Inside the Panthers

Goodell defers to Richardson on ouster of sons

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he supports any decisions Panthers owner Jerry Richardson feels are necessary for the organization, which 2 1/2 months ago included the ouster of two sons from top management positions.

The team announced September 1 that Mark and Jon Richardson had resigned from their positions as team president and stadium president, respectively, but would remain a part of the franchise ownership group.

Sources said Jerry Richardson essentially dismissed his two sons because of their repeated clashes regarding how the organization should be run.

Goodell was asked about the matter during an interview with reporters at mid-day. He's in town meeting with Richardson and other Panthers officials and has a speaking engagement tonight at Davidson College.

"I have complete faith in Mr. Richardson that he's going to do what's right for himself and his family and the Carolina Panthers and the NFL," said Goodell. "I have great confidence in him.

Asked if he was surprised at the moves considering the fact that Mark and Jon Richardson had been a part of the Panthers' upper management team for so long, Goodell said:

"Again, these are family matters, related business matters. I have complete faith in Jerry and how he conducts himself and what he does. I know he always does what he thinks is in the best interest of others.

"I think that's what he's done, as difficult as that may be. I know he's doing what he thinks is best and I support him 100 percent."

Goodell said Richardson, who underwent heart transplant surgery in February, is taking an active role in league matters, including efforts to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association.

"He's played a very valuable role for us and continues to talk to all 32 teams on a regular basis," said Goodell. "He's in very close contact with myself and Jeff Pash, our league negotiator."

Goodell spoke highly of new team president Danny Morrison, who was hired after the departures of Mark and Jon Richardson.

"I've known Danny for several years," said Goodell. "Actually, when he was the commissioner of the Southern Conference, he came up and spent a day in our office, talking a little about our business and what he needed to be doing in the Southern Conference.

"Then he was up again last Friday, in our offices (in New York), spending the day with our senior team, (which was) sort of giving him a little orientation to some extent. He's been in our meetings this morning (with Richardson and team officials).

"He's a very impressive guy who had a tremendous background, who can bring a lot to the Carolina Panthers and the NFL."

-- Charles Chandler

Gross surgery successful

The Panthers said today that left tackle Jordan Gross underwent successful surgery on his broken right ankle Sunday night after the team's 28-19 win over Atlanta.

Gross was injured in the second quarter when Falcons' defensive lineman Vance Walker, a native of Fort Mill, fell on his leg. 

Gross is out for the season and is expected to be placed on injured reseruve. The Panthers haven't yet announced plans for filling his spot on their 53-man roster.

-- Charles Chandler

Goodell to evaluate Bud Adams' crude gestures

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, in Charlotte today for meetings with Panthers' owner Jerry Richarson and a speaking engagement tonight at Davidson College, said he'll need to review film of Tennessee owner Bud Adams' crude hand gestures late in Sunday's home win over Buffalo.

Told that video of the gesture is on the youtube.com website, Goodell said: "I assure you I'll get a chance to see it." He added that he'll "make a decision on it."

Adams apologized for the incident today and indicated he was aiming the gestures toward the Bills' sideline.

Goodell was at the Titans-Bills game and watched much of it with Adams in the owners' suite. However, the league told The Associated Press he left the suite after the third period to watch the remainder of the game with fans.

According to the video and eye witnesses, Adams held up his middle finger on both hands and flashed them, both while in his suite and later while standing on the field as the Titans closed out a 41-17 win.

It was the third consecutive win for Tennessee after an 0-6 start.

Goodell indicated he would not take the issue lightly.

"I've said before we're held to a higher standard in the NFL," he said. " That includes yours truly. It includes our owners. It includes front office people. It includes the players.

"Those are things we'll continue to emphasize. And if people violate them, we'll deal with it."

In a statement released by the Titans, Adams said he would accept any disciplinary actions taken by the league.

"I need to apologize for my actions yesterday near the end of the game," Adams said in the statement. "I got caught up in the excitement of a great day, but I do realize that those types of things shouldn't happen. I need to specifically apologize to the Bills, their fans, our fans and the NFL. I obviously have a great deal of respect for (Bills founder, owner and president) Ralph Wilson and the history we have shared.

"I also understand there will probably be league discipline for my actions and I will accept those."

-- Charles Chandler

Monday's Panthers-Falcons links

Monday's Carolina Panthers-Atlanta Falcons links:

Big plays late push Panthers by Falcons / Charlotte Observer

Fowler: Win, schedule give season a pulse / Charlotte Observer

Sorensen: Panthers' humble punter saves day / Charlotte Observer

Notebook: Gross' season over with broken ankle / Charlotte Observer

Photo gallery from Panthers-Falcons / Charlotte Observer

Panthers report card / Charlotte Observer

Key plays from Panthers-Falcons / Charlotte Observer

Scott Says: No-huddle could save Jake / Charlotte Observer

Tom Talks: Secret weapon, the forward pass? / Charlotte Observer

Game statistics: Atlanta at Carolina / Charlotte Observer

Panthers keep Ryan under wraps / Rock Hill Herald 

Season likely over for Gross / Rock Hill Herald

Delhomme helps lead Panthers to victory / Rock Hill Herald

Falcons melt down on road / Atlanta Journal Constitution

This one is on Matt Ryan / Atlanta Journal Constitution

Turner's injury could be serious / Atlanta Journal Constitution

Falcons-Panthers photo gallery / Atlanta Journal Constitution

No-huddle offense ignites Panthers / Gaston Gazette 

Panthers report card / Gaston Gazette

Baker's tackle proves crucial / Gaston Gazette 

OL powers on after Gross' injury / Gaston Gazette

Elam's miss proves costly / Gaston Gazette

Clarifying, updating: Gross out for the season

Just verified, and didn't want to report it without doing so, that left tackle Jordan Gross is out for the season with his broken right ankle. He'll go on injured reserve and the Panthers will have to add someone to the roster to fill his spot.

-- Charles Chandler

LT Gross has broken ankle

The Panthers were ecstatic after their 28-19 win over Atlanta Sunday, but also had to deal with the sobering news that left tackle Jordan Gross suffered a broken left ankle in the first half and may be out for the season.

Gross was carted off the field after an Atlanta player fell on his leg.

Travelle Wharton moved from left guard to left tackle to fill the vacancy, while Mackenzy Bernadeau entered the game as the new left guard.

The duo played well and combined to open the hole that Jonathan Stewart ran through for his 45-yard game-clinching touchdown run with 2:07 remaining.

Coach John Fox said he didn't know yet whether there was any chance of Gross returning this season, but it doesn't look at all promising.

-- Charles Chandler

Panthers get big plays late to beat Falcons 28-19

By Charles Chandler

cchandler@charlotteobserver.com

Despite playing with an injury-hampered lineup, the Carolina Panthers rode two big plays and Atlanta mistakes to a 28-19 victory over the Falcons Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.

Leading by two points midway through the final period, the Panthers watched usually reliable kicker Jason Elam miss a 34-yard field goal attempt that could've given the Falcons the lead.

Then, punter Jason Baker make a saving tackle with 3:59 remaining at the Carolina 49 when Atlanta's Eric Weems looked ready to return a punt for a score.

Moments later, cornerback Richard Marshall picked off an overthrown deep pass by Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan and returned it to the Carolina 49.

Three plays later, the Panthers faced an important third-and-4 from the Atlanta 45. Carolina needed at least a first down to keep from giving the Falcons the ball back.

The play call looked conservative, but turned out big: Jonathan Stewart took a handoff to the left side, burst into the secondary and rambled 45 yards for the game-clinching touchdown.

It was Stewart's second TD of the game.

Carolina raised its record to 4-5 and return to action in just four days to play Miami on Thursday night, with a chance yet again to even its record at .500.

The Falcons fell to 5-4, including 1-4 on the road.

Carolina's first two scores came on 4-yard touchdown passes from Jake Delhomme to Steve Smith. That doubled the number of times they had connected for scores during  the first eight games.

Delhomme had a turnover-less, efficient performance, completing 15-of-24 passes for 195 yards.

The Panthers suffered a big loss in the first half when left tackle Jordan Gross went down with an injured right ankle and had to be carted off the field. His status for the remainder of the season wasn't initially known.

Carolina already was playing without outside linebacker Thomas Davis, whose sended ended when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last week at New Orleans.

Also, defensive end Julius Peppers played mostly on passing downs against the Falcons due to an injured right hand.

Third Quarter Update: Panthers 21, Falcons 13

The Falcons cut Carolina's lead to eight on a 24-yard field goal by Jason Elam.

Carolina had a chance to match those points, but John Kasay's 51-yard attempt with 5:55 left in the quarter was blocked by Atlanta defensive lineman Chauncey Davis.

As the quarter ended, the Falcons were at the Carolina 3, aiming to cut deeper into the Panthers' lead.

-- Charles Chandler

Halftime Update: Panthers 21, Falcons 10

For the second straight week, the Panthers have an 11-point halftime lead. Unlike last week against New Orleans, they're hoping to hold onto it.

Carolina scored ealry in the second quarter on a 4-yard TD pass from Jake Delhomme to Steve Smith, finishing off a 12-play, 80-yard drive.

The Falcons answered with an 80-yard drive on their next possession. The TD came on a 1-yard run by Jason Snelling, cutting Carolina's lead to 14-10.

Safety Sherrod Martin intercepted an overthrown pass by Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan to set up the Panthers' final score of the half. Martin returned the interception 12 yards to the Atlanta 45.

Again, the TD came on a 4-yard Delhomme-to-Smith pass, upping the Panthers' lead to 21-10.

Delhomme completed 11 of 14 passes in the first half for 137 yards and two TDs. It was almost certainly his best opening half of the season.

It was a costly half for the Panthers, however. Left tackle Jordan Gross left the game with an ankle injury. The ankle was wrapped and he was carted offf the field.

Also, Smith suffered a rib injury on his second TD.

Gross won't return this game and his status going forward could be in question.

Smith's return to the game was reported by the team as questionable.

-- Charles Chandler

First Quarter Update: Panthers 7, Falcons 3

The Panthers are passing with more efficiently today against the Falcons.

Jake Delhomme was 6-of-8 passing for 91 yards in the first quarter. He hit Muhsin Muhammad on 21- and 22-yard completions on an 80-yard touchdown drive, which culminated in Jonathan Stewart's 1-yard scoring run.

The Falcons' points came on a 35-yard field goal by Jason Elam.

When the quarter ended, the Panthers were driving again and were at the Atlanta 47.

Defensive end Julius Peppers played only on passing downs because of his injured right hand. He's wearing either a cast or large rap to protect the hand.

-- Charles Chandler