back have that propelled him from his role as a mere number two backup "runner," playing behind DeShaun Foster, to now being the NFL's touchdown leader and part of the tandem that leads the NFL in rushing yardage. Well, Williams isn't saying...just yet, anyway. But you can believe it all started after Williams was hauled down from behind after a huge break-away run last season. Williams looked like he had a sure fire awaiting, but as he got closer to the goal line something started to happen. It was not a hamstring pull or an Olympic sprinter who stopped Williams touchdown run. It was a football who had worked harder.

Now, the long run itself was great for the team and Williams was very excited but a bit miffed at not scoring the touchdown. However, Williams had not even leftt the sideline before the ribbing started. Williams said the comments started then. It was all in fun but having guys say "you got ran down!" and "hey,you need the oxygen bottle?" can be sort of eye opening. Testaverde knew what had happened and on the plane ride back to Carolina, Vinnie went back and asked DeAngelo if he could sit down and speak with him for a minute. The transformation had begun. Williams would not be run down again if he had his way.

When last offseason started most players take a nice long break. DeAngelo Williams, knew what Vinnie Testaverde had told him and it did not involve three or four week vactions. Willaims was back, hard at work , in preparation for the 2009 season. A season where Williams is on track to break every rushing and touchdown record the Panthers have. If he gets anywhere near the type of production numbers he had at Memphis, then you may just be looking at the first Carolina Panther player headed to Canton. Williams owns the records for most yards from scrimmage in college football history. He has more 100 yard plus rushing games than anyone in collegiate history as well. Hold those hats on tightly Panthers' fans. Mr. Williams has many more years left to play.

One look at a Panthers' practice and you will see Williams hit the open hole and run the ball all of the way to the end zone. Whether it was five yards or twenty five yards he goes for the goal line. If it is in the 100 degree Spartanburg heat during Panther training camp or last week in the rain, when the hand off to Williams is called you will see him "take it to the house."

Sure, it would have been fine to simply stop after five extra yards and jog back to the huddle. But somewhere in Williams' head, I will bet you can hear Testaverde saying, "You practice like you play and you will play like you practice.....and you will only get out what you put in."

At 5'9", 217 pounds, Williams, from a distance looks smallish, but up close and personal, DeAngelo is nothing less that a well built, solid mass of muscle. Actually he and Panther superstar Steve Smith are very close in size, with Williams having a lower body, made perfectly for a low center of gravity. So, don't let size fool you.

Williams is nowhere near the size of Brandon Jacobs or Marion Barber, but his numbers are overwhelmingly better, and he runs just as hard between the tackles and poses much more of a deep threat when he gets on the outside.

Cranston asked Jake Delhomme about the conversations had by Williams and Testaverde and Delhomme said, "Last year, Vinny talked to DeAngelo about that, about, 'Hey, when you practice, run. Finish runs.'"...

"Because Vinny had all those years and knew how to prepare. He was a tireless worker. He prepared extremely hard. I thought it was great that Vinny did that, because obviously, he saw something in DeAngelo."

What Testaverde saw was what Panther fans saw when DeAngelo was returning kickoffs as a rookie. He was a fierce runner and before each return he would lean his head back and do an abbreviated "backstroke" dance before every kickoff return.

The motions he went through looked similar to the dance move he and his "power rushing" friend, Jonathan Stewart, now do after either one of them scores a touchdown. Speaking of dances and duos that leads me to the kind of guy Williams is.

Besides being a very serious competitor—and I do mean serious—Williams also keeps his life light hearted. One look at his collegiate numbers will give you an idea of the kind of football player Carolina actually has.

Williams holds the NCAA records for most career all-purpose yards (7,573) and 100-yard rushing games (34). He also ranks fourth on the all-time NCAA rushing list with 6,026 yards, trailing only Ron Dayne, Ricky Williams, and Tony Dorsett.

On the other hand, Williams knows exactly how to have a good time. He knows who he is and he keeps it light and has fun with it. He has the kind of face and personality that Madison Avenue would love if he could somehow find his way on the national stage. Maybe an early game in 2009 could change all of that.

Where is the disdain and animosity for the rookie running back who has taken up over 700 yards and nine touchdowns away from Williams' potential? It simply does not exist. Williams, who splits carries and plays a little more than half of most games, knows he could possibly be the NFL's leading rusher and possibly be on a record setting pace.

But Williams also knows he could wind up like many other backs who are over-played. Injured and not reliable. The more you play, the more chances you have to accrue injuries. The more injuries you have usually equates to a shorter career you will have.

Most importantly, Williams knows keeping a "fresh" running back and being able to toss in a "change of pace back" in the Panther run game can wreak havoc on opposing defenses and so far it has worked. Williams cares about the game in front of him, not the accolades left behind him.

When many in the local Charlotte media argued and made their cases that DeAngelo was "robbed" and shunned by the league for not making the Pro Bowl, Williams had already said he did not care about it.

He said he was focused on one thing only, getting ready for the all important, NFC showdown versus the Giants this Sunday night.

So, with this seriousness and focus that Williams has, just where did the light-hearted personality, the dance, and the celebration come from? Williams is a funny guy and he loves to have a good time.

I had taken my young sons to see the a pay-per-view wrestling event and "The Hardy Boys," a "tag-team" duo had just finished off their opponents in the popular traveling exhibition America knows as the "WWE."

The fans who had filled the Charlotte Bobcats Arena seemed to be cheerfully having a good time with it, the kids were lapping it up. However, there was one young fellow, three rows ahead of me, on the front row, who was absolutely going wild.

As he jumped and laughed and acknowledged the winning duo, his short dreadlocks bounced. As he turned around, you could tell by the smile that DeAngelo Williams was having a blast.

Williams was having fun. Now, DeAngelo knows wrestling is only meant to entertain its' followers, but it also is an exhibition of some very amazing, high-flying, acrobatic moves by some very large, muscle bound guys, like the ones he sees on the field every day.

Each "big-time" wrestler worth their salt has a patented entrance song and a few, especially "tag-team" duos have creative celebration dances. These moves and drama that surrounds these guys make them seem larger than life and it all looks like a well scripted music video.

So, what does wrestling have to do with the NFL, DeAngelo Williams, and a possible league MVP award? Specifically, nothing. However, in regards to DeAngelo Williams, it is sort of a confirmation that he enjoys doing all he can do, doing it well, being an unselfish part of a team and off course, doing that celebration dance.

In the offseason, the Panthers drafted a "power-runner" in the first round. Jonathan Stewart or "Stewy" as he is known by his teammates has also become a wrestling fan. He is the other part of the Carolina Panther league-leading rushing duo. He is Williams' "tag-team," his reliever, his teammate, his post toouchdown celebration partner and most of all, his friend.

In a time where it seems some athletes are all about the "me" factor and when some even seem to almost care less about whether their team actually wins a game as long as they get their "stats" Deangelo is different. It is all about the money to way too many guys these days.

Many times it looks like there are a handful of players in the NFL who look to be more focused on getting a certain amount of carries or catches, anyone know a wideout in Dallas crying about his tight end getting more looks he does? This is what separates DeAngelo Williams from the pack. He is not selfish. More than once I have seen "Delo," as he known by his teammates, run the ball 10 or 20 yards to the 5 yard line and come out of the game and be replaced by Stewart and in doing so, give up "his" touchdwon. Remeber, this has happened more than once...but who is the first one off of the sideline to go out and "chest bump" and have a victory dance with Stewart? Williams of course.

It is all about the team and posting wins for Williams. One look at the number prove it. The duo, who have seemingly took the name "Smash and Dash" are the NFL's best pair of running backs. Williams alone has more touchdowns than any other player in the entire NFL.

Clinton Portis, who was named to the Pro Bowl instead of Williams, is ranked 33rd in touchdown production.

On the other hand Jonathan Stewart is tied for 15th and "oh, by the way," Adrian Peterson is also tied with Carolina's No. 2 running back, Jonathan Stewart in the touchdown production department. The numbers do not lie. If you add any pair of running duos numbers together, no-one has more overall rushing yardage than Carolina's "Smash and Dash."

No, disrespect to LenDale White, who seemingly claimed the "Smash and Dash" moniker before DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart did, may just need to reflect on the facts and stats before he gets too upset. I think a fine way to settle it would be a Superbowl showdown between Tennessee and Carolina. The winner could copyright "Smash and Dash" and the loser could eat their humble pie

Williams' leadership to Jonathan Stewart has been priceless. His touchdown production is amazing and is the best in the NFL. His yards-per-carry numbers are incredible.

The focus, effort and talent he brings to his team has his team ranked between second or third in the various, different, national NFL power rankings. Williams' Panthers are one win away from wrapping up home field advantage throughout the NFC Playoffs.

Home field has not meant much to the Panthers over the past few years, but this year, that has all changed. The Panthers are perfect at home. They have come from behind to win, they have won a few close games, and they have also posted record-shattering blowouts against some of the NFL's best teams.

Most impressive? The 299 rushing yards against Tampa's vaunted "Tampa Two" defense where Williams had 186 off of just 19 carries...while happily splitting runs with his tag-team partner, Stewy.

Is Williams worthy of MVP consideration? Time will tell.

However, if the Panthers can ride Williams' hard running style to a win over the New York Giants, thus securing home field advantage for playoffs, that would place Williams' team just two wins away from the Super Bowl.

And that may go a long way in helping focus a few sets of eyes on just how important Williams is to his team and how the team has prospered when Williams has been successful.

Carolina Panthers: Every Game Is a Must-Win

Rick Weaver — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 16:21:36 -0500

For some reason, it just seemed the Carolina Panthers started playing in last Sunday's, all-important conference rivalry game against the Atlanta Falcons about 30 minutes after the Falcons took the opening kickoff and marched down the field for a Jason Elam field goal.

Couple that late start and the late surge of intensity from the Carolina Panthers and consider a lack of early third down conversions, throw in a handful of false starts from the Panther's "franchise tagged" right tackle and from their first-round draft pick rookie left tackle, add in a handful of three step drops and multiple batted balls, then toss in some very inconsistent defensive line play, two sleepy cornerbacks and a backup third-year cornerback who seemed to forget all pass-defending techniques and who decided it was time to gp out make Matt Ryan look like a bit like Kenny Stabler, circa 1976, then add some very sloppy special teams play and an array of non-play stopping, ineffective, half-hearted "arm tackles", plus a few very questionable play calls and those deficiencies added together have all but placed the Carolina Panthers in the midst of a possible 2008 season tailspin to nowhere.

Get the idea, the Panthers were taken to the woodshed in all facets of the game, and if this is not corrected very soon, the bubble could burst.

This game was not one of Carolina's signature games, where their lackluster offense happened to have a hot Panther defense to bolster its efforts and help post a win, nor was the Panthers' high-octane offense able to score enough points to cover for a sporadic defensive effort.

No, this was overall bad play from all every unit.

Face it, the Panthers had just dominated this same Falcons' team just two months ago at home and they somehow wound up in Atlanta getting manhandled by a rookie quarterback and pounded by a running back, Michael Turner, who seemed to be saying, "you should have chosen me to carry the rock!" because the Panthers had passed over him in the free agent market this off-season in favor of their capable rookie first-rounder, Jonathan Stewart.

Speaking of Atlanta, I am not much for giving "props" to the Atlanta Falcons...In my opinion, they are a team who seems to play "dirty." There has always been an array of chop blocks when Atlanta comes to town. Trust me, In 1990 I stood yards away from MC Hammer and Travis and watched them 'high five" each other with each flagrant hit as the Falcons chop blocked their way past the great Joe Montana and his San Francisco 49er's...So, it is not like they just decided to be the "dirty birds" last week. It is more like the team culture. However, John Fox-like, Atlanta coach, Mike Smith should get the coveted "coach of the year award." That is, unless those in the know think the Titans' staff's efforts in keeping Albert Haynesworth happy and drafting a speedy running back in Chris Johnson equates to a coach of the year award, I do not really believe it does. Atlanta was a team that seemed on the verge of a total collapse last season. To come back and be competitive this quickly after a total house cleaning along with the Vick and Patreno sagas and finally after the snub given to Atlanta, by the Miami bound, "Tuna," has made this season almost unreal for any fan in Atlanta. <p>

By the way, Stewart had 15 yards rushing in his second game vs. the Falcons. To be perfectly fair, last Sunday was more of a DeAngelo Williams rushing day for the Carolina backfield, and Stewart did seem to be slow to get up after a few hard tackles. The point is, will the "real" Carolina Panthers, eight-win team, show up this Sunday?

The next must-win game is Sunday in Green Bay. The forecast calls for snow and that means the Panthers' run game needs to get in gear early. This should to be an interesting game.

Whatever the final score of this conference game, this game is "do-or-die" for Green Bay and it is basically the same for the Panthers.

The Panthers have to know just what this game means. Was the loss to Atlanta enough to serve as a wake up call for Carolina? We will know the answer very soon.

The keys to the game will be protecting the ball, slowing Aaron Rodgers' production and keeping Ryan Grant away from the goal line. Finally, with the weather being what it is supposed to be, John Kasay's accurate leg may come in very handy.

This week's prediction

Panthers 20

Green Bay 13

The Carolina Panthers Vs the Oakland Raiders: Trap Game or Blow Out?

Rick Weaver — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:14:19 -0500

The Carolina Panthers face a turbulent Oakland Raiders team this Sunday and many have already placed a "W" in the Panthers' win column, but there is one bit of business that needs to take place first.

Remember, there are 60 minutes of football that has to be played before anyone is awarded a win.

With that in mind, is there any way Carolina could overlook the Raiders? Not likely, especially after a bye week.

However, the Panthers have created somewhat of a certain pattern surrounding their wins this season. In subsequent games, the Panthers have won two games and lost one, then repeating the same pattern in their next three matchups. Their last game marked the end of the win two in a row phase of that equation, and they could break the loss cycle with a victory in Oakland.

On paper, where games are never played, the Panthers should probably only lose two more games this entire season and that would leave them with a 12-4 record. But remember, in today's NFL any team can lose to any other team if the timing and circumstances are just right.

Just ask the New York Jets about the Raiders, and talk to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers about the scare the Kansas City Chiefs gave them last week.

Is this the Panther's year? It could be, but the jury is still out, however, the early returns have totally been in Carolina's favor, as they were winners or very competitive in all but one of their games this season.

Could the NFC's second ranked Carolina Panthers actually drop this game to the desperate Raiders? Well, the Raiders actually bettered themselves this past week with the release of DeAngelo Hall. If the game was played on paper there would be no reason for the Panthers to leave a beautiful Charlotte weekend to go out and smother one of the NFL's worst teams.

The Raider's offense is ranked dead last in points scored and have the second lowest ranked passing attack in the NFL. This bodes well for the rested Panthers, but the Raiders do have the league's eight ranked rushing attack. That is where the game could get interesting.

The Raiders top pick, Darren McFadden is listed as questionable for this weeknd's game but the very capable Justin Fargas is ready to go.

Look for Carolina to pull one extra defender from their regular pass coverage package or at least have one corner "cheat" toward the run unlike they have done so far this season.

They will play almost every down as if it is a run play. Face it, the Panthers will "stack the box." In the event that McFadden does show up ready to play along with Fargas and they were both able to have some early success this Sunday, it could actually open up the play action pass for JaMarcus Russell.

The problem is, Russell has no real downfield targets to throw to. Tight End, Zach Miller is the Raiders' top target and even though he has had some success this season, there is little chance he will burn the Panthers with an 80-yard touchdown scamper.

If the Panthers can post a strong enough run defense and have just an average day turned in by DeAngelo Williams and Steve Smith, they should easily win this game.

Even though Jonathan Stewart may be out this weekend or play little due to an injured heel, the Raiders defense is well suited for William's slashing run style. So, there should be little drop off for the Panthers run game.

What are the pitfalls here? The ability to break away for a long run is the one thing Oakland has to bring to the table. It has happened more than once this season and Fargas has the ability to get it done. The Panthers defense's ability to stop the long gainer is the primary key to a Panther win.

If McFadden plays, he has to be held in check. Fargas cannot be allowed to run rough shot over the Panthers defense either. Jon Beason and friends should be able to handle this assignment as they have held most of the league's top running backs to less than 100-yards per game this season.

If the Panthers can keep the Raiders rushing yards down this Sunday, they will be one game closer to the season's best, 8-2 mark posted, after 10 games, by the Superbowl team in 2003.

Prediction: Carolina 28 Oakland 14.

The Carolina Panthers and Their New-Look Offense

Rick Weaver — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:36:01 -0400

Carolina Panthers Update

The 2008 Carolina Panthers' Changes and How They Have Worked So Far

The 2008 Carolina Panthers have a record of 5-2 just one week away from the halfway point of the season. So far, the Panthers' season has been a bit of a mixed bag.

There was a very hard-fought first game against the San Diego Chargers, which consisted of a breathtaking comeback win where a Jake Delhomme touchdown pass with no time on the clock silenced a shocked stadium full of 71,000 stunned San Diego Charger fans.

There have been two franchise-record setting "margin of victory wins" and a comeback win against one of the NFL's toughest defensive units.

The Panthers have only had two setbacks so far. The two losses have not been pretty, and they were marked by generally bad play. However, both losses also had some very costly special-teams mistakes that look to be correctable going forward. There are only two losses, but the Tampa Bay loss stings especially bad.

The Tampa loss was an especially big loss as losses go. Not only was it a loss to a divisional foe and rival, it was a game that had multiple implications as far as any possible post-season positioning. Had the Panthers had won they would have have been able to create a bit of "separation" in the NFC South as the division leader a win would have left the Panthers holding early tie-breakers against Atlanta, Tampa, and after last weekend, New Orleans.

Even with everything on the line the game was not even close. Yes, there were blunders, odd-ball plays that seemed to fall Tampa's way, weird deflections and tips into the hands of surprised Tampa defensive backs and just some "unlucky" bounces that the Panthers never seemed to get. It was a day where Carolina could not have bought a break.

Tampa came out and looked more like a desperate team hungry for a big win. Jeff Garcia finally had his chance to play and he played as if he was intent on proving his arch-nemesis head coach, John Gruden, wrong, once and for all about who the starting quarterback should really be in Tampa.

When it was all said and done Jeff Garcia had come out playing like a dead-eye gunslinger, while Jake Delhomme seemed to look like a the guy who brought a pocket knife to a gunfight....and lost. Carolina seemed flat from the beginning. Even when the Panther's offense had made it inside the Tampa 5 yard line Jonathan Stewart and Jake Delhomme managed to get their feet tangled up causing Stewart to fall and commit a costly fumble. Tampa took the ball and scored following the fumble. Couple those mistakes with a freebie touchdown given up by Carolina, on a blocked punt, and it was obvious early that things were going bad fast for the gang from Charlotte.

The Panthers could not really be as bad as they looked in Tampa could they? Personally and statistically, I do not think so. One can blame the loss on whatever they want to but what I saw were crucial mistakes and a rare instance of Panther coach John Fox getting "out-coached" and "out-game planned" by Tampa's John Gruden and Monte Kiffin. The Bucs seem to have a script and they stuck to it.

The Panthers could not really have been as bad as they appeared in Tampa could they? Well, there was only one way to answer that question. The answer lied in how the Panthers would come out the following week against the NFL's No. 1 passing quarterback, Drew Brees. When it was all said and done the Panther's defense had basically crushed the high octane New Orlean's offense. The Panthers held the Saints' star quarterback, Drew Brees, to no touchdown passes last Sunday, and that is something that has not happened in a while.

More than that, the Panthers' defense held Brees to just 177 yards passing, until a garbage-time drive in the game's last minute. I think the team redeemed itself but I know the Tampa loss still has a bad taste lingering on the Panthers' collective taste buds.

The only real way the sting of the loss to Tampa can be removed from the team's pallet is for Carolina to beat Tampa on a Monday night showdown, in Charlotte, later this season.

So, how did the Panthers get to 5-2?

Well, first of all, the Carolina Panthers' run game underwent a major face-lift this spring. Carolina said goodbye to DeShaun Foster at the end of last season and left fans wondering which "big name" running back would wind up in Charlotte.

Not only did the run game change, the Carolina receiving corps also underwent major changes as well. Released were Drew Carter and Keary Colbert. There was also the question of quarterback Jake Delhomme's elbow. Many fans actually thought the team would go into free agency or the draft looking for a power runner, wideout, and backup quarterback.

The receiver position almost took care of itself with the pickup of former Panther and former Chicago Bear wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad. Also added was the explosive former Seahawk wideout, D.J. Hackett, to compete for the No. 2 receiver position along side Muhammad. So far, Hackett has had injury issues but has contributed when active.

Muhammad is seemingly older to kids the same age as some of the the rookies he plays with. However, I have yet to see any drop-off whatsoever in Muhammad's skill-set and in many ways, he appears to be much fresher and more productive than he was in Chicago.

The other things Muhammad brought to the table for the Panthers' organization were the intangibles, one of which is his ability to lead and command respect. The Panthers were lucky the stars were aligned for the Muhammad transaction to occur.

The Panther's somewhat lackluster offensive line went from a unit that had little success last season to now being one of the NFL's largest and most complete offensive lines. The addition of rookie Jeff Otah at right tackle helped to add strength, speed, and size to that side of the line, and the left tackle's position was secured when the Panthers used their "franchise tag" on Jordan Gross.

The guard position was upgraded with the move of former tackle Travelle Wharton back at his natural guard position, thus alleviating him of the tackle position. The Panthers also moved Ryan Kalil to the center position and added Keydrick Vincent to the other guard slot.

Even with a few key injuries on the Panthers' line, there has been very little drop-off in overall performance this season. The Panthers finally seem to have depth at multiple positions and that is very important in today's NFL. Jake Delhomme has had plenty of time to pass the ball and new running lanes have been opened this season that were not around last season. So far, so good for the new offensive line. The only issue that could cause a minor concern in the line would be rookie Jeff Otah's durability.

Remember the John Fox formula that was used to get to the 2003 Super Bowl? Don't look now, but coach Fox seems to be following that same model lately. Now, did I use the "S" word?

I know it is very, very early in the season and after the Panther's loss to the Bucs last week it appears winning the NFC South could even be more of a challenge than winning the entire NFC championship. But make no mistake about it...The pieces are in place in Charlotte for the Panthers to make a deep run in the postseason, if they can stay healthy and keep their focus.

It seems as if every NFL team is but one injury away from total failure, and the Panthers tend to fall into this category with a few key players. Note the recent failures by the Dallas Cowboys and how important a healthy and cohesive squad truly is.

Coach Fox's method for his past successes consisted of having a middle of the pack, yet efficient, offensive unit paired with a top five, smash-mouth defense. The model for Fox's wins tends to be relying on keeping scores close and controlling the battle for field position. Historically speaking, this kind of model—pairing a solid defense and a ball-control offense—has gotten more than one team to the "big game" and coach Fox swears by it. He believes in it so much that he is probably banking his career on the success this season's third-ranked Panther defense and his team's 16th-ranked offense.

The Panthers have really not had an effective running back corps since former Panther Stephen Davis succumbed to health issues in 2005. DeShaun Foster could never really fill the void left by Davis, and the Panthers' rushing game was in a state of decline following the end of Davis's career in Carolina.

To help correct the issue, the 2006 Panthers run game featured the newly drafted, former Memphis star, DeAngelo Williams. Williams split some time with former Panther DeShaun Foster and performed kick-return duties. In his first season as a Panther, Williams racked up a respectable 501 yards with a quality 4.1 yards per carry.

Last year, William's rushing numbers picked up, as Williams posted 717 rushing yards with a very healthy 5.0 yards per carry average.

It was evident last season that Williams was a "keeper" and it became clear that the next step was for the Panthers to find a running back to be the "goal-line" or "power back." They needed a running back who could get the tough yards, running between the tackles.

Earlier, in free agency, it actually looked as if the Panthers my have found that "power back" back with the signing of former Jaguar backup, LaBrandon Toefield. Many Panther fans thought the roster was firming up and looked for the team to possibly draft a quarterback, a tackle, and then bolster their defense unit with their top three picks in last year's draft.

Then everything changed on draft day 2008. Enter Jonathan Stewart. The Oregon back was thought, by some draft watchers, to be one of the most, if not THE most, complete running backs in the entire draft, had he not been hampered by a "turf toe" injury that required surgery to repair.

On draft day 2008, the Panthers stepped up and fooled most observers when they made a move and traded away next year's first and third-round picks to Philadelphia so they would be able to have two picks in the first round of the draft.

With those two picks, the Panthers selected Jonathan Stewart and tackle Jeff Otah. At that very point, the running game had improved.

In the preseason, Stewart played very little until the third game against the Washington Redskins, at which point he (Stewart) and DeAngelo Williams looked like the one-two tandem the Panthers had been longing for.

Though it was a preseaon game, it was actually a precursor for what would develop as the regular season progressed. LaBrandon Toefield turned out to not be the dominate type of back the Panthers had hoped for, and he was released as the Panthers trimmed their roster for the regular season.

Fast-forward to the 2008 regular season, and we have seen coach John Fox starting DeAngelo Williams in the first half of most games, then bringing in Stewart as the half progressed or letting Stewart on the field in certain situations or as needed.

This has seemed to help Stewart adjust to the "speed" of the professional game, as well as it helped bring Stewart along slowly enough to allow his healing toe to become more stable and better suited for the demands of the pro game and long season.

All-in-all, the system has worked well for Stewart and Williams this season. The running-back tandem and their different styles of running attacks have helped to keep the wear-and-tear to a minimum for both backs. The system also gives opposing defenses headaches, due to the fact that they basically have to prepare for two different rushing attacks.

Williams is the more shifty scat-back, and Stewart is the prototypical power back. Stewart does well running between the tackles. However, Stewart does have very nice breakaway speed.

How has the system been working thus far?

Except for a few special-teams blunders that seemed to create a domino effect of bad luck in Tampa, and a lackluster showing on the road in Minnesota, the Panthers have really looked like a true playoff contender.

The two-back system has worked pretty well and more importantly, the duo has been been efficient. The Tampa Bay game was not so much a "drumming" of Carolina by the Bucs as it was a game that saw the Panthers get behind early as a result of a blocked punt, and then it seemed as if every possible thing from every single tipped ball, bounce, bobble, penalty, and fumble all went directly into the Bucs' quiver and then got transformed into points.

As far as pure numbers go, both backs have multiple touchdowns and both have posted respectable yardage totals, considering the shared workload. However, both backs have that all important 4.0-yards-per-carry average. Williams has more overall yardage, but the all-important statistic of getting into the end zone is a different story.

Jonathan Stewart has been on somewhat of a torrid pace of producing multiple touchdowns while in the red zone. Stewart is currently tied for fifth overall in the entire NFL for rushing touchdowns and is tied for the overall lead in the very talented rookie running back class of 2008. Not too shabby for a guy playing with two backup lineman and who shares the load with the starting running back.

Williams has also had an effective season so far. As of Oct. 17, DeAngelo Williams was within 90 yards of runners like Marion Barber, Stephen Jackson, Earnest Graham, and Edgerin James. Not bad company at all.

However, if Williams got most of the carries, as most top backs do, and Stewart worked only on third down or in red-zone situations, then I could see Williams closer to the top of NFL's rushing elite. Stewart, on the other hand, has become a goal-line playmaker. He is has become the back of choice when the Panthers are in the red zone.

It looks as of coach Fox is happy to keep probing the league's best defensive lines while tying to find a weak point to attack. Once this happens, the team is then able to employ a successful "play action" plan. This has worked well this season, with two exceptions.

Williams has had explosive gains and flashed signs of great things and has had a 100-plus game. Stewart has shown his strength and his speed in the red zone. He also had an explosive 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, which was negated by a Jeff King, illegal-block-in-the-back penalty. The point is...Stewart has the tools.

Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams are coming together well, and from all signs, they are both are sharing the load pretty well. Williams is on pace to gain 1,000 yards this season and Stewart is not far behind him. I think this team has the tools in place. Managing them is going to be key.

Panthers-Chargers: Carolina Beats San Diego in Week One Showdown

Rick Weaver — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 22:30:15 -0400

All of the media hype concerning Jake Delhomme's "bum" elbow, coupled with the invincibility of the San Diego Chargers, left some Panther fans wondering why they should even give up a Sunday afternoon watching their team lose their 2008 opening game.

Really, there were other decent games on, too. There was a NASCAR race to watch and, of course, there had to be a few movies still on at the theaters that you missed this summer.

After all, this first game was a non-conference throwaway game for the Panthers. The Panthers came into the game with their depleted receiving corps leaving many Panther fans to believe their Panthers had little chance to win the game.

Some fans hoped their team would just come out of the San Diego game with no serious injuries, and then go into their home opener against Kyle Orton and the Chicago Bears and let both barrels blaze and pick up their first win there.

Seriously, many Panther fans knew the Bears seemed like a good starting point for the Panthers to get their first win. After that win, the Panthers would be 1-1 and could then go on a seven-game tear against the weaker half of the NFL and hopefully embark on their nine-win season.

A nine win season could probably get the Panthers a wild-card playoff berth and that would make everyone happy in Charlotte.

That is the old "Detroit Lions philosophy"...One where you know your team is going to lose all of their mismatches, yet they hope they get enough wins in their "easy" games to stay close to .500 record.

It's also known as conditioning. Where you have been beaten down and have lost so many times, mediocrity becomes a goal. However, in today's NFL, there are very few "easy" games.

Luckily for Panther fans, their team did not buy into the "let's just work on the games we think we can win and not sweat the games where we are over-matched" attitude.

The Panthers failed to get the memo about them being over-matched Sunday, on the road, against a Super Bowl favorite, and oh yeah, the Panthers had to leave their very best player in Charlotte.

I remember the "Cardiac Cats," and I refuse to believe that there is any team out there that is unbeatable. The Panthers went out Sunday and used the tools they had to simply outperform one of the league's highest-rated teams.

Their game plan was simple. John Fox had prepared his defense to stop the run and hold L.T. to less than 100 yards. He had prepared his offense to run the ball and use as much of the clock as possible and just keep the game close enough to have a shot to win it in the end.

Thanks to a very solid rushing game, and John Kasay's leg, the Panthers' game plan began to work. To further the effort, a stingy run defense, which also included a veteran takeaway from safety Chris Harris and subsequent touchdown by cornerback Chris Gamble in the last minute of the third quarter, left the Panthers with the lead going into the fourth quarter.

With 10:09 left in the fourth quarter, the Panthers called on John Kasay, once again, to kick a critical 49-yard field goal.

Kasay's kick was good.

Gamble's touchdown and Kasay's field goal gave the Panthers a two-score lead with just 10 minutes left in the game. But remember, the Panthers were playing a Charger team that was not about to give up.

With just 6:45 left in the game, the Chargers scored on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Phillip Rivers to Antonio Gates. The score was now Carolina 19, San Diego 17.

The Panthers took over with a two-point lead, starting off on their own 37-yard line. After two run plays that went for five yards, the Panthers were faced with a 3rd-and-5.

There is always that "one" play in a game that can change the game itself, and on the third-down play, it looked as if the game was slipping through Carolina's hands, as Jake Delhomme threw a five-yard strike to D.J. Hackett.

Hackett looked to have dropped the ball on the way to the ground. However, no whistle blew, and the Chargers found themselves with the ball on the Carolina 28-yard line. The Panthers challenged the call and lost the challenge, as well as a precious timeout.

The Chargers began their drive well within field-goal range and looked content to come out, run the ball, eat up the clock, and kick a game-winning field goal. Their first run resulted in no yards, but Carolina was called for defensive holding.

The Chargers got the ball five yards closer with a new set of downs. After an incomplete pass, the Chargers ran four times in a row to the Panthers' six-yard line. On the next play, the Chargers scored on a 5-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson.

Following the kickoff, Jake Delhomme let fans know that Brett Favre was not the only "gun slinger" still playing in the NFL. The following drive would prove Delhomme's drive and desire to win is stronger than most players will ever know.

Delhomme employed the two-minute offense and started taking what the Chargers gave him. They were four points down with 2:21 left in the game, and Carolina had one timeout left. Delhomme managed to get two quick pass plays in and gain 21 yards in just 21 seconds and two first downs before the clock stopped for the two-minute warning.

Following the two minute warning, Delhomme failed to complete his first pass, but he quickly went on to complete five of seven and move the ball to the Chargers' 23-yard line with only 31 seconds left, and then Delhomme completed a three-yard pass to Nick Goings, but he did not call his final timeout. He quickly lined his team up as the clock began to run out.

Delhomme was able to get a very quick, six-yard pass to veteran Muhsin Muhammad, who dove for the ball and immediately came up calling a timeout. The Panthers used their final timeout, and it left them with 4th-and-1, with only two seconds on the game clock and the ball on the Chargers' 14-yard line.

Carolina had one shot to score an offensive touchdown, something they had not been able to do all day. If ever there was a time for Steve Smith to make a play, it was now. Of course, Smith was not even in the equation.

Delhomme dropped back for the snap, which came out high and fast. Delhomme handled the snap, dropped back, and quickly became surrounded as the pocket began to collapse.

With no time on the clock, Delhomme stepped up in the pocket and forced out a hard pump fake and then hauled it back in, only to fire a pass high and hard, from the 20-yard line, to hit a jumping, double teamed Dante Rosario.

Rosario came down with the ball held high and with both feet on the ground. The Charger crowd stood in stunned disbelief, as the game was now over and their highly-touted team had just lost.

Charger coach, Norv Turner, said last week that his Charger team had better skilled players than the Panthers did in all 22 positions.

The one thing Turner did not account for was a team with more heart than his. However, I also believe he did not scout Dante Rosario well enough. Rosario had shown "flashes" near the end of last seaon and proved he could run nice receiving route and catch a deep touchdown pass as he did in this pre-season's thumping of the Washington Redskins. Rosario led all receivers with 7 catches for 96 yards and he hauled in the all-important game winner.

Finally, the game was not really as close as the scoreboard dictated. The Carolina Panthers left at least seven points on the field after driving the ball to the one-yard line and then trying a pass on fourth down.

Brad Hoover missed a one-yard touchdown pass that looked as if it could have been caught. Following the game, Hoover seemed none to pleased a run play was not called, as the Chargers'' defense seemed to be having little success at shutting down the Panthers' rush attack, which was averaging 4.9 yards a carry.

A rookie mistake by safety Charles Godfrey allowed seven more points to be added to San Diego's score. Godfrey was deep in coverage against Chris Chambers when he saw Charger QB Phillip Rivers scramble to avoid a sack.

Godfrey looked as if he we was unsure whether to stay in coverage or come up and seal off the quarterback. Godfrey let Chambers go on the play and unfortunately, it costs his team a touchdown.

Make no mistake about: The Carolina Panthers' roster is made up of some very noteworthy veteran players that have some valuable, big-game experience. The roster also includes a strong assortment of some high quality younger players.

Now, with one of the biggest wins in franchise history under their belts in 2008, the Panthers look like a team with the potential to have a successful season.

It was five years ago when an unknown quarterback from New Orleans, named Delhomme, went into the opening game in relief of former Panther, Rodney Peete.

Delhomme then led the Panthers to an improbable, come-from-behind victory. I believe most Panther fans remember how the 2003 season went for the Panthers.

Well-Known Motorcyclist, Clifton "Click" Baldwin, passes away after crash

Rick Weaver — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:15:00 -0400

Officials from the St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, Montana have confirmed that Clifton Baldwin, "Click" as he known by his friends, passed away last night after sustaining fatal injuries in a motorcycle accident in Lolo, Montana while traveling to South Dakota to attend the 68th annual Sturgis Rally.

The well known Carolina Harley-Davidson Buell owner underwent emergency surgery Tuesday after his 2009 Harley-Davidson collided with a 1999 Honda Civic.

The Montana Highway Patrol reported the accident occurred Tuesday morning on U.S. 12 in Lolo, Montana, in front of the Traveler's Rest campground, which is about 8 miles south of Missoula, Montana. Baldwin was flown to the St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, Montana where he was treated for multiple injuries.

Click Baldwin, who was 54 years old, was a native of Belmont, NC and he is survived by his wife Diane, daughter Chelsea and by his mother Lynn and brother Cricket . Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time.

Baldwin, who lived in Gastonia, NC, is a well known Harley-Davidson Buell dealer. Baldwin has won various national awards for some of the many custom motorcycles his company has produced over the years. He has been featured in many national publications and covered on multiple television specials including a documentary about the "Hamsters USA" which was a motorcycle club Click belonged to and Click was included in a documentary film that followed the Kyle Petty Charity Ride.

As well as being a noted businessman, Click is a member of the "Hamsters USA", a member of H.O.G., he was an avid fan of all things mechanical, Click also enjoyed collecting "Cushman" Scooters, he had a hand in the design of many custom bikes, he was a friend of thousands, a supporter of various local and national charities and most of all he was a loving husband and father who thought the world of his family.

Click is also very well known to the NASCAR world. His dealership, Carolina-Harley Davidson, is one of the premier providers of motorcycles to many NASCAR drivers, team owners, employees and fans.

Click Baldwin has had a long friendship with Nascar driver Kyle Petty and is a big supporter of Petty's Annual Charity Ride and The Victory Junction Gang. Click was also very fond of and a supporter of General Tom Sadler and The Speedway Children's Charities plus he supported many other charitable organizations and other individuals in need. Click also helped bring Christmas to those in need as he would wear his Santa suit over his "leathers" and brighten up the lives for residents of Holy Angels, in Belmont, NC.

Though Click's and Diane's dealership was a shopping spot for some of the most elite motorcycle enthusiasts in the country it was also a shopping spot for many local Gaston area residents and there were many ohers from throughout the Piedmont area who would travel long and far just to do business with Click and Diane. Click never forgot any of those folks.

Click often showed his appreciation for his many customers and friends by hosting free barbecues or "Pig-Pickins" as they are more commonly known. One thing Click really enjoyed doing, and he was actually very good at it too, was standing over a barbecue smoker for hours on end trying to get the meat he was cooking "just right" before he served it.

On multiple occasions I have seen Click stand in the hot sun and serve every single person in attendance at some of his famed, Carolina Harley, "Pig Pickins" before he ever stopped to take a break or get a plate for himself. It was important to him that everyone else got served first and most of all, that they all had a good time.

Although Click was a natural businessman I knew he gave away a lot more than most people will ever know. He loved what he did and he got paid to do it. "You cannot ask for much more than that," Baldwin would say. I once asked Click when he knew he had "made it?"... His answer, "Well, I am not sure I have...so I am going to keep working on it"...but, he said, "I had a good idea I was doing something right when I was coming back from Daytona Beach and looked out of the window of Richard Petty's private jet and thought, that's not too bad for a small town boy."

Being a small town boy was what made Click the kind of person he was. Whether he was traveling deep into the heart of Africa, standing in the pits or in a sky-box at a Nascar race, meeting with someone like Willie G. Davidson (from Harley-Davidson) or with any one of the numerous "stars" or NASCAR drivers he had met along the way or whether he was just standing in the hot August sun, using his leaf blower while trying to to spruce up his lot, Click never forgot who he was or where he came from. He treated everybody the same.

Business success and financial status often changes many people and can sometimes make them less accessible or even withdrawn. But being successful in business never changed Click. If anything, it gave him the opportunity to do more for others. I can remember him saying (I know others who knew him will remember this also), if money or success came up in a conversation, Click would usually look at you and say: "Hey man, I am just a motorcycle mechanic from Belmont." He meant that , but make no mistake about it, Click was a very savvy and capable businessman. He and Diane were just the kind of team who were able to have a dream, turn it into a plan and see that plan through to a successful completion.

Click was very fun to be around and hang out with as well. I remember an incident, back in the winter of 2000, where Click and I, among others, had been "snowed in" and "iced in" after a winter storm, and we had to spend the night in a Charlotte hotel, following the Easy Rider Bike Show. The next morning the bikes had to be removed from the convention center but we could not get Click's truck and trailer close to the convention center loading docks because of the conditions.

I can remember us slipping and sliding while pushing some, very prized, custom motorcycles towards Click's hauler, which was parked about a block or so away from the convention center. As we struggled with the heavy bikes through the icy Charlotte streets a brand new, black, Lincoln Navigator sped toward us and quickly stopped. Down rolled the tinted window and the driver said, "you need any help, Click?" "Nah," Click answered...then we all had a good laugh. I recognized the driver of the SUV as being Championship Nascar team owner, Robert Yates. I said, "Click, is there anybody you don't know?" "Maybe," he said..."but I just don't guess I have met them yet, that's all."

I am asking that your thoughts and prayers would be with the Baldwin family during this time.

In closing, I remember having dinner one night, quite a few years ago, with Kyle Petty, Click Baldwin and others. One thing I remember from that night was the shared belief, they had, of trying to spend time in life doing whatever it is you enjoy or love doing. I will guarantee you that Click was doing exactly what he loved Tuesday as he and 14 other members of the Hamsters were on a trip to meet up with other riders on their way to Sturgis.

Among all the other things he did in his life Click loved his wife and he loved his daughter, mother and brother. He was always so proud of his daughter, Chelsea and he loved to tell you about her and what she was doing. His wife Diane, mother Lynn, brother Chris (Cricket) and his beloved daughter Chelsea were always first in his heart and will be forever. We are going to miss him and I know they are too.

If you would like to make comments or leave words of encouragement please use the "comments" section below and it will be passed along to the Baldwin family.

Update:

In lieu of flowers, the dealership is asking for donations towards "Bricks for Click" to be a part of their memorial sidewalk at the dealership.

Brett Favre to Become a Carolina Panther?

Rick Weaver — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:38:18 -0400

This question has bounced around long enough now. First of all, is this rumor really true or has someone's comment just been taken out of context?

Seriously, is news from the NFL so slow this time of year that agents now have to resort to fabrication in order to get their clients name back in front of the press? Could this be a method that Favre's "people" are using to try and make contact with a potential team for Brett to play one more season with?

I would not doubt that there is some truth to the rumor. I would venture to bet that the origin of it lies somewhere between Brett Favre wanting to play for one more season and knowing that he is not really wanted back in Green Bay.

He also probably has someone, like his agent, looking at other teams and coming up with the Carolina Panthers as a team that could potentially make a deep playoff run if they could only be assured of their quarterback position.

This seems like a logical desire for a veteran quarterback wanting one more year to play to aim for a good team with a possible weakness that he could certainly help out with. A place like Carolina could be a team where Favre could fit, that is, if everything fell into line for him.

All we seem to know for sure is that Profootballtalk.com reported that Favre's agent, Bus Cook, told someone that Favre would like to play for the Carolina Panthers this season. Profootballtalk.com is a source for news and rumor in the NFL and more times than not it is a pretty good source for useful information.

This story or non-story did gain enough traction this weekend to garner a response from the Carolina Panther's GM Marty Hurney who said, "I don't know where these things come from."

I do not know how to read between the lines, (that is, if there are even any lines to try and read between here) but Hurney's quote was kind of vague, to say the least.

Now, had Hurney been more specific and said something like, "we appreciate the consideration but the Panthers feel completely set at the quarterback position going forward into 2008" or "it would be nice to have the option to strengthen our roster with a veteran quarterback" then Favre and his agent would better know how to proceed.

Either of those responses could easily have opened or closed the door on the topic. Things have been done this way before, through the media. It is a way for an agent to float a proposition without having to worry about having a client being seen publicly as unwanted.

The truth is that we have no idea what is going on behind the scenes. Favre's agent, Bus Cook, could be on a conference call right now with the Panthers or he and Favre may now be working on "plan b" deciding which other team he would like to play for in 2008. But for some reason someone chose Carolina and no matter what the truth is, it does pose an interesting scenario.

Could the Carolina Panthers be that close to moving back into title "hunt" in the NFC and would a quality veteran quarterback make all of the difference? Last year showed us that anything is possible.

Carolina Panther fans thought they had this season all mapped out. After all, the Panthers have a new bag of offensive weapons and their defensive secondary and line backing corps are in better shape than ever.

The only real question that remains around Carolina is, "How is Jake Delhomme's elbow going to be when the hits start coming?" The answer so far has been positive. Panther coaches and receivers all say that Jake is throwing stronger and better than ever. But there is still that tiny question about Jake.

What if week one of the regular season saw the Panthers down to the San Diego Chargers by two points with 30 seconds left and only one timeout with the ball on the 50 yard line? It is third-and-10 and Jake is flushed from the pocket and meets Shawne Merriman, the hard way, then comes up grabbing his elbow. Then what do you do?

Carolina fans all loved Matt Moore's efforts last season, but is Matt Moore the guy you want to go with in that situation, with the game on the line?

What if there was another option. What if Coach Fox could walk over and have Brett Favre strap his helmet on and go in and get the win? That would be nice for Panther fans but it would also be nearly impossible. Favre has probably reached the point in his heart and in NFL history where it would be impossible for him to play behind anyone.

I feel better off with a healthy Delhomme under center in Carolina than I do about plugging in Favre right before preseason starts. We know Favre admittedly had no fun dealing with game prep in Green Bay and how do you think he may feel learning a whole new system in Carolina?

It just seems odd to think that Favre, at age 38, would be very excited about trying to run anything but some form of a basic "west coast offense." With that in mind, Tampa Bay seems like a better fit if Favre really wanted to play in warm weather, closer to his Mississippi roots and in a system that he is very good at.

The big problem with not considering Favre as a possible player is history. A look at last season saw the Panther coaching staff painfully play David Carr for at least two games more than they should have. We all watched as the Panthers went as far as signing Vinnie Testaverde to try and help the team get into the playoff hunt.

We also saw Matt Moore have a late season run and finish up the 2007 season looking like he could be a future starter in the league. So, thinking of last season and remembering how hard it is to win in the NFL without a quality quarterback has to make any responsible GM consider taking someone like Favre unless their team has 100 percent confidence in their quarterback position.

Also, Favre is not going to sign for the league minimum. It has been reported Favre had asked Green Bay to release him, which they would not do. Therefore, one can only assume the Packers are going to ask for something fairly substantial in exchange for the rights to their well-aged superstar quarterback and after that Favre is going to cost any team a small bundle as his current contract pays him $12 million this year.

Now, Favre’s contract amount is certainly not set in stone and if he was to be released by Green Bay then he may well be signed for half of his current contract amount or less. In that case, Mr. Favre becomes more affordable and more attractive.

Remember, the Panthers paid David Carr $3 million a year to backup Jake Delhomme and if they could have someone like Brett Favre for another million or so then it would have to be worth taking a look.

The Packers would probably want draft picks in exchange for Favre. Carolina is really light on draft picks but they do have one more linebacker than they need on their roster this season. The Panthers have no first round picks next year and that makes a second round pick hard to part with at this time.

If there was a deal with the Carolina Panthers it would almost have to involve a trade or a combination of a trade and a possible late round draft pick in exchange for Favre. More than that and it becomes almost too costly.

If the Panthers could get Favre in a backup role and do it all without getting rid of any other starters and also by not sacrificing the future of the team then I would have to be for it.

With that said, Favre would be great in the Panther's backup QB role. Then, if Delhomme did have elbow issues or if he had problems with ball control or any other injury I could easily see Favre getting the nod to start while Delhomme continues to rehab.

Problem is, I do not see Favre playing second fiddle to anyone. But it sure would have been nice to have had someone like Favre on the Panther's sideline last season when Delhomme went down. It looks for now like the Panther faithful have to pin their hopes on Delhomme's elbow being 100 percent and if not then they had better hope that Matt Moore is the next Jake Delhomme.

Jason Taylor should have been a Carolina Panther

Rick Weaver — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:47:04 -0400

Could the Panthers have used Jason Taylor? You better believe it, but some things are not meant to be. Washington's move helped better establish them as a playoff contender and Carolina? Well, the Panthers are pinning their hopes, for now at least, on Tyler Brayton. The Carolina Panthers have made various moves this offeason to get back in a winning grove in Charlotte. They have made, arguably, the most dramatic changes in the franchise's history.

Most of the "meat" of these changes were made on the offensive side of the ball. A few bigger named players were brought in and they seem to look great so far, but the big move was trading away next season's 1st round draft pick for the chance to select 2, much needed, players in the 1st rounds of the 2008 draft.

Amazingly the Panthers did not sign a proven defensive end this offseason. They did take Rookie, Hilee Taylor from UNC. Taylor is probably better suited to play outside linebacker given his overall size, speed and style of play. But coach Fox likes Taylor's speed and feels that is what his team needs. The Panthers also signed undrafted rookie defensive end, Casper Brinkley, from USC. Brinkley is at best a work in progress and like Hilee Taylor, he could be in a bit over his head if he was plugged into the defense too quickly

The other defensive end signed is former Raider, Tyler Brayton. The former Raider had no sacks last year and I believe that is the problem the Panthers are now trying to correct this offseason (to get more pressure on opposing quarterbacks). Brayton may be a decent backup, but his numbers do not seem to support a starting position. He may wind up having a great season but all we have to go from is his past history and he does not look like the quarterback chasing "bookend" to play opposite Julius Peppers.

It almost looks as if coach John Fox knows that one of his new defensive ends, may just wind up going on to be a 15 sack pro-bowler. He may also feel that Julius Peppers will return to get his annual 10-12 sacks this season. If those scenarios played out then Carolina will once again be able to pressure opposing quarterbacks. However, if any part of this equation (a 12 sack year for Peppers and a pro-bowl type of year for one of the newly drafted or newly signed defensive ends) happens to break down then it could spell trouble.

I just find it hard to believe that Brayton, Brinkley and Taylor are going to be super productive defensive ends this season. I think there is a good chance Julius Peppers may return and be somewhat of the player he was before last season. It would cost him too much to have a lackluster season (unless he know longer cares about landing a $70,000,000 contract).

I like Julius Peppers as he has always been more than accommodating to us. He has not spoken to the press this offseason and when he does or if he does, he will not answer any contract questions. But "Pep" is the kind of guy who I actually believe the phrase "money is not everything," totally applies to. He could even tell the team to "keep their money and long term contract and use it on someone else", if he had another down season in '08. I am not saying he will play for the love of the game and be happy with the league minimum. But Peppers has more than enough financial resources to make money, not a concern. There is a very large salary "cap" hit this season for the Panthers if Pepper's contract is not restructured. Given the issues and questions that stemmed from Pepper's performance last season I could easily see this staff allowing the team to go ahead and take the salary cap "hit" this year and just wait and see if Pepper's "game" was back up to the level they expect before making a new deal with him.

I really hope Julius Peppers returns with a vengeance. However, I am not sure having a 10 sack per year Peppers on one side and having just an average defensive end opposite him is what this team needs to get to where they want to go.

So, what are the Panther's options? The "bigtime" free agent defensive ends are all spoken for. However, there will more than likely be a few bigger named defensive ends released as the season draws closer. The Panthers could wait and try to find another end that way, but that is a risky proposition. I would find it a bit of a gamble for the team to try and better themselves by relying on some other team's "cut" player to provide them a possible number 2 defensive end.

The team could work on a trade with any team but that would come to the surface fairly soon because it is getting on into or past the OTA workouts and mini camp time is right around the corner. Most teams really want all new players in the "system" as soon as possible and have enough time for them to get familiar with the way the new team does things. Now, we know Jason Taylor and Bill Parcells have butted heads or dodged handshakes as it were this offseason. They are seemingly engaged in a...spitting contest in south Florida.

Parcells does not like anyone missing camp or OTA's. Now, if you were Lawerence Taylor and you had given Parcells sweat and blood, year-after-year, then maybe you could dance on a pop TV show and miss a week of OTA's and stay in Parcells' good graces. But to Parcells, Jason Taylor is basically a fellow Parcells does not even know. Parcells could believe Jason Taylor's excuses for missing camp is all pretty silly and sets a bad example. Plus Parcells has seemed to always knock heads, usually with a star, just to prove to everyone, on whatever team he is associated with, that he, and not any player is the "man" and he is totally in charge of the team and the locker room.

If you were watching the 1st round of the 2008 draft then you probably heard a few of versions of a possible "proposition" or word of a trade, concerning the Jaguars 1st round pick in exchange for the veteran Dolphin, Jason Taylor. This was supposedly a draft day deal where the Jags, who were frantically searching for a good defensive end could work with the Dolphins, who were looking for help, trying to build a young team by using the draft. It seemed like a decent enough deal. A 1st round for a pro-bowler who could possibly give you 2 or 3 good years of play, and maybe 6-10 sacks per season (enough of a sack threat to draw double teams). Jacksonville did not make the deal.

With that in mind. I know the Panthers need a defensive end. I know Taylor is going to be expensive but the Panthers have already given up their 1st round pick next season. Would the second pick be so bad to give up for Taylor? It would seem to me if the defensive end is the one position your team really lacks and if you (the coach and gm) know you will be fired unless you make a playoff run, then it may be very tempting to take that deal. Jacksonville passed and drafted 2 rookie defensive linemen instead of the recent pro-bowler, Taylor.

The problem is now...Jason Taylor says he wants to play one more year. Not 2 or 3 like some hoped. So, if you are a coach and you are still facing losing your job unless you produce a winner then I could see possibly making the move out of fear. However, the Carolina Panthers have no 1st round pick next season and Parcells totally runs the show and may not deal at all.

The Panthers have a second round pick next season and a player or two they could trade. But is the price to high? It is in most cases yes, but in Carolina, it may not be a crazy deal. The cap could be re-worked to make it happen. If it worked and the Panthers won big, then coach Fox keeps his job and the staff can still work on developing the current ends they now have to get ready for next season.

Now, if it did not work and the team falters...Then it is not coach Fox and GM Marty Hurney's problem any longer...It would probably be former Steeler coach Bill Cowher who might be here trying to fix a team with no 1st day draft picks.

The latest news out of Miami has some believing the relationship between Taylor and the Miami Dolphin organization has not passed the point of no return. So, Taylor may soon be back on the shelf for the Dolphins to keep this season. However, until the trade deadline is over, never count out anyone's career that Parcells has a hand in.

Finally with Taylor's announcement that he wants to play just one more year, Parcells has to know that one year's play is not worth a number 1 pick especially when Taylor's contract now calls for him to receive $7.5 million this year. For a team that is a bit needy that would possibly be almost $1,000,000 per sack. If Taylor had 7 sacks next season. Costly? Yes. Crazy? A little. If the Panthers could give a 2nd round pick for him and then make it to a superbowl this season then it would be worth it.

Carolina Panthers: Can They Join The NFL Elite?

Rick Weaver — Mon, 26 May 2008 21:40:07 -0400

ESPN's John Clayton seems to believe the Carolina Panthers are just one bad elbow away from disaster.

Let's look at Clayton's evaluation of the Panthers' situation at quarterback.

"The Carolina Panthers tried to upgrade at backup quarterback last season, but David Carr was a bust. Now, no team has a more fragile quarterback situation than Carolina.

"Starter Jake Delhomme is coming back from Tommy John surgery on his right (throwing) elbow. A healthy Delhomme could take the Panthers to the playoffs. An unhealthy Delhomme could cost management jobs in Carolina.

"The backup is Matt Moore, an undrafted player plucked from the Cowboys' roster in September. The Panthers like Moore, but things could get dicey if he must start."

First of all, how many baseball players have come back from Tommy John surgery to pitch again? The answer is literally thousands.

Now many of those who have had the procedure are high school and collegiate players who went through little league throwing way too many fastballs or tossing too many breaking balls before their growth plates had finished maturing.

There are also scores of major league ballplayers who have had the operation. The surgery has an overall success rate of about 90 percent.

Delhomme is in good company with players like John Smoltz, Mariano Rivera, Matt Morris, Tom Gordon and Jose Canseco who have all had successful Tommy John surgery. This operation has become highly refined and has proven very effective in prolonging the careers of some of the best pitchers in baseball.

Those are just a few of the "big name" players to have successfully had the procedure. Let's not forget Tommy John...John had the original surgery done by pioneering surgeon Dr. Frank Jobe, and after 18 months of rehabilitation, John started to pitch again.

Not only did John pitch again, but John went on to pitch for 13 more years, to the ripe old age of 46. A 2002-2003 look at baseball pitchers revealed that roughly 75 of out 700 players had the surgery.

About 1 in 9 pitchers have had their Ulnar Collateral Ligament replaced. After rehab, most of these players just have a 4 inch scar and a better throwing arm.

So, why is John Clayton so worried about Jake Delhomme not making it back or going out due to a hit placed on his elbow? The truth is a quarterback's arm will typically take a lot less abuse and stress than that of a major league baseball pitcher.

Remember, once healed, the procedure is not like a concussion where just one more hit may end a career. It is actually a small piece of tendon, taken from the player's own body (either the forearm or leg) and surgically placed where the original worn-out ligament used to be. A direct hit on the area of the operation or directly on the scar may be painful but it should not be career-ending.

Delhomme had the procedure done because his throwing motion had become too painful. The surgery has been a success, as Delhomme has reported no pain when throwing and is already exhibiting very good ball control ahead of his rehab schedule.

Also, for baseball pitchers, the rehab period is 18 months, but for other athletes the rehab period can be as low as six to eight months. The demands on the new tendons of non-pitchers are not nearly as taxing as the demands the repetitive throwing motion places on a pitcher's elbow.

Delhomme should be fine. If he has a setback, then Matt Moore is there and ready to play. Moore's career has gone a bit like that of a young Jake Delhomme before Delhomme landed a roster spot in 2003. Delhomme was also an undrafted rookie who came off the bench, while trailing in the opening game, only to come back and win the game. Delhomme then took the Panthers all the way to the Super Bowl.

When finally given the chance to play last season, Moore came in relief of an injured David Carr and completed a 43-yard bomb on his very first pass play. But David Carr quickly returned to the game and Moore was again "shelved" in favor of Carr and Vinnie Testaverde. However, late in the season, Moore excelled when he had his chance and he basically beat the class of the NFC in the final 3 games.

Moore won two games outright, and he seemed to really outplay the Dallas Cowboys while facing adversity from all sides, including an officiating crew who seemed to have possibly forgotten their job duties during a few plays. There were two major calls that were totally blown. The fans at Bank of America Stadium were furious as were the Panthers players and staff (in a very rare moment even many of the Cowboy fans in attendance were dumbfounded by the lack of proper officiating and also "boo'ed" the refs' lack of action after seeing the instant replay of a potential game changing pass interference call that was not called). Even though those all important "non-calls" were easily game-changing in nature, Moore kept his cool and fought until the end. Had the game been better officiated, the Panthers could easily have finished 3-0 with the undrafted rookie under center.

In the last game of the season against the Tampa Bay Bucs the Panthers' and Moores' efforts were criticized because some critics felt the game was not a true challenge because the Bucs had rested a few starters. I beg to differ with that analysis because the Panthers as well, had a handful of players out of that game due to injury, including the fact they were playing with what amounted to a 4th string, undrafted rookie free agent, walk-on playing as their starting quarterback.

If Delhomme needs a little help to make him feel more comfortable in the "pocket", he now has standout blocker Jordan Gross watching his blindside. Delhomme will have one of the largest and possibly most dominant offensive lines in the NFL.

To help take more heat off of Delhomme the Panthers added a new "power" runner to the mix. The new running back, Jonathan Stewart, weighs in at a very muscular 235 pounds. Stewart should be able to help Delhomme by blocking blitzing linebackers and by using his punishing rushing style to help keep opposing defenses off balance.

Deangelo Williams will also share duties at tailback this season. He is a very solid "change of pace" back. Williams showed glimpses of greatness last year when finally given the bulk of the carries at the end of the season.

Delhomme now has a receiving corps that should be one of the top five units in the NFL and a unit that is very similar to the cast of characters that were around for the 2003 Super Bowl run.

Mushin Mohammad is a few years older now and should be a great possession receiver playing a role very similar to the role once played by former Panther Ricky Proehl. D.J. Hackett should fill the second receiver's role once held by Mohammad and Steve Smith...well, he is still Steve Smith. That name alone means he is one of the best in the business.

The Panthers also have a kickoff specialist capable of kicking the ball out of the end zone. This will force opponents to start drives on their own 20-yard line instead of their 30- or 40-yard line. Stewart should also be an effective kick returner, giving the Panthers better starting field position this season.

Considering the Panthers schedule, the offensive changes and a stronger, faster defensive unit, the Panthers have a very good chance at success.

The Panthers could probably plug in Matt Moore, Brett Basanez, Lester Ricard, Taylor Tharp or any other backup QB signee they could find and still walk away playoff bound at the end of the season. But can this team actually win a playoff game, advance toward a championship and become one of the leagues' elite teams? With a healthy Jake Delhomme or Matt Moore at the helm, they certainly can.