Panthers need Tebow tune-up
CHARLOTTE — Cardinal rule of the NFL playoffs: You cannot lose to the Cardinals.
The heavily favored Carolina Panthers got walloped Saturday night, falling 33-13 at Bank of America Stadium to a franchise playing a second-round postseason game for the first time since 1947.
Yeah, that's right. Pre-Elvis.
Pre-Eisenhower administration. The year Jackie Robinson broke into baseball.
It's OK to get eliminated in January. Hey, it happens. But absolutely not when facing a football team from Arizona.
Coming into this season, The St. Louis (baseball) Cardinals had won one fewer NFL playoff game than the Arizona (football) Cardinals.
"It wasn't our night," quarterback Jake Delhomme said after throwing five interceptions and losing a fumble. "It wasn't mine, for sure."
A lot of good people from both Carolinas showed up Saturday night hoping to see something special. They got it from elusive No. 11 in red and white. Larry Fitzgerald in one magnificent 166-yard performance proved there is no better wide receiver.
But there is reason to believe in 2009, if only the Panthers address the quarterback position in the aggressive way they have solidified their running game with first-round picks DeAngelo Williams (2006) and Jonathan Stewart (2008).
Or Matt Cassel
Delhomme heard more boos than cheers, unless you count the Bronx roars for that rare completed pass to a player wearing the same uniform.
Six turnovers means thanks, Jake, for the fine comeback from Tommy John surgery, a nice run to first-place in the NFC South and a class act always. But now it's time to move on.
Three ideas:
--Tim Tebow. Lacks an NFL arm? Looks more like a tight end or H-back? Saturday night in downtown Charlotte, trading up in the first round to snag the All-World leader from Florida looked better than free gasoline.
--Matt Cassel. Trade with New England and throw in the Sir Purr mascot.
--Or both.
"That's my thinking," head coach John Fox said when asked if Delhomme would be the starter next year. "But it's a little early to be talking about next season."
A day ago, everything looked so rosy for a Panthers team one win away from being one win from the Super Bowl.
And things started so splendidly.
Charleston country music star Darius Rucker sang a beautiful version of The National Anthem.
Mark Jones returned the opening kickoff to the 50.
The Panthers grabbed a 7-0 lead.
But by the time Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music" was blaring over the public address system with 14:04 left in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals were leading 30-7 and in possession of a football the Panthers found to hard to handle.
By then, the stadium was half-empty.
The Carolina combo of Fox and general manager Marty Hurney has done a consistently good job of building the Panthers around eight straight good decisions in the first round of the draft.
Fox and Hurney
But just a year ago Fox and Hurney were on thin ice after a 7-9 season, their jobs hanging on the lengthy meetings they had with owner Jerry Richardson. Fox and Hurney were retained after agreeing with Richardson that the Panthers had to get better running the ball and stopping the run.
"You know how I feel about the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Rooney family," Richardson told reporters last January after it was announced Fox and Hurney would stay on. "I would like for the Carolina Panthers and our team, and our work, and the way we operate our team, to emulate the Pittsburgh Steelers — and John and Marty know that."
It worked wonderfully for the regular season.
Now Panthers should try to look like the Arizona Cardinals in the postseason.
Reach Gene Sapakoff at gsapakoff@postandcourier.com or 937-5593.
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Comments
This article has 5 comment(s)
Posted by KidYendor on January 11, 2009 at 1:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Except for the Panther's touchdown it seemed like another SC Gamecocks rout as the game progressed. It was a sad night for the Carolinas.
Posted by Paulie on January 11, 2009 at 1:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Only one word can describe that game:
" CHOKE "
Posted by carmelo15_fade on January 11, 2009 at 7:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Does this article suggest that it's not only worth using a first-round pick on Tim Tebow, but trading up in the draft to secure his future as a Carolina Panther? I thought it was bad being a Denver Broncos fan, but apparently it's no worse than being a Panther fan and being subjected to delusions of grandeur.
Tim Tebow's a good college qb, a great college qb, a LEGENDARY COLLEGE QB, but he's just that: a college qb. Some qbs are made to be college qbs. Look at all the qbs to win the Heisman trophy since 1987: Andre Ware, Ty Detmer, Gino Torretta, Charlie Ward, Danny Wuerffel, Chris Weinke, Eric Crouch, Carson Palmer, Jason White, Matt Leinart, Troy Smith and Tim Tebow.
Of that list of college quarterbacks who were considered 'great quarterbacks' our top three Palmer, Detmer, Leinart. Who didn't win the Heisman trophy?
Brett Favre
Joe Montana
John Elway
Dan Marino
Peyton Manning
Tom Brady
These are the top six quarterbacks that have played the game since 1990. Answers don't come in Heisman trophy quarterbacks, they come in pro-style quarterbacks, like Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco and possibly Jamarcus Russell.
If Carolina is seriously that fed-up with Delhomme (which is understandable) they should look to players who can come in and have the best chance to make a difference. Don't hope for someone like Mark Sanchez, as we've seen (with Carson Palmer being the exception that proves the rule) that USC quarterbacks don't pan out in the NFL; don't look to the Big 12 for answers - Bradford's going to need time to develop in the NFL, Colt McCoy's coming back, and Graham Harrell without Crabtree is what Pennington is without Randy Moss.
Carolina's faith can rely in snagging one of these three guys:
Matt Stafford, Georgia - His size (6-3, 237) is prototype professional quarterback, and his abilities are underlooked. He doesn't have the speed or scrambling of Donovan McNabb, but will tuck-and-run if need-be. He also has a beautiful deep ball, which could work perfect with Steve Smith's ability to get down the field beatifully.
Nate Davis, Ball State - So he played against teams like Navy and Central Michigan. So he looked like a present-day Daunte Culpepper in his last two games. So he threw two picks and fumbled six times in those two games. He's from the MAC, and players from the MAC are just plain tough, being told 'Oh you're not a real conference'. If he goes pro (and he should with the weak quarterback field in the draft this year) he'd be a great prospect for any team to look at starting in 1-3 years.
Curtis Painter, Purdue - Again his size (6-4, 230) is perfect for an NFL-level quarterback. He also has the arm strength and arm-accuracy to play in the big leagues, but needs to be able to read a defense before he can play in the pros. But it's easier to study a defense when you're getting paid to do just that. Plus he'll probably fall deep in the draft, preventing any kind of battle for the Purdue Painter.
Posted by uscfreak on January 11, 2009 at 1:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Delhomme looked worse than C. Smelley. Did not think it was possible..
Posted by theronce on January 12, 2009 at 8:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is how you throw away the work of a season. A head should roll for this.