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Turned Around: After a disappointing beginning, the Panthers finally have their act together
AP Photo
Julius Peppers of the Panthers sacks quarterback Brett Favre of the Vikings in first-half action.
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Published: December 22, 2009
CHARLOTTE - The Carolina Panthers went from division winners to also-rans, from playoff-bound to playing out the string and waiting to see if their coach would survive and return next season.
Through it all, the injury-riddled Panthers haven't given up. From shutting down and calling out Randy Moss to beating up Brett Favre so badly that his coach wanted to take him out of the game, the Panthers are still fighting.
Sunday night's stunning 26-7 victory over the NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings finally gave Coach John Fox's Panthers something to feel good about.
There were positives the week before, when a suddenly dominant and cocky defense limited Moss to one catch at New England, but the Carolina offense didn't have the firepower to pull the upset.
On Sunday, a day after the Panthers were eliminated from playoff contention, Julius Peppers was so dominant pressuring Favre that left tackle Bryant McKinnie was benched and Coach Brad Childress of Minnesota wanted to yank Favre. Carolina also held Adrian Peterson to 35 yards rushing, and its offense finally awoke with a 20-point fourth quarter.
A Carolina quarterback finally found Steve Smith, with Matt Moore throwing for a career-high 299 yards and three touchdowns. Jonathan Stewart filled in admirably after DeAngelo Williams left in the first quarter with a sprained ankle, rushing for 109 yards and a touchdown and becoming the first player in 37 games to surpass 100 yards against Minnesota.
It was the kind of game that the Panthers (6-8) expected all season after winning the NFC South in 2008. The question now is, will Fox be back next season?
"I think Coach Fox is a great coach, and I think it would be a mistake to make any kind of changes," center Ryan Kalil said yesterday. "I don't think there's going to be any kind of changes."
Owner Jerry Richardson hasn't publicly addressed the issue. Fox has one year left on his contract, and although he has led Carolina to a Super Bowl and two other playoff appearances, he never has had consecutive winning seasons in his eight years.
"I do believe we have a good thing going on here in Carolina," Kalil said. "I think obviously keeping everybody here is going to bring us closer to who we want to be and what we want to get done next season."
It's possible that Moore could be part of those plans. With Jake Delhomme sidelined with a broken finger, Moore played his best game as a pro.
Looking more confident with his decision-making while showing off his strong arm, Moore found Smith for a 42-yard touchdown and a 45-yard catch-and-run that set up another score. He was by far the best quarterback on the field, posting a 123.2 passer rating to Favre's 73.7.
"You can tell he's out there having fun," left tackle Travelle Wharton said.
The offensive line, minus both injured starting tackles, gave up two sacks and opened enough holes for Stewart to become the first back since Green Bay's Ryan Grant in 2007 to gain more than 100 yards against Minnesota.
Then there's Peppers. The Panthers agreed to pay his $16.7-million salary this season for games like this. He was credited with one sack and three hurries, but he was so disruptive that the Vikings never found a rhythm.
The key was that the Panthers were able to pressure the immobile Favre without having to blitz as much because of Peppers' dominance. It allowed the secondary to bottle up receivers, and Chris Harris' end zone interception late in the game was Carolina's 13th forced turnover in the past four games.
"I think in a big spot, he had a very big game," Fox said of Peppers, who has 9½ sacks after a career-best 14½ last season.
Others are contributing, too. James Anderson, the third player to start at weakside linebacker after season-ending injuries to Thomas Davis and Landon Johnson, had 11 tackles. Tyrell Sutton had some key plays as the No. 2 running back with Williams sidelined.
But it all has come too late for it to matter in the playoff race. Carolina can only play spoiler over the final two weeks against the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints.
"I think the most frustrating thing," Kalil said in summing up 2009, "is kind of letting the coaches down."
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