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Buccaneers say they are wary of Delhomme's veteran savvy
Journal Photo by Bruce Chapman
Quarterback Jake Delhomme of the Panthers has a 7-1 record against the Buccaneers.
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Published: October 12, 2008
TAMPA, Fla. - He has killed the Bucs with his arm, his legs and most of all, his heart.
Carolina's Jake Delhomme is back under center, sporting a rebuilt right elbow and the same knack for leading the Panthers to victories in crunch time.
"He's a winner," cornerback Ronde Barber of the Bucs said of Delhomme, who is 7-1 against Tampa Bay heading into today's key NFC South matchup. "He's the kind of quarterback you want on your team."
Delhomme, who missed the final 13 games last season because of the elbow injury, wasted no time announcing he was back in style when he threw a winning touchdown pass with no time remaining at San Diego in a 26-24 Week 1 triumph.
Although he can't throw with the velocity of Denver's Jay Cutler or avoid the rush like Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb, Delhomme is the perfect leader for Coach John Fox of Carolina.
"He makes good decisions -- and that's what being a quarterback is all about," said Tampa Bay defensive end Greg White. "Delhomme's a blue-collar guy. He's not flashy … but he gets the job done."
One Bucs coach likens Delhomme to Rich Gannon, the savvy quarterback who flourished under Coach Jon Gruden in Oakland.
Delhomme is 41-27 since arriving in Carolina as a free agent in 2003, and he is difficult to fluster. He's unusually poised with the game on the line, posting a career passer rating of 89.0 in the fourth quarter.
"He's the best when the chips are on the table," Gruden said. "He hangs around, hangs around, hangs around and just when you think you've got him, he shoots you dead."
Barber compares Delhomme to Brett Favre in terms of a confident gunslinger mentality that generates big plays, but also yields opportunities for opposing secondaries.
The Bucs have played solid pass defense through five weeks, but opponents are averaging 12 yards per catch and Steve Smith is one of the league's premier deep threats.
Veteran possession receiver Muhsin Muhammad is back with Carolina after a three-year sojourn to Chicago, and Delhomme has quite a rapport with his two primary targets.
"Jake will throw balls behind them, knowing they'll make an adjustment," Barber said. "Those three guys have a great working relationship."
The Panthers used David Carr and Matt Moore against the Bucs in splitting the 2007 season series, but now Delhomme has returned to form and the swagger is back in the Carolina attack.
"He's beaten me a lot, Jake has," Gruden said. "I tip my hat to him."
■ Ira Kaufman is a staff writer for The Tampa Tribune.
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