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First-quarter blues
Panthers fall behind early in 45-28 loss
AP Photo
Quarterback Matt Ryan (right) celebrates with Michael Turner, who scored four touchdowns for the Falcons.
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Published: November 24, 2008
ATLANTA - The Carolina Panthers have gotten away with slow starts before.
Yesterday, another slow start came back to haunt them.
The Atlanta Falcons jumped on the Panthers quickly and then pulled away again late for a 45-28 victory at the Georgia Dome.
The Falcons led 17-0 before the Panthers got untracked, then erupted for 28 fourth-quarter points to pull back away after the Panthers got as close as 24-21.
"Obviously that isn't the way we wanted to come out and play," safety Chris Harris said. "You keep having those slow starts and a good team's going to burn you. They came out ready to play, and the way we started, they took advantage of it.
"We can't afford to start as slow as we've started the last couple of weeks and expect to beat a good team. I think it was pretty much a reality check this week to realize we've got to step it up."
The Panthers spotted winless Detroit a 10-0 lead last week and rallied for a 31-22 win. They had previously come back from 10-0 deficits to beat Chicago and Arizona.
"It's disappointing," quarterback Jake Delhomme said. "Last week we started out slow, and the same thing this week. You dig yourself such a hole, and then we tried to make a game of it, but in the end it wasn't. It's frustrating. We need to have that edge, that sense of urgency. For some reason, the last couple of weeks we haven't had it, and we need to get it."
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak and dropped the Panthers to 8-3, and back into a tie for first place in the NFC South with Tampa Bay, which beat Detroit yesterday. The Falcons got back into the NFC South race with the win and are one game back at 7-4.
"The only good thing about it is, we live to see another day," cornerback Ken Lucas said. "We've got next week to redeem ourselves. It's just one game. We're still in the hunt for the playoffs and we still have a chance to do what we want to do. But it was a humbling experience."
The Falcons got 117 yards rushing and four touchdowns from Michael Turner and an explosive performance from rookie receiver Harry Douglas.
Douglas ran for one touchdown, caught four passes for 92 yards -- including a crucial 69-yarder in the fourth quarter that the Falcons eventually parlayed into a 31-21 lead -- and then returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown to push the lead to 38-21.
Delhomme threw for 295 yards and one touchdown, connecting with Steve Smith eight times for 168 yards, and DeAngelo Williams rushed for 101 yards on 19 carries.
The Falcons dominated in all facets early.
They took the opening kickoff and marched to the Carolina 5 before stalling on their first drive, and got a 23-yard field goal from Jason Elam for a 3-0 lead. They moved 75 yards in seven plays on their second possession, with Douglas getting the touchdown from 7 yards on an end-around for a 10-0 lead. Then Douglas' 27-yard punt return set them up for a 10-play, 37-yard drive that ended in a 1-yard run by Turner on the first play of the second quarter for a 17-0 lead.
In the same span, the Panthers failed to pick up a first down on their first three possessions.
"I thought we didn't come out and play fast enough," Coach John Fox said. "Ultimately, that is on me. We got outcoached and we got outplayed. Every phase of our team struggled. I think that I need to give credit where credit is due with Atlanta, I thought they had a great game plan. They were playing faster than us early."
The Panthers eventually regrouped and got as close as 24-21 after Delhomme's 12-yard scramble and a 2-point conversion by Williams with 10:57 left in the fourth quarter.
But the Falcons reclaimed control quickly from there.
Quarterback Matt Ryan hit Douglas in the flat on a third-and-11 play on the Falcons' next possession, and Douglas broke one tackle and raced 69 yards to the Carolina 6. Turner scored four plays later on fourth-and-goal from the 1 to push the lead to 31-21.
"That was the turning point of the game," Fox said. "I thought we had a chance to get back into it until that third and 11."
Douglas' 61-yard punt return after the Panthers' next possession pushed the lead to 38-21 with 4:47 and iced it.
The Panthers cut the lead back to 38-28 on Delhomme's 16-yarder to Muhsin Muhammad with 2:23 left, but the Falcons recovered the onside kick and tacked on one more touchdown with 54 seconds left on Turner's fourth touchdown, a 16-yard run.
"At that point, whether it's one or 41 (point loss), it doesn't matter," Fox said.
The 45 points were the most allowed by the Panthers all season.
"I know I'm angry and I think everyone on defense is," defensive tackle Damione Lewis said. "The defense feels like we let the team down. We fought back and gave ourselves an opportunity, and we didn't get it done. A great defense won't allow a team to score points like that. That's the most points we've given up all season.
"But it's not over. The season's not over. It happens. It's the NFL. On any given Sunday, you've got to come out and give your ‘A' game or you will be embarrassed. And that's what happened today."
The Panthers, who dropped to 2-3 on the road, will play at Green Bay next Sunday.
■ John Delong can be reached at jdelong@wsjournal.com.
Carolina 0 3 10 15 -- 28
Atlanta 10 7 0 28 -- 45
First Quarter
Atl--FG Elam 23, 11:16.
Atl--Douglas 7 run (Elam kick), 5:03.
Second Quarter
Atl--Turner 1 run (Elam kick), 13:20.
Car--FG Kasay 23, 5:22.
Third Quarter
Car--Williams 5 run (Kasay kick), 12:21.
Car--FG Kasay 21, 5:27.
Fourth Quarter
Atl--Turner 4 run (Elam kick), 14:57.
Car--Delhomme 12 run (Williams run), 10:57.
Atl--Turner 1 run (Elam kick), 7:13.
Atl--Douglas 61 punt return (Elam kick), 4:47.
Car--Muhammad 16 pass from Delhomme (Kasay kick), 2:23.
Atl--Turner 16 run (Elam kick), :54.
A--64,841.
TEAM STATISTICS
Car Atl
First downs 22 21
Total Net Yards 408 392
Rushes-yards 26-134 33-133
Passing 274 259
Punt Returns 1-0 4-95
Kickoff Returns 5-86 4-52
Interceptions Ret. 0-0 0-0
Comp-Att-Int 21-35-0 17-27-0
Sacked-Yards Lost 3-21 1-0
Punts 6-46.2 3-43.0
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-1
Penalties-Yards 8-48 3-25
Time of Possession 31:11 28:49
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Carolina, Williams 19-101, Delhomme 2-18, Stewart 5-15. Atlanta, Turner 24-117, Norwood 4-11, Douglas 2-3, Ryan 3-2.
PASSING--Carolina, Delhomme 21-35-0-295. Atlanta, Ryan 17-27-0-259.
RECEIVING--Carolina, Smith 8-168, Muhammad 4-40, Rosario 3-43, Williams 2-19, Jarrett 2-15, King 2-10. Atlanta, Douglas 4-92, White 4-70, Jenkins 4-48, Snelling 2-31, Finneran 1-9, Norwood 1-5, Weems 1-4.
MISSED FIELD-GOAL ATTEMPTS--None.
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