Why Panthers Fans Can't Blame Jake Delhomme

As a resident of Charlotte, NC for going on five years now, there are two things we look forward to all year. The first of which is the start of the NCAA basketball season, in hopes this will be the year the 49ers return to the NCAA tournament and return to prominence.

The second, and most important, is the start of the Carolina Panthers season.

Regardless of whether the team goes 12-4 like last year or 1-15 like 2001, a year most Panther fans don’t speak about, this city rallies around our team. From August to (hopefully) January and February, the Panthers are the primary focus in Charlotte, above even presidential elections and the worsening economic situation.

For the last few years, Panthers QB Jake Delhomme has become the scapegoat for the team’s shortcomings. Fans blame him for last year’s playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl runner-up Arizona Cardinals, among other things, and constantly call for his job.

Wake up. Jake Delhomme is not the problem in Carolina.

Many fans seem to have forgotten how Favre-esque Delhomme’s career began. In the 2003 season opener against fellow 1995 expansion team Jacksonville Jaguars, Delhomme replaced starting QB Rodney Peete at halftime, threw three touchdowns, and led a comeback effort to win the game.

Delhomme went on to lead the Panthers to a record of 11-5 and a victory in the NFC championship game. His 67-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith in double overtime in the divisional round against the Greatest Show on Turf in St Louis is still fondly remembered by all Panther fans.

In spite of not winning the Super Bowl (due to Adam Vinatieri’s field goal as time expired), Delhomme played well. In fact, his 85-yard touchdown pass to longtime Panther favorite Muhsin Muhammad is still the record for the longest play from scrimmage in Super Bowl history.

Delhomme posted franchise QB numbers in 2004, with 3,886 passing yards and 29 touchdowns (despite losing primary target Steve Smith in the Monday night opener against Green Bay), and again in 2005, throwing for 3,421 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Not to mention leading the Panthers, who had only made the playoffs once before his arrival, to their second playoff berth in three years.

Injuries plagued Delhomme for part of 2006 and much of 2007, causing fans to turn their backs on him in favor of young QB Matt Moore, who had helped the Panthers try to salvage the 2007 season after an embarrassing performance by David Carr.

Returning after Tommy John surgery for the 2008 season with his arm as strong as ever, Delhomme had arguably his best season yet in terms of effectiveness. The Panthers won a franchise record 12 games, including a perfect 8-0 record at home, and captured the NFC South.

Last year, Delhomme threw for over 3,000 yards yet again, and not only threw fewer interceptions than any of his previous full seasons, but also cut his fumble total in half, dropping the ball only five times in 2008 compared to his previous career low of 12 in a full season, recorded in 2004 and 2005.

He may have only thrown for 15 touchdowns, but that’s because the Panthers returned to the offensive philosophy that brought them to the Super Bowl in the first place—run first, pass second.

Running back DeAngelo Williams put up 1,515 yards and 18 touchdowns, and rookie Jonathan Stewart added 836 yards and 10 touchdowns of his own. The Panthers had the third most rushing yards per game of any team in the NFL, which set up the success of the play action pass.

Delhomme’s regular season stats speak for themselves. With the talent around him now, he doesn’t have to force plays like in the past.

He may have thrown for five interceptions and fumbled once in the Panthers’ playoff loss to the Cardinals last year, but I don’t blame Jake Delhomme.

Offensive Coordinator Jeff Davidson is the man to blame.

Instead of relying on the ground game, which had carried the Panthers to victory all season, Davidson chose to immediately throw the ball into one of the best secondaries in the NFL. They intercepted Jake’s passes and enabled Arizona’s high-powered offense to score.

Leaving Jake to throw his way out of an ugly situation.

Delhomme threw 34 times that game. He threw that many passes only three other times that season—winning just one of those games, the season opener against the Chargers.

Which was won on a touchdown pass to Dante Rosario as time expired.

To put that number into perspective, Williams and Stewart combined for 15 carries in the playoff game against the Cardinals.

I’m not trying to say Jake Delhomme is one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL. He’s not on par with Manning, Brady, Warner, or Roethlisberger by any means.

But when he has sufficient talent around him, like last year, it takes off the pressure and allows Jake to slow down, think about what’s going on, and play solid football from the quarterback position.

With the preseason rapidly approaching, heed my words, fellow fans of the Cardiac Cats.

Put faith in your quarterback. He may not be the best in the league, but he’s the best this organization has ever had, and he deserves our support. Don’t give up on Jake Delhomme.