Not that it should surprise anyone, but the agent for Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers said the former Tar Heel has played his last play as a Panther. Again, this shouldn’t surprise anybody, but still seems like a little bit of a shock to the system, especially when you say it outloud.

Personally, I know that he is a fantastic player and maybe the best in the NFL at his position when he WANTS to play. The problem is he doesn’t always want to and that is the reason why I have no issues with the Panthers letting him bolt. For the most part, he was nonexistent this season, especially in the early half when it matter most.

They could get a first- and third-round draft pick for him should another team opt to sign him as compensation. And considering Carolina doesn’t have a first rounder this year, that’s not all bad.

So, here’s to you, Julius. Don’t let the door …., well you know the rest. Now hopefully the Panthers won’t screw the pooch by drafting clowns in his place and wasting the picks (see Dwayne Jarrett).

Tyke Tolbert, a former wide receivers coach with the Arizona Cardinals and
Buffalo Bills, has been named wide receivers coach of the Carolina Panthers the team
announced today. A seven-year NFL coaching veteran, Tolbert has spent the last six
seasons with the Bills.

“Tyke’s experience both as a player and coach provide him with a sound
knowledge of the wide receiver position,” says head coach John Fox. “He is a highly
regarded coach and we think he will make strong contribution to our offense.”

Tolbert graduated from Louisiana State University where he was a three-year
letterman at wide receiver for the Tigers from 1988-90.

After college coaching stints at Louisiana-Monroe, Auburn, Louisiana-Lafayette
and Florida, Tolbert began his NFL coaching career by participating in the NFL’s
Minority Internship Program with the Detroit Lions in 1997. The Arizona Cardinals hired
Tolbert as wide receivers coach in 2003 and under his tutelage, Cardinals rookie receiver
Anquan Boldin earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and was the only rookie to
make the Pro Bowl.

Tolbert went to Buffalo as wide receivers coach in 2004 and was instrumental in
the development of young receivers Lee Evans, Josh Reed and Roscoe Parrish.
A native of Conroe, TX, Tolbert, and his wife Linda, have two daughters, Morgan
and Madison.

The baffling week with the Carolina Panthers just keeps going and going. In three days, Carolina waxed New York, head coach John Fox was allowed to return as head coach and controversial defensive end Julius Peppers got a $1.5 million bonus for being named a pro bowl starter. What’s next, another Jake Delhomme contract extension?

It all started Sunday afternoon when the Panthers absolutely destroyed the playoff hopeful New York Giants in their last-ever game at the famed Medowlands. By the second quarter, the game was over and it was just a question of how many points Carolina would score and how many yards would Jonathan Stewart rush for. The final answers were 41 and 206.

But that was just the beginning of it all in what has been a wild week thus far with the Panthers.

Monday afternoon, a report came down the pipe saying that head coach John Fox and Marty Hurney would each have the option of returning next season at their respective positions. This angered many fans and confused even more. How in the world can a guy with only three winning seasons, of which isn’t this year, be allowed to come back, especially after the debacle with Jake Delhomme in the offseason and during the season?

Nonetheless, Fox can return if he wants to. The only known catch is that he will not be given an extension on his contract, which ends after next season. Maybe Fox will choose not to work under those conditions. This story hasn’t yet concluded.

Then Tuesday evening, it was announced that defensive end Julius Peppers was named as a starter in what will be his fifth pro bowl appearance. By being named a starter, he was given a $1.5 million bonus, pushing his NFL-high salary for this season to $18.2 million.

There are a couple of ways to look at the Peppers thing: 1) Other than the Vikings stud defense end, Jared Allen, nobody in the NFC had a great year at end and Peppers gets the spot sort of by default. 2) Two of Peppers’ best games came on back-to-back weeks on national television late in the season and that’s what people remembered when they voted recently.

Regardless of how he got voted as a starter, that game one week before the Super Bowl may very well be the last time Peppers ever wears a Carolina Panthers helmet in a game.

New found superstar quarterback Matt Moore helped lead the Carolina Panthers to a very improbable 41-9 beat down of the New York Giants, in New Jersey no less. Not only did the Panthers win by nearly five touchdowns, but they also did so in the final game the Giants will ever play in the Medowlands.

Of course, tailback Jonathan Stewart, who rushed for a team-record 206 yards, and the strong performance by the defense were the real reasons Carolina won. But make no mistake about it, the Panthers are playing much better under Moore than at any point this season under Delhomme. It’s as though the know he’s not going to throw four interceptions and they are trying.

Under the guidance of Moore, Carolina is 3-1 with wins over Minnesota and the Giants. And this begs the question has the recent surge of the Panthers saved head coach John Fox’s job or will it ultimately get him pushed out the door?

(more…)

With the season coming to an end (actually it’s been over for quite a while), I’m starting to wonder if both Matt Moore and Jake Delhomme will return or if neither or if just one. Personally, I think Jake will be the only one back of the two signal callers. I don’t know if either should be back, but one most likely will be and it’s probably going to be Jake.

The only way I can see Jake not returning is if he is traded. There’s also a chance he could be dropped if the Panthers get a new head coach. There’s not going to be a salary cap next year, so cutting him won’t count against the cap. And the new head coach might realize what head coach John Fox and general manager Marty Hurney doesn’t: Jake is done as an NFL quarterback.

So, that leads me to this question: If Carolina has to keep one, which they most likely should, who should it be? Jake as a starter or backup or Matt as a backup?

Personally, I’m torn. But if you can get a quality quarterback like a Jason Campbell, then I have no problem keeping Jake as a backup. That’s probably the route I would go.

Three weeks ago I would’ve bet my first born, as well as the first born of my brother and best friends that at least Carolina Panthers coach John Fox was going to be fired at the end of the season. I even thought general manager Marty Hurney might go with him. However, as time continues to pass, it appears there’s a realistic chance that not only will one of them be back, but both.
(more…)

Well, here we are some two weeks after it was learned that Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme has a broken finger. He’s missed two game and Carolina is 1-1 in them. Backup signal caller Matt Moore has been decent, at best. He hasn’t been brilliant, but he hasn’t been awful, either. Now that Jake’s finger should be back to being relatively healed, what does head coach John Fox do for the remained of the season at quarterback?

The easiest thing for Fox to do is declare Jake’s finger still hurt, which allows him to continue to start Matt Moore, the favorite of the fans, and avoid any controversy. Doing this also allows Fox and Jake to save face because if Jake is deemed healthy but still sits on the bench, everyone will wonder why this move wasn’t done a long time ago when there was still hope at reaching the playoffs. It also lets Jake off the hook in terms of being benched. It will be a crushing blow to his already fragile ego if it is announced publicly that he’s been replaced by someone that started the season as a third-string quarterback.

It will also look exceedingly awful for general manager Marty Hurney if Jake is benched publicly because he and Fox are the ones that thought it was a wise decision to give Jake a big and expensive extension. And that means Hurney will now have a tough decision to make in the offseason should he be lucky enough not to be fired. All indications were that Moore was going to be let go after season’s end. Now, if Moore plays no worse than Jake and is several million dollars cheaper, how can Hurney justify letting him go?

But there’s also a chance that Fox could declare Jake the starter again, which would cause an uproar by fans. However, at this point, what does Fox have to lose? He’s going to be fired at the end of the season regardless, so he might as well go down with the one he hitched his wagon to with that big contract and the person he said gives Carolina the best chance of winning.

I will be surprised if he does that. Personally, I think Jake has taken his last snaps of the season. And declaring Jake to be still injured will be the smart and easiest thing to do for all parties involved.

Well, here we are coming to you live from the press box at BOA Stadium and the Matt Moore is officially underway. It’s very obvious from the 40,000 fans here that he is a favorite. When he completed his first pass, the cheers were so loud that you would have thought Carolina had just won the Super Bowl.

Jake Delhomme is standing on the sidelines wearing a toboggan and a black sweatshirt and writing on a clipboard. His hand must be hurting. Derrrrrrr.

And right on cue, Moore led the Panthers to a touchdown on the opening drive and a field goal on the second drive to give the Panthers a quick 10-0 lead. But he has come back to reality and not been the stud all thought he would be.

But he was responsible for the interception the Panthers got off Tampa QB Josh Freeman. I mean, if Moore wasn’t in there, do you really think Carolina would have intercepted that ball. Matt Moore is responsible for everything that has gone right today.

UPDATE WITH 12:35 LEFT IN THE FIRST HALF
(Door)Matt Moore just did his best Jake Delhomme impersonation and threw an interception. Somewhere, Jake and John Fox are high-fiving each other. Marty Hurney was spotted doing the Chicken Dance in the press box.

HALFTIME
One thing has become very obvious: If Tampa had any offense whatsoever, they’d be winning this game. The defense for Carolina is about as good right now (door)Matt Moore. It’s a small miracle that the Panthers are winning 10-6.

The 40,000 fans at the start of the game is now down to about 25,000. It is laughable at how many people left at the half. It’s good to know that this game is living up to its top billing.

UPDATE WITH 12:30 LEFT IN THE THIRD QUARTER
Matt Moore does it again, this time helping linebacker Jon Beason intercept a Josh Freeman pass at the goal line. Matt Moore has presence and a way about him that is inspiring to his offense and his defense. Players want to play for Matt Moore much like they way the Gators want to play for Tim Tebow. They’re both winners!

UPDATE WITH 4:14 LEFT IN THE THIRD QUARTER
Matt Moore does it again! Once again inspired by the Oregon State Beaver, Jon Beason intercepts another pass at the goal line to prevent the Bucs from tying the game. It truly is a thing of beauty to watch a performance like what Matt Moore is providing today.

UPDATE WITH 7:12 LEFT IN THE FOURTH QUARTER
Matt Moore helped induce Freeman into his fourth interception of the day, with three of them coming in or at the endzone. Then just a few plays later, Moore hits Steve Smith on a 66-yard pass to move the ball to the Tampa 11. So excited that he had a quarterback actually throw the ball accurately and deep, Smith kissed Moore on the cheek.

But leave to John Fox, who will be replaced as head coach shortly, to totally screw up the scoring opportunity. Fox calls nothing but running plays and has to settle for a field goal.

BALL GAME
In one of the most courageous performances since Willis Reed limped onto the court at Madison Square Garden, Matt Moore led the Panthers to victory over the Bucs. Somewhere John Fox, Marty Hurney and Jake Delhomme are cussing.

To celebrate the starting of Matt Moore at quarterback this weekend against Tampa Bay, I thought it was only fitting to put together a small photo collage of the former UCLA Bruin, Oregon State Beaver, Dallas Cowboy and current Panther. Enjoy.

Can you imagine the calls that will flood WFNZ Monday and Tuesday should Matt Moore play well at quarterback Sunday as the replacement of Jake Delhomme, who has officially been ruled out against Tampa. If Moore plays well regardless if the Carolina Panthers win or lose, people will scream from the top of BOA Stadium asking why Moore hadn’t been inserted earlier in the season when there was still a bit of hope in making the playoffs.

And while the fans and players certainly want Moore to do well and lead the Panthers to victory, you have to know that deep down head coach John Fox and general manager Marty Hurney hope that Moore struggles and doesn’t look good. In a perfect world for Fox and Hurney, Carolina will win but Moore will suck. That way they get the win, but are still proven to have been right all along about Moore and Delhomme.

If Moore does well, then all the theories that Fox is too loyal to his older players will have more credence for the head coach has steadfastly stuck by Delhomme, even though the Ragin’ Cajun has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL all season. If Moore fails, then Fox can more or less say to everyone, “I told you so.”

Moreover, if Moore does well over the next few games, then Hurney, assuming he’s still around next season and that’s a very big assumption, will have a very difficult decision to make. It seems a foregone conclusion that Moore will not be on the team next season, but if he plays well and becomes even more of a fan favorite, then how can you justify to the fans that he’s not deserving of a contract renewal? But if Moore fails, then Hurney, again assuming he’s around next season, can cut Moore without much displeasure from fans.

Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox said Monday that his quarterback Jake Delhomme has a broken finger on his throwing hand. That “injury” just so happens to coincide with the fact that Mr. Delhomme threw four interceptions in the Panthers’ whipping against the Jets on Sunday. When pressed which finger was indeed broken, Fox declined to say.

This now gives Fox the perfect way to bench Delhomme without it looking like he and general manager Marty Hurney are admitting to making a colossal error in signing the Ragin’ Cajun to a long-term deal. The timing couldn’t be better for Matt Moore, who will take snaps with the starters on Wednesday. Carolina plays the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers and it just so happens that it’s at BOA Stadium. There couldn’t be any easier of a way for Moore to get his start.

Well, here are some reasons as to why Jake’s finger may have become suddenly broken:

Delhomme ranks 27th in completion percentage (55.5)
21st in yards (2,015)
24th in yards per game (183.2)
24th in touchdowns (8)
2nd with INTs thrown (18); tied with one rookie and has one more than another.
31st in passer rating (59.4); only ahead of JaMarcus Russell and Derek Anderson.

What happened Thursday night embodied every single reason why I believe Panthers head coach John Fox and general manager Marty Hurney will be fired at the end of the season. It will be an old fashioned fox hunt, for sure. I don’t think either will escape the inevitable conclusion and here’s why they shouldn’t:

The offense, minus running back DeAngelo Williams and receiver Steve Smith, was porous and the defense couldn’t make any stops. It wasn’t just one area that looked bad, it was everywhere. And it’s not just one week, it’s the majority of them this happens.

And for that, Fox and Hurney should be fired.

Miami quarterback Chad Henne, who started the season as a backup to Chad Pennington, proved that his is better at his position that Jake Delhomme. It’s a sad statement, but it’s absolutely true. And it was Hurney and Fox that wanted to keep the Cajun around a few more years.

And for that, Fox and Hurney should be fired.

The only reason the defense has any new players is because of the loss of a starter or two. Hurney went on record during his interview on Primetime with the Packman and stated he didn’t think you could win by signing free agents. Apparently he didn’t look at the 2003 roster when the Panthers made it to the Super Bowl. If Fox ever wanted a few new starters on either offense or defense, he didn’t make a big enough fuss about it to convince Hurney to sign them.

And for that, Fox and Hurney should be fired.

During the offseason, the Panthers traded away a draft pick to Miami for the services of quarterback Josh McCown. In theory he was supposed to push Delhomme for the starting spot should Jake stumble like he has. But McCown got hurt in the first game of the season and was put on IR. But to be honest, does anybody think McCown is a starting NFL quarterback that you can win with? Miami didn’t think so. Neither Fox nor Hurney brought in a real quarterback to challenge Jake and they kept Matt Moore and A.J. Feeley, two dogs, on their roster without trying to upgrade the position all the while Jake continues to throw interception after interception.

And for that, Fox and Hurney should be fired.

Carolina is going to have a hard time building through the draft, which hasn’t been Hurney or Fox’s strong suit, anyway. They traded this year’s first rounder so they could draft Everette Brown in the second round. Had they kept that pick, they could have traded for New England All-Pro Richard Seymour. Instead, they have to hope their late-round picks pan out. And given their drafting history, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

And for that, Fox and Hurney should be fired.

But what may be the breaking point is when the team is constantly booed on its home field. You know Mr. Richardson cringes at the sounds of that, especially when the game is played on national television and the whole country hears it. Mr. Richardson wants a respectable team. But getting embarrassed at home by an average opponent and by your booing fans on a Thursday night doesn’t exactly scream respect.

And for that, Fox and Hurney should be fired.

CHARLOTTE - Coming to you live from the press box here at BOA Stadium, I’m here to document all the good and bad plays by the Panthers in their game against Miami tonight. I must start by apologizing to everyone out there for not having any of my usual babe photos. Circumstances beyond my control prevented me from being able to get any fresh ones. So, again, I offer my sincere apologies to everyone.

With that said, here’s my always exciting and riveting analysis of the game.

Carolina did take the opening drive and march it to the Miami 7, but the drive stalled and Kasey booted a field goal to take a quick 3-0 lead. But that was the highlight of the first quarter as neither team managed to score the rest of the opening mark.

UPDATE START OF SECOND QUARTER
The second quarter started with Carolina dominating the total offense category, but had nothing but three chintzy points to show for it.

Then Miami put together a very long drive and finally scored a touchdown to take a 7-3 lead.
The back breaker came on a third-and-16 at Carolina’s 36 when Miami was all set to settle for a field goal. The Dolphins handed it off to some no-name named Lex Hilliard out of Montana up the middle and he gained 18 freaking yards, which ultimately set up the touchdown.

After another three-and-out by Carolina and a solid punt return by Miami, Ricky Williams scored a few plays later to give the Dolphins a 14-3 advantage.

Two things have become perfectly clear, Julius Peppers isn’t playing on first and second downs and as a result, Miami has been passing a lot on those downs because it knows the pass rush will be much less than with Peppers.

The other glaring thing is that the Jake Delhomme that we all grew to love since last year’s Arizona game has returned. Jake, we missed ya!

As the teams headed to the locker room, the fans rained boos onto the field. God, it’s great to be a Panthers fan.

START OF THIRD QUARTER UPDATE
The Panthers got deep into Miami territory thanks to a long DeAngelo Williams run, but alas the drive came to an abrupt halt when Jake threw an awful interception on a Steve Smith post route.

We’ve already welcomed the return of the real Jake Delhomme back, which made me think of the theme song to one of the most underrated TV shows of all time. Enjoy the flashback. WELCOME BACK

END OF THIRD QUARTER
Well, the best drive of the Panthers in that quarter came at the very end. And if you’re not watching the game on TV, then you’ll have to wait until the next update to see how they did.

BTW, who would you rather have, Chad Henne or Jake Delhomme?

FOURTH QUARTER UPDATE
Once again the Panthers get inside the Miami 10 and have to settle for a field goal and trailed 14-6. I’m just going to make the same point I made last game and that it seems awfully strange that Williams does all the work as the running back to get the Panthers into scoring position and then they take him out for Stewart, and ultimately the drive comes to a screeching halt. LEAVE DEANGELO IN THE STINKING GAME!!!

Miami answered with a field goal of its own to make this a two-score game. The Dolphins ate up more than six minutes on the drive and with just over seven minutes left, Carolina trails 17-6, which means it’s Jake Delhomme throwing time. WoooHooo!!!!!

UPDATE WITH 5:18 LEFT TO PLAY
Steve Smith makes an insane touchdown catch and Williams runs for the two-point conversion to make it a 17-14 game with 5:18 left to play. We have ourselves a game. Now the question is can the Panthers defense stop the Miami offense. God, I thought I’d never have to ask that question.

TRUE STORY - The two guys sitting directly in front of me on press row are sleeping. I swear to everything that is holy in this universe that I’m telling the truth.

UPDATE WITH 3:55 LEFT TO PLAY
On third-and-11, Henne completes a big pass for a first down. The very next play, Ricky Williams bolts up the middle for a 46-yard touchdown run. I guess that answered my previous question. Williams has 122 yards rushing.

UPDATE WITH 1:41 LEFT TO PLAY
Kasey boots a 48-yard field goal to make it 24-17. All the Panthers need now is a to recover the onside kick and have Jake Delhomme win it with his passing. Piece of cake.

UPDATE AT END OF THE GAME
Folks, this game is over and Carolina has lost 24-17.

We learned a few things tonight about our beloved Panthers:

1) Chad Henne, who started the season as a backup, is better than Jake Delhomme.
2) The Panthers still suck in running the two-minute offense. Apparently they don’t understand that you have to do more than run 7-yard routes that aren’t anywhere near the sidelines.
3) Carolina fans continue to leave at halftime, even when the game is close.
4) Carolina is like too many girlfriends I’ve had, nothing but a big tease.
5) One more loss and the Panthers will unofficially be eliminated from the playoffs.

Coming to you live from the press box here at BOA Stadium, which is about 80 percent full. The weather is absolutely perfect for what seems like could be a Carolina win over Atlanta. There’s just something about today’s game that makes me seem like the Panthers have a real shot at winning and improving to 4-5 on the season.

UPDATE WITH 6:00 LEFT IN THE FIRST
The Falcons drove the field on their first possession and wound up kicking a field goal to take a 3-0 lead, but the Panthers answered with a Jonathan Stewart 1-yard run for a score to take a 7-3 lead. On Carolina’s drive Muhsin Muhammad made a couple of big plays.

UPDATE 12:26 LEFT IN SECOND QUARTER
Carolina grabs a huge 14-3 lead on Steve Smith’s second touchdown of the season. It was a great catch as he was interfered with while making the play. I guess we’ll get a happy Steve this week. And because of the touchdown, it’s time for a nice picture from the game.

BTW, am I the only one that likes that song by Miley Cyrus, “It’s A Party In The USA”? They played it here at the stadium and now I can’t get it out of my head. I’m driving Mac and Yarbro nuts because I’m humming it.

UPDATE WITH 5:56 LEFT IN SECOND QUARTER
Atlanta scored a touchdown on a Jason Snelling run to make it 14-10. Michael Turner has 9 carries for 111 yards. But it was just announced that he has a right ankle sprain and his return is questionable.

Panthers OT Jordan Gross is down and looks to be in obvious pain. He is laying flat on his back with his hands grasping his head. They are bringing out the cart, which is never ever a good sign. They put an air cast on his right leg. It appears to be a bad ankle. They just showed the replay and several people just made a gasping noise. It wasn’t pretty, to say the least. He will not return to the game.

UPDATE WITH 1:08 LEFT IN THE SECOND QUARTER
Cornerback Sherrod Martin intercepted Matty Ice and returned it to the Atlanta 30 to set up the Panthers. A few plays later Steve Smith caught his second touchdown pass of the game and his third of the season. But on the play smith got shaken up and laid on the field for a couple of minutes. He had to be helped up and off the field. It’s difficult to figure out at what exactly happened to him.

Nonetheless, 21-10 Carolina.

And with another Panthers touchdown, it means it’s picture time!

HALFTIME: CAROLINA 21, ATLANTA 10

UPDATE WITH 5:55 LEFT IN THIRD QUARTER
Atlanta took the kickoff to start the second half and got a field goal. For the Panthers, Steve Smith is back on the field and DeAngleo Williams is running like a beast.

Carolina has its 51 yard field goal blocked, which gives Atlanta the ball at its own 41. See what happens? DeAngelo runs the ball all the way down there and John Fox takes him out for Jonathan Stewart and the drive stalls. Coincidence? I think not.

END OF THIRD QUARTER
That’s the end of the third quarter and Carolina leads 21-13, however Atlanta is getting ready to score another touchdown and this is about to be a one-point game, assuming they kick the extra point and not go for two.

And since it’s the end of the third quarter, how about we throw in another picture.

UPDATE WITH 13:44 LEFT IN THE FOURTH QUARTER
Atlanta did indeed score a touchdown on fourth down, but the Falcons went for two and didn’t get it. Thus, Carolina leads 21-19. This is a big drive coming up for the Panthers, who need to put some points on the board. Atlanta has its offense rolling and the only way Carolina is going to win this game is by scoring more points because the defense doesn’t look capable of slowing down Matty Ice.

Will someone please tell me why in God’s name Mr. Fox insists on taking out DeAngelo every single time he does something good? Once again, Stewart comes in after a big play by DW and three plays later Carolina has to punt.

UPDATE WITH 6:35 LEFT IN FOURTH QUARTER
Atlanta just missed a chippy field goal that would have given the Falcons the lead. Carolina is just trying to hang on best it can.

Steve Smith has yet to catch a pass in the second half.

UPDATE WITH 2:07 LEFT IN THE FOURTH QUARTER
After giving up a big punt return, Carolina intercepted a Matty Ice. A few plays later Stewart busts one for a 45-yard touchdown to give Carolina a 28-19 lead. This game is over.

PICTURE TIME!!!!

Carolina is going to win, some how and some way. Unreal. Stat of the game, ZERO picks for Delhomme. Let’s celebrate with a few pictures.