Admit it. With Washington up 17-2 midway through the 3rd quarter this looked like a done deal. But a long kickoff return by Butler’s Kenny Moore gave the Panthers a short field, short enough for Jake Delhomme to find Jeff King for season-saving TD. From there it took some breaks — a muffed punt — and some plays — Jake’s game-sealing bootleg — to bring home a win against a rudderless team.
A win is a win in the NFL. You’ll take it. Next up, a winnable game in Tampa. But to win it a couple things need to get fixed. One, DeAngelo Williams’ sudden fumbling issue. Two, Jordan Gross getting eating alive by pass-rushing DEs. And another thing has to continue — shutting down the TE. Kellen Winslow has been about the only weapon the Bucs have had in the air this season. Contain him, and run the ball and Carolina should squeak by with another win.
Update: Getting much chuckles out of the certitude displayed by some supposed insiders that John Fox is done at the end of year. Next year will be a lock-out/capless/labor strife year. Something will be up in the air. The Big Cat does not like uncertainty. The Big Cat is also not a billionaire who can go out and pay rock star prices for a Bill Cowher.
The Panthers are already overpaying Gross, Gamble, Delhomme, Wharton, and Peppers. Cannot add a coach to that list as well, not at the very moment the League’s financial rules are being re-written. Moreover, Fox just helped to bid up the price of superstar coaches by sending Redskins owner Dan Synder into orbit. Synder absolutely will offer a ton of money to Mike Shanahan — maybe Cowher too if Shanahan balks. That’ll set a very high price point — one the Panthers absolutely, positively will not match.
If nothing else, all the Cowher to Carolina stuff needs to stop. It ain’t happening.
