Let’s see, a 28-19 victory for the Carolina Panthers (4-5), and the game ball goes to… .jpg?resize=100%2C75)
Drum roll, please…
Jake Delhomme?!
Sure, I could give it to running back Jonathan Stewart, one half of the tandem “Double Trouble,” who put the game away with a 45-yard touchdown run, his second of the game. Cornerbacks Richard Marshall and Sherrod Martin could share the honor, too, for coming up with a pair of interceptions that led to Panther scores.
Jake, however, is a no-brainer.
It was easy to notice that he didn’t throw a pick for the third straight game, and that he was efficient with the ball again, going 15-24 for 195 passing yards. But in this game, Delhomme actually completed plays that made a difference.
While Stewart scored Carolina’s first six points, it was the passing of Delhomme that lead the team down the field. He went 4-4 in the air for 75 yards (on an 85-yard drive) before Stewart punched it in for the score.
Then in the second quarter Delhomme took the reins again, guiding the team on two more drives, both ending with him hooking up with Steve Smith for a pair of touchdown passes.
Do you know when Delhomme last threw two touchdowns in a game? Obviously, it wasn’t this season.
In fact, you’d have to go all the way back to October 2008, when the Panthers beat the Arizona Cardinals 27-23. Delhomme actually had four games that year where he passed for multiple scores.
Does all of this mean that the old Jake is back and that Panthers fans can expect more of this?
Nope, not at all.
I don’t know about you, but I still get a little nervous when Delhomme fakes the handoff to Williams or Stewart and pulls back to pass.
The good thing is that Carolina hasn’t seen “bad Jake” for a few weeks now, and that’s something to celebrate… at least until Thursday night.
That’s when the Miami Dolphins (4-5) and their vaunted wildcat offense come to the QCity.
Damon Ford is a public relations professional who has worked in the public and private sectors in Charlotte. He is 4-5 in predicting Panthers games.
