NFC South: Panthers prevail despite QB being "less than Jake"

Football Betting Lines

11/11/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -- Jake Delhomme probably isn't concerned about taking home the Carolina Panthers' team MVP award at season's end. That's a good thing, since the veteran quarterback certainly didn't help his candidacy with a forgettable performance this past Sunday.

Delhomme produced the worst passer rating of his 10-year career, a dismal 12.3 figure that likely conjured up unwanted flashbacks of David Carr in the minds of Panthers' fans, during Carolina's battle with the Oakland Raiders over the weekend. The gritty Cajun completed just 7-of-27 attempts for an anemic 72 yards on the afternoon and was intercepted four times, equaling the most picks he has ever thrown in a single contest.

Even with that startling display of futility from the usually steady signal- caller, the Panthers managed to come through with their third consecutive victory on Sunday, thanks to superlative showings from running back DeAngelo Williams and defensive end Julius Peppers.

Williams emerged as Carolina's offensive savior in the team's 17-6 triumph over the comical Raiders, with the former first-round draft choice piling up a personal-best 140 rushing yards on just 19 carries. Nearly half of that total came on a 69-yard touchdown run late in the first half that gave the Panthers a commanding 14-0 lead.

It was the second straight big day for Williams, who appears to have withstood an early-season challenge from talented rookie Jonathan Stewart to be the top banana in a crowded Carolina backfield. The third-year pro amassed 108 yards and a score on 17 rushes to help the NFC South leaders to a hard-fought 27-23 decision over NFC West front-runner Arizona on October 26.

"I can't say enough about the kid," Panthers head coach John Fox said of Williams. "He worked very hard this offseason, he's worked very hard this season, and he keeps answering the bell for us and he's done an outstanding job."

Peppers, meanwhile, was a one-man wrecking crew for a Carolina defense that was suffocating once again on Sunday. The three-time Pro Bowl honoree matched a career high with three sacks and forced a pair of fumbles while finishing with seven solo tackles.

The win improved the Panthers to 7-2 on the season, which ties the franchise's best-ever record after nine games. Carolina also won seven of its first nine tests en route to a Super Bowl appearance in 2003, and did the same two years later while reaching the 2005 NFC Championship Game.

QUICK HITS: Delhomme became only the second quarterback since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 to complete less than 30 percent of his passes and throw four interceptions in a win. Cincinnati's Ken Anderson also did so in a victory over Oakland on October 19, 1975...Return specialist Mark Jones had a career- high 59-yard kick return and a personal-best 55-yard punt runback in Sunday's win...Middle linebacker Jon Beason was credited with a career-best 15 tackles against the Raiders, including 11 solo stops...Center Ryan Kalil returned to the lineup after a three-game absence due to a sprained ankle, but left the game late in the first quarter after experiencing discomfort.

NEXT UP: The Panthers continue a soft two-game stretch of their schedule when still-winless Detroit pays a visit to Bank of America Stadium this coming Sunday. The 0-9 Lions are coming off a 38-14 home loss to Jacksonville and have dropped nine straight games on the road dating back to last season. Carolina is 5-0 in Charlotte so far this year, with an average margin of victory of 15.8 points.

ATLANTA: Both Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons took yet another major step forward last Sunday at the Georgia Dome, where the sensational rookie quarterback and his up-and-coming young team seized their first divisional win of the season with a highly impressive 34-20 decision over the slumping New Orleans Saints.

The Falcons had already made major strides in posting a 5-3 record through the season's first half, which was one victory more than the team garnered during its tumultuous 2007 campaign, but came up well short in a pair of road defeats to fellow NFC South members Carolina and Tampa Bay earlier in the year. That wasn't the case on Sunday, as Atlanta combined another near-flawless display from Ryan with an opportunistic defense that gave Saints signal-caller Drew Brees fits throughout the afternoon.

Ryan took advantage of a non-existent New Orleans pass rush to rack up 248 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-23 passing, while continuing his streak of not turning the ball over at home. In his first four regular-season games at the Georgia Dome, the remarkably-poised 23-year-old has thrown for 902 yards and five scores without being intercepted, and has an excellent 125.1 quarterback rating over that span.

Atlanta's improving defense backed up its smothering effort in the previous week's 24-0 rout of Oakland by forcing Brees into an uncharacteristically mistake-filled day. Safety Erik Coleman set the tone by intercepting the two- time Pro Bowler on the game's first play, the first of three picks by the Falcons' secondary, while rookie corner Chevis Jackson put the finishing touches on the win with a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:17 to go. Cornerback Chris Houston also thwarted a potential comeback attempt by snaring a hurried Brees throw in the end zone during the fourth quarter.

"We believe in our secondary and we have been playing really well the past several weeks," said cornerback Domonique Foxworth. "We are proud to put it on display in front of the world against the best passing offense (in the NFL)."

Brees did finish with a season-high 422 yards for the game, but most of that total came with the Saints in a desperate comeback mode after falling behind by as many as 21 points. New Orleans' top-ranked offense did not score a touchdown until five minutes into the fourth quarter.

QUICK HITS: Running back Jerious Norwood had a career-long 67-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter that extended Atlanta's lead to 27-6...Foxworth recorded three passes defensed in the first quarter, the most by any single player in the NFL during the opening period since 1994...After taking a 7-3 advantage at the end of the first quarter, the Falcons have now outscored the opposition by a 75-17 margin in the initial 15 minutes of a game this season...Wide receiver Michael Jenkins posted season-bests of six catches and 72 receiving yards against the Saints.

NEXT UP: Now 4-0 at the Georgia Dome in 2008, the Falcons will put their perfect home record on the line when the high-powered Denver Broncos enter Atlanta for an intriguing interconference matchup this Sunday. The Broncos maintained a one-game advantage atop the AFC West with last Thursday's 34-30 comeback win at Cleveland and own the NFL's third-ranked aerial attack, having averaged nearly 288 passing yards per game.

NEW ORLEANS: After losing further ground in the NFC South race with their discouraging defeat to the Falcons, frustrations finally appear to boiling over for the cellar-dwelling Saints.

The signature moment of Sunday's setback came during the waning stages of the third quarter. After two Brees incompletions sent New Orleans into a 3rd- and-10 hole, the standout quarterback was quickly pressured upon dropping back to throw after tight end Jeremy Shockey whiffed on a blocking assignment. Brees flicked the ball in the flat to Shockey, who nonchalantly let the pass sail through his fingers to bring out the punting unit.

A furious Brees promptly engaged in a heated shouting match with Shockey, who caught just two passes for 16 yards during the game, with the argument making the rounds on nearly every sports highlight telecast that evening.

Both players downplayed the confrontation afterward, but it was a fitting symbol of a season that clearly hasn't lived up to the expectations the Saints, now 4-5 and two games out of the NFC Wild Card picture, had coming in.

A rash of injuries have also contributed to New Orleans' current record that has been universally viewed as an underachievement, and the list of walking wounded grew by leaps and bounds by the final whistle of the Atlanta game. Cornerback Mike McKenzie, the team's most accomplished cover man, suffered a season-ending broken right patella in the third quarter, while fullback Mike Karney (sprained MCL), cornerback Aaron Glenn (ankle), offensive tackle Jon Stinchcomb (calf) and reserve running back Aaron Stecker (hamstring) all left the contest with various ailments. Karney's injury is expected to sideline him for 2-to-4 weeks.

Shockey was also on the sidelines for the majority of the fourth quarter with a sprained ankle, although the boisterous offseason acquisitions's blow-up with Brees may have been a contributing factor to his absence.

On a more positive note, New Orleans head coach Sean Payton is cautiously optimistic that versatile running back Reggie Bush will be back in the fold for this week's upcoming test with Kansas City. The former Heisman Trophy winner has missed the team's last two games after undergoing surgery in late October to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

McKenzie was placed on injured reserve on Monday, with the Saints claiming journeyman corner Leigh Torrence off waivers from Washington to fill the vacated roster spot.

QUICK HITS: Wide receiver Marques Colston, who entered Sunday's clash having made just five receptions in three games while working his way back from a torn ligament in his thumb, broke out with a seven-catch, 140-yard output against the Falcons...The Saints fell to 4-14 in games in which Brees throws 40 or more passes. He completed 31-of-58 throws in Sunday's loss...New Orleans is now 0-3 under Payton following a bye week, and has been outscored by an 88-55 count in those games...Center Jonathan Goodwin missed a second straight game with a dislocated left kneecap.

NEXT UP: The Saints will be seeking their first true road victory of 2008 when they travel to Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium this Sunday to take on the one- win Chiefs. New Orleans is 0-4 in enemy venues so far this year, although the club did earn a 37-32 verdict over San Diego in London back in Week 8. The Saints will be making their first visit to Kansas City since 1997.

TAMPA BAY: Carnell "Cadillac" Williams' comeback from a potentially career- threatening knee injury looks to be about complete. All indications are that the Buccaneers will activate the gifted but brittle running back from the Physically Unable to Perform list on Wednesday, and head coach Jon Gruden left open the possibility that Williams could see action when Tampa Bay returns from its bye week for this Sunday's game with Minnesota.

Williams was named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2005 after rushing for 1,178 yards - a team record for a first-year player - and six touchdowns. Injuries have since derailed the former first-round draft choice's promising career, the most severe of which was a torn patellar tendon in his right knee that cut short Williams' 2007 campaign after just four games.

Following a long and arduous 14-month rehab, Williams resumed practicing in late October and has not experienced any setbacks, much to the delight of his head coach.

"It's almost like Christmas is here," Gruden told the Buccaneers' official site on Monday. "Christmas is Wednesday, I hope."

If Williams is able to participate in Sunday's game, that would provide a needed boost to a banged-up backfield group. Earnest Graham, who has shouldered most of the load since Williams went down in September of last season, hurt his knee during the Bucs' 30-27 win at Kansas City just prior to the bye, while third-down specialist Warrick Dunn sat out that contest due to a pinched nerve in his back. Both are planning to play against the Vikings, although it's likely neither will be at 100 percent.

Williams' return could also help solve Tampa's problems at the fullback position, where starter B.J. Askew has been out since September because of a torn hamstring and is not expected back for Sunday's tilt. Gruden could move the selfless Graham into that spot, which would enable the Bucs to have two of their top backs on the field at the same time.

Tampa Bay did make one notable roster move during the off week, re-signing defensive back Donte Nicholson on Monday to add depth to a backfield that continues to be without regular strong safety Jermaine Phillips, who's recovering from a broken arm. Nicholson had spent parts of the previous three seasons with the Bucs, but was released by the club in August.

NEXT UP: Tampa Bay will host the Vikings, who head to Florida on a two-game win streak and are coming off a much-needed 28-27 victory over rival Green Bay this past weekend. The Buccaneers, who are 4-0 at Raymond James Stadium so far this year, have won their last three meetings with Minnesota, although the teams haven't faced one another since 2005.