The N&R’s Ed Hardin on the Panthers:
On what was likely the last Sunday of the season for the Panthers to catch their breath, Carolina choked on the rare air of an easy win. Buffalo, with an offense that couldn’t get out of its own way, stunned the Panthers 20-9 to end any pretense of hope.
…..The final ignominy came after the defense stopped the Bills cold, as they did pretty much the entire game, and forced a punt with 5:25 to play. Moore settled under the line-drive kick at his 15-yard line then took a step forward. The ball hit him high and slammed into the ground as the sparse crowd moaned and the Carolina sideline went limp. Buffalo recovered.
I got your final ignominy: Brett Favre’s return to Green Bay next Sunday will get bumped here in the Triad for the Panthers-Cardinals game. That’s regionalism for you.
Bonus football observation: I did watch the Florida Mississippi State game —- on HD —- and I honestly couldn’t see conclusive evidence that Brandon McRae was stripped before he crossed the goal line. In my mind, the bigger question is how to get these guys to cut the premature showboating. Granted the players aren’t old enough to remember Leon Lett, but the coaches are.
