Believe It: Panthers Stun Chargers In Huge Week One Upset!!!

One famous sports commentator once said, "I don't believe what I just saw!"  The feeling's mutual.

I just saw my beloved Panthers top the Chargers 26-24 on a touchdown pass thrown as time expired.

Starting quarterback Jake Delhomme connected for 14 yards to tight end Dante Rosario with no time remaining to give visiting Carolina a shocking upset over the powerhouse Chargers.

The Chargers, believed to be one of the best teams in the AFC and NFL, went into the game expected by many to blow Carolina off the field.  Boy did that prediction go by the wind. 

As a matter of fact, not only did the Panthers win, but the final result is actually closer than much of the game looked.

Throughout the first half, the Panthers were on the brink of domination. 

The Chargers only scored one touchdown in the first half—a 44-yard bomb from starting QB Philip Rivers to wide receiver Chris Chambers. 

Carolina cornerback Chris Gamble gave up on the play, and that provided Chambers the separation he needed to catch Rivers' pass and score.  Safety Chris Harris couldn't catch Chambers until he was crossing the goal line.

Carolina's offense clicked early.

The running game got going from the first play from scrimmage, as RB DeAngelo Williams sliced and diced his way to 15 yards on the first two plays of the game.  Williams finished with 18 carries for 86 yards.

On the Panthers' second offensive series, the passing game found its groove.

Delhomme threw four of six completions for 72 yards.  In addition, he almost threw a touchdown pass to fullback Brad Hoover on a 4th-and-goal late in the first quarter.

But the Panthers easily could have had a rushing touchdown here.  In a 4th-and-goal situation, I expected the Panthers to use their new, gigantic offensive line and rookie power back Jonathan Stewart to punch the ball in.

Instead they chose to run a play-action with the slighter Williams, and Delhomme looked like a deer in headlights trying to figure out where to go with the ball before he finally flubbed a terrible pass that in Hoover's direction, which fell incomplete.

Stewart rushed for 53 yards on 10 carries and frequently converted in third-down short-yardage situations for the Panthers.

Delhomme gave a passable performance overall, going 23 of 41 for 247 yards and one touchdown.  His only touchdown pass was the game-winner to Rosario. 

Speaking of Rosario, he emerged as the first legit receiving tight end since Wesley Walls.  He caught seven passes—including the winning touchdown—for 96 yards.  That was the best performance of any of Carolina's receivers by far.  Granted, Steve Smith didn't play, but still—that's impressive.

The next-best receiver was veteran Muhsin Muhammad, who had six receptions for 56 yards.  Off-season free agent acquisition DJ Hackett also made five catches for 48 yards.  

But, similar to the preseason, the Panthers running game and defense was so good that they didn't need Delhomme to be spectacular.  See, you nay-sayers—the preseason does mean something. 

The Chargers' supposedly-dynamic offense was held scoreless until the 9:34 mark of the second quarter when Philip Rivers hooked up with Chris Chambers for a long touchdown.  But Chambers didn't catch a pass the rest of the game.

Star tight end Antonio Gates was held to four catches for 61 yards and a touchdown. 

Receiver Vincent Jackson stepped up and reeled in a touchdown pass on his way to three receptions for 47 yards.  

Panthers safety Harris helped keep the Chargers' right-hand receivers in check with ten tackles (one assisted).  He also forced a fumble, which cornerback Chris Gamble returned 31 yards for a touchdown at the 2:35 mark in the 4th quarter.  The touchdown put Carolina up 16-10. 

Second-year linebacker Jon Beason had a hand in containing SD's explosive rushing attack with seven tackles.  Left outside linebacker Na'il Diggs also contributed eight tackles (two assisted) to the run defense.

The pass rush was decently effective, but it never quite got to Rivers fast enough to make a big play.

However, in spite of the late-game heroics, the true hero in this game was Panthers placekicker John Kasay.  The power-legged Kasay made four field goals of 44, 33, 30, and 49 yards. 

These trifectas gave him 12 points, which made him the highest-scoring player in the game.  Without Kasay scavenging something from all of those four stalled-out drives, the Chargers would have won.  Panthers, give the game ball to Kasay.

At first I didn't believe that my Panthers had actually beaten the Chargers.  Everything had to come together just right.  And boy, did it ever.