Inside the Panthers

Panthers seem to be exploring return options

For what it’s worth, the Panthers did put in a waiver claim on former Pittsburgh defensive back Ricardo Colclough, but didn’t get him. The Browns did.

But it’s a pretty safe bet the Panthers weren’t looking at Colclough as a defensive back because he’s not a very good one. It’s more likely they were looking at him as a return man, although he’s not all that good in that area, either.

But the way things have been going on both punt returns and kickoff returns, the Panthers, who previously worked out return man Jeremy Bloom, have to keep exploring all options.

For the time being, it looks like they’ll stick with struggling rookie Ryne Robinson (who probably should watch film of Devin Hester instead of talking to the media) as the punt returner and DeAngelo Williams (along with an occasional appearance by offensive lineman Geoff Hangartner) on kickoffs.

PAT YASINSKAS

DeAngelo's favorite scary flick

       With it being Halloween, I asked running back DeAngelo Williams what his favorite scary movie is -- something to watch after all the trick or treaters have gone home.  Keep in mind that this isn't a kid-friendly recommendation; Williams likes them the gorier, the better.
       "That's easy, 'Saw,'" he said. "The 'Saw' series, 1, 2 and 3, and then go to the theatre and see 'Saw 4.' I think it's awesome, but 'Saw 4' has a little explaining to do. I'm not going to tell you the movie, but if you need somebody to explain it to you, just contact the Panthers, and I'll get my people to get with your people and we can talk about it."
       Personally, I'd go with the original 'Alien.'  I know some of you don't care, so don't bother posting that; it's my (and Pat's) blog, and we can drift off course occasionally. If anyone has a scarier offering, other than my picture, pop it in the comments. -- STAN OLSON

Smith has message for rookie

   Very interesting incident just happened in the locker room. Two reporters were talking with rookie receiver Dwayne Jarrett about his frustration at barely getting to play after being a second-round pick.

   As Jarrett was talking, receiver Steve Smith, who hasn’t been talking to the media recently, walked out to his own locker and talked to Jarrett.

   “Instead of talking to the media, why don’t you go watch some film?’’ Smith said.

   Jarrett gave a slight smile and kept talking to the media.

   Smith, followed up in a very strong tone.

   “Seriously,’’ Smith said.

   Jarrett did keep talking and we’ll have a full story on his rough rookie season in tomorrow’s paper. – PAT YASINSKAS

Everything but rubbing dirt in it ...

        While it's questionable whether quarterback Vinny Testaverde will be ready to go Sunday, the trainers are throwing everything under the sun at his strained Achilles' tendon.
         "Whirlpool, hot tub, ice, cold tub, ultrasound on there and whatever else they can think of," Testaverde said.
         While most players got to enjoy family time or just relaxed today, Vinny was getting treatments, probably everything this side of voodoo rituals. Which made it impossible for him to go home to Long
Island for a family break. But -- if he can get healthy -- he seems to be the quarterback of choice for the coaching staff right now, and he's doing everything he can to recover quickly.
          I think Testaverde is still a tossup for Sunday's game at Tennessee, but David Carr should be ready to go. He was pleased and surprised at the way his back felt after last week's game, and he'll likely be 100 percent by the weekend.
          Third quarterback Matt Moore is fine, in case anyone's interested.

- Stan Olson

Kicking game struggles not limited to returns

             It's pretty obvious Carolina continues to suffer in the return game, much as it did last year. But there are other problems beyond the simple fact that the Panthers can't seem to EVER break a long punt or kickoff return.
            John Kasay is a superb field goal kicker, outstanding in the clutch and about as accurate as they come. But his kickoffs have left something to be desired. He is last in the league in touchbacks
(kicking the ball into the end zone and not having it returned) with one. By comparision, four kickers have ten or more, and Oakland's Sebastian Janikowski has 17.
            This, along with Carolina's inability to break returns, translates into a deficit in field position to start drives following kickoffs. Panthers'  opponents have started from the 28.6 yardline, on average. Carolina has started from the 21.9 mark, tied with Denver for last in the NFL.
              -- An aside to MattDaddy; we can't put coach John Fox's press conference up on video; it's against league rules. Saw your question and figured a lot of other people might be wondering the same  thing.

- Stan Olson

QBs still up in the air

Carolina coach John Fox said a few minutes ago that he knows no more about quarterback Vinny Testaverde's strained Achilles' tendon than he did yesterday.

       Fox, speaking at his weekly press conference, said he hoped to know more Wednesday. If Testaverde can't go Sunday at Tennessee, the job will fall again to David Carr, who played the second half against Indianapolis after Vinny got hurt and failed to move the team.

      Fox said Monday that he believed Carr, in the process of recovering from a badly bruised back, still wasn't 100 percent Sunday.

      With precious little available at the position on the street, it will be Carr and Matt Moore Sunday if Testaverde can't play. --STAN OLSON 

The Panthers' grades for Sunday ...

Here’s the Panthers report card from Sunday’s 31-7 loss to Indianapolis:

QUARTERBACKS. It didn’t matter if it was Vinny Testaverde or David Carr. Neither QB could get the ball to Steve Smith or even look down the field. GRADE: F

RUNNING BACKS. DeShaun Foster average 3.3 yards a carry and DeAngelo Williams averaged 2.8. GRADE: D

RECEIVERS. Smith was heavily covered all game and Keary Colbert and Drew Carter played the way they always do. GRADE: F

OFFENSIVE LINE. Dwight Freeney didn’t have any sacks and neither did the rest of the Colts. That’s a moral victory. But the blocking was only good enough to get the ground game 3.3 yards a carry. GRADE: C-

DEFENSIVE LINE. Other than Kris Jenkins’ late hit, the Panthers didn’t get near Peyton Manning. Did you notice how much the Colts ran at Julius Peppers and how much success they had? GRADE: F

LINEBACKERS. The Colts ran for 131 yards and Manning was able to find his tight ends often enough. GRADE: C-

DEFENSIVE BACKS. The good news is Marvin Harrison didn’t play. The bad news is Reggie Wayne caught seven passes for 168 yards and a touchdown. GRADE: D

SPECIAL TEAMS: Ryne Robinson put a punt return on the ground and the Panthers averaged only 17.8 yards on kickoff returns. GRADE: D-

COACHING: Hey, for almost half a game, John Fox and his staff had a pretty good game plan. But Indianapolis’ Tony Dungy showed why he’s considered the best in the league at halftime adjustments. GRADE: D

PAT YASINSKAS

Bloom time?

   Going to go out on a limb here and make a prediction that return man Jeremy Bloom will be signed by the Panthers in the next few days. The Panthers worked him out last week and rookie punt returner Ryne Robinson just handed the Colts three points. One other prediction: Steve Smith will handle most of the rest of the punt returns today. - PAT YASINSKAS

Today's inactives

   Here's the list of guys who won't be playing today:

   Linebacker Dan Morgan, linebacker Adam Seward, offensive lineman Evan Mathis, offensive lineman Frank Omiyale, wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett, defensive end Charles Johnson and defensive end Otis Grigsby. Matt Moore has been designated as the third quarterback. - PAT YASINSKAS

Testaverde to start: Does it matter?

   Some quick thoughts on John Fox's decision to start Vinny Testaverde at quarterback on Sunday:

   Fox said David Carr's back isn't 100-percent healthy and that may be entirely true and the biggest factor in this decision. Obviously, if Testaverde is the healthier of the quarterbacks you've got to go with him.

   But you can't help but wonder if there is some other reasoning behind this. Maybe Fox really is buying into the hot hand theory and sticking with a guy who got him a win in Arizona. Maybe this really is an indictment of Carr, even though Fox says it's not.

   Or maybe - and this is the theory I am leaning toward - Fox realizes it doesn't matter all that much who he starts against the undefeated Indianapolis Colts, a team that battered Carr in his prior life in Houston.

   Maybe Fox is thinking it's best to take a shot with Testaverde while the iron is hot. If it works, it's a brilliant move. If it doesn't, the worst-case scenario is that Testaverde takes the lumps from the Colts, the fan base cools on a soon-to-be-44-year-old quarterback, Carr gets another week to get completely healthy and slides back into the starting lineup the following week against Tennessee.

-- Pat Yasinskas

Olson's guess: Carr will start Sunday

While sitting around waiting for coach John Fox to pick David or Vinny as his quarterback, we wondered if the players had any better idea of who it would be than we did.

"I don’t know, man," said offensive tackle Jordan Gross. "You guys probably have a better idea than I do. My wife asked me and I said, ‘I don’t know; I’ll tell you Sunday at 1.’ It’s probably a game-time decision again; at least, that’s what we’ll be told. I’m telling you, we don’t hear a whole lot more."

My guess would be Mr. Carr. Fox told a radio show earlier this week that Carr would play, and when asked about it, said that he did NOT say Carr would start. But think about it; do you really expect Fox to platoon at the position?

STAN OLSON

Panthers may sign free agents before Peppers

There's been a lot of speculation the Panthers might make defensive end Julius Peppers the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. Despite a quiet season by Peppers, that probably will happen at some point.

   But Peppers' might not be the No. 1 priority right now. Peppers is under contract through 2008. But there are seven other starters and one key backup who can become free agents after this season and the Panthers might want to start locking some of them up as the second half of the season approaches:

    Start with the offensive tackles, Jordan Gross and Travelle Wharton. Gross is a very solid player on the right side and Wharton is adequate on the left. If Gross played the left side, he'd command an outrageous salary, but he plays the right side where tackles don't make as much. Wharton won't command elite money because he's not an elite player. But he's dependable and economical and that means he probably has a good chance to stay.

   Defensive end Mike Rucker also is playing out his contract. He could elect to follow his best friend, Mike Minter, into retirement. Rucker already took a big cut in pay to stay this season. If he wants to stick around for another year, the Panthers probably won't argue, but they won't pay Rucker the big money he's been getting.

   Fullback Brad Hoover has become a staple of this team and he still has a few decent years in him.

Hoover

's a

North Carolina

kid and it probably won't cost the Panthers a fortune to keep a very dependable player.

   Punter Jason Baker also has played well enough to earn a raise. He's become one of the league's best punters and the Panthers know it and value Baker, who doesn't bring the headaches that predecessor Todd Sauerbrun did.

   Defensive tackle Damione Lewis isn't a starter, but he plays a lot and rotates in for Maake Kemoeatu on passing downs. Kemoeatu hasn't produced at a level close to his salary and the Panthers could look to move in a different direction next season. Lewis won't cost a fortune and he has the ability to be a starter.

   Two players clearly on the bubble are receiver Keary Colbert and linebacker Na'il Diggs. You can make a strong case that both are expendable. Diggs is a nice role player and nothing more. Colbert's been a disappointment since his rookie season and it might be time for the Panthers to find a legitimate No. 2 receiver (and, no, you can't pencil Dwayne Jarrett in for that role yet). - Pat Yasinskas

Who are your top 5 QBs of all time?

Scott Fowler writes about Peyton Manning making his first visit to Charlotte Sunday, bringing with him the reputation as arguably the league's best QB. But does he rank among the all-time best?

So we ask the question, who are your top 5 quarterbacks of all time? Write them in the comments section below and tell us why you picked them. -- Kelvin Hart  

Ex-UCLA QB, Bloom work out

The Panthers worked out 11 free agents Tuesday, and there were a couple of interesting names.

Start with former UCLA quarterback Drew Olson and return man Jeremy Bloom. Olson is a project, but he has some talent and he could be a candidate for a practice squad spot at some point. Bloom has been bouncing around the league and has some potential. The Panthers haven’t been too very productive in the return game.

They weren’t expected to make any immediate moves with any of the players who worked out, but Olson, Bloom and the others could be names to keep an eye on.

Here are the others who worked out: Defensive back Greg Blue, defensive back Patrick Dendy, running back Kay-Jay Harris, linebacker William Kershaw, defensive back Keiwan Ratliff, defensive back Lamont Thompson, linebacker Anthony Trucks, running back Marquis Weeks and defensive back Gemara Williams.

-- Pat Yasinskas

Fox deserves spot in top 10 coaches list

   The bye week is a great time for catching up on reading and The Sporting News’ most-recent issue ranks the head coaches from top to bottom. Overall, it’s a solid list, but I can’t help wondering why John Fox isn’t a top 10 coach. He’s rated No. 14, which is at least four spots too low.

   Can’t argue with Bill Belichick and Tony Dungy as the best coaches in the league. But Mike Shanahan at No. 3? Seriously, what’s he done since John Elway left? And Mike Holmgren at No. 4? He was great with Brett Favre in his prime, but he’s only slightly above average with Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander in their primes. Tennessee’s Jeff Fisher at No. 5 deserves to be at least two spots higher and Philadelphia’s Andy Reid, despite his struggles this year, is a top five coach.

    Fox – even though he has faults (conservative offense and a defense that’s living off reputation) – belongs in the top 10. Joe Gibbs (at least in this go-around), Wade Phillips (too soon with the Cowboys) and Mike Tomlin (he’s only in his first year), don’t deserve the top 10 rankings they have.

   Fox, for all his flaws, is a top 10 coach. He took a 1-15 team, made it very respectable, took it to two NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl. He’s got credibility from the distant past and from recent events. He won a game with Vinny Testarverde still learning the playbook and has a very mediocre team sitting in first place in the NFC South. That’s enough to make him a top 10 coach.

   A couple of other question marks in TSN’s list of top coaches: Brian Billick at No. 12? What’s he done since winning the Super Bowl? And Jack Del Rio at No. 15? Yep, the Jaguars have been competitive through his tenure, but what have they ever won? Del Rio made a name for himself by running down the sideline and jumping in a pile with the 2002 Panthers in their opener and interviewed way over his head to get the Jaguars job, but he’s not among the NFL’s elite and middle-of-the-road production isn’t going to keep him in good graces forever.

   A couple of guys rated a little too low on TSN’s list: Buffalo’s Dick Jauron (No. 25, he’s winning with Trent Edwards at quarterback) and Detroit’s Rod Marinelli (No. 27, yes, he’s living off past reputation as Tampa Bay’s defensive line coach, but he had the sense to hand his offense off to Mike Martz).

– Pat Yasinskas

Panthers watching and awaiting Colts

While you're watching the Indianapolis Colts play at Jacksonville tonight, consider that a lot of Carolina Panthers will be watching even more closely. The Panthers, coming off a bye week, play host to the Colts Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.

And although Indianapolis is undefeated again and the defending Super Bowl champions, things may be setting up for a bit of a Panthers' surprise come Sunday. After all, Carolina is getting a long break while Indy will be coming off a tough Monday night game on the road.

"That kind of helps from a physical aspect," Carolina cornerback Ken Lucas said today. "And at the same time, they are playing a team that has a very similar defense to ours."

Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio was Panthers coach John Fox's defensive coordinator in Fox's first year as Panthers' boss.

"It's good that we get to watch them against Jacksonville and see how they play them," Lucas said. "It will give us an idea of how we'll have to play them.

"Everything is happening for us in the right way, to give us a chance to compete against these guys this upcoming weekend. We know they're no slouches, but they can be beaten like anyone else in this league. You just have to go out and perform and not make many mistakes against a team like the Colts." -- Stan Olson

Hangartner forgot about spin move

Even after the long weekend off, some of the Panthers were still talking about offensive lineman Geoff Hangartner's 10-yard kickoff return against Arizona. Today, Hangartner got a chance to respond.

Told about guard Mike Wahle's comment that the linemen had offered Hangartner $100 each if he would do a spin move when he got his chance, he rolled his eyes.

"You get the ball, you see all those guys running down and you're like, 'Aw, damn, where am I supposed to run,'" Hangartner said. "And the spin move kind of leaves the mind pretty quick. It's like, cover up the ball, don't lose the ball, and that's about the only thing you're thinking."

Hangartner was told that Wahle's locker room imitation of his return last week included mincing little baby steps, and he grinned.

"I want to see him get the ball with ten guys running at him and the kicker, you know? We'll see what he does with it. I want to see him (run over) somebody and take it to the house. I dont see it happening.

"It's easy to talk; it was easy for me to talk about the spin move until I actually got the ball. Then that was just out the window." -- Stan Olson

Short practice, then 3 days off

With the bye weekend approaching, the Panthers’ practice today was shorter than the usual Thursday workout. But in a different situation, it would have been nonexistent.

"This one’s always been on the books to be a little short so the guys can get out of town," coach John Fox said as he walked off the fields behind Bank of America Stadium. "But we’ve got young players; two new quarterbacks. If we were a solely veteran team, we might have had another day off.

"In our current state, we needed a little bit of work, not for everybody, but for some of the guys."

That would include new quarterback Vinny Testaverde, who said Wednesday that he was still in the process of learning Carolina’s playbook.

This week "just gave us a couple more practices to bring those guys along," Fox said.

Now many of the players and coaches will scatter across the country for a much-needed break from the game. They’ll reconvene Monday to concentrate on the upcoming game with Indianapolis.

By the way, I’m impressed by friend and colleague Tom Sorensen’s 24 blogs in 24 hours. Ask anyone who blogs; he set himself an almost impossible task and still kept his sense of humor throughout.

-- Stan Olson

Goings hopes to return for Oct. 28 game

Running back Nick Goings made his first appearance in the locker room in a couple of weeks today and said he’s recovering well from a concussion.

Goings said he experienced headaches and nausea for about 10 days and said this was the third concussion of his career. He said he’s been treated by team doctors and hasn’t gone to any concussion specialists.

He’s hoping to be able to return in time for the Oct. 28 game against Indianapolis. – Pat Yasinskas

'Breaker Boys' author in town

Just started reading "Breaker Boys: The NFL’s Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 NFL Championship.’’ It’s written by ESPN Magazine’s David Fleming, a Charlotte resident. It’s the story of the Pottsville (Pa.) Maroons, who were one of the most dominant and controversial teams in NFL history.

Fleming has a couple of book signings in the area in the next few days. The first signing is Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m. at Joseph-Beth Booksellers, 4345 Barclay Downs Drive in Charlotte. There will be another signing Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Summit Coffee on Main Street in Davidson.

-- Pat Yasinskas

Panthers 1-0 when Hangartner returns a kick

Carolina offensive lineman Geoff Hangartner actually fielded a short kickoff and returned it for ten yards against Arizona Sunday, leaving him crowing about it afterwards and pointing out that the Panthers are "1-0 in games where I return kicks."

His line buddies, though, are always quick to burst such bubbles.

"Did you see how many steps he took to get ten yards," guard Mike Wahle said today after practice, taking a bunch of baby steps through the locker room.

"We said we'd give him a hundred bucks each if he'd do a spin move and he wouldn't do it."

Hangartner is 6-foot-5 and 301 pounds and didn't major in agility at Texas A&M; I think a few reporters might have contributed to that pot.-- Stan Olson

Robinson returns to old job

Lost in Vinnymania Sunday was the fact that rookie Ryne Robinson got his job back. Robinson was drafted primarily to return punts, but had done little earlier this season. With Panthers quarterbacks seemingly unable to get the ball to receiver Steve Smith – he had 10 catches for 89 yards in the three previous games combined – the coaching staff was looking for other ways to get him the ball.

Quarterback Vinny Testaverde, though, hit Smith 10 times for 136 yards at Arizona, and Robinson was suddenly returning punts again, perhaps to let Smith catch his breath. Smith returned one for 1 yard, then Robinson got a shot and finally showed something, getting off returns of 13 and 23 yards and finishing with three for 44 yards, along with two fair catches.

Smith is too valuable to return punts on a regular basis; he’s still a great option in an emergency. But expect Robinson to keep the job for a while after showing some moves Sunday.

-- Stan Olson

QB controversy, or Fox being Fox?

   Read whatever you want into coach John Fox declining to say who will be his starting quarterback for the Oct. 28 game with Indianapolis. That’s Fox being Fox. The bottom line is that if David Carr gets his back healthy and can go through a full week of practice next week, he’ll get the nod over Vinny Testaverde.

   Perhaps the more interesting and intriguing thing is that Fox declined to say if rookie Jon Beason will stay at middle linebacker, if Dan Morgan is healthy after the bye. We’ll repeat the part about if Dan Morgan is healthy after the bye because that’s always a big question.

   But sliding Beason back over to the weak side (if Morgan is healthy) may not be automatic. Beason’s played very well in the middle the last two weeks and there’s little doubt his long-term future lies at that position.

   Just a thought here and we’ll see how it all plays out: But how about putting Morgan on the weak side and making him a two-down linebacker? It might reduce his exposure to future injuries and it would only speed up Beason’s development.

-- Pat Yasinskas

Expect Carr to be starter going forward

GLENDALE, Ariz. The Vinny Testaverde bandwagon is rolling, as it should be. But before it gets out of control and fans anoint Testaverde as the starter for the rest of the season, there’s something they should know. If you saw Testaverde walking (and we use that term generously) in the locker room after the game, you would know that’s not what the Panthers want.

Sure Testaverde’s always been a workout warrior and he’s in great shape, but he’s 43 years old. He was a great solution for one game and he could play here and there the rest of the way. But Testaverde doesn’t have 10 starts in him.

David Carr, who should return from a sore back after the bye, has more than 10 starts in him. The Panthers wanted a guy who was a viable long-term alternative to Jake Delhomme when they signed Carr in the offseason. They’ll stick with that plan and use Testaverde as a quasi-coach and as an insurance policy if Carr goes down for the short term.

PAT YASINSKAS

Warner walks off

   PHOENIX - Looks like this game might come down to two quarterbacks who were unemployed Tuesday morning. Arizona's Kurt Warner just went to the locker room with an apparent injury. His backup is Tim Rattay, who signed with the Cardinals on Tuesday afternoon after Vinny Testaverde, who signed with the Panthers, declined a workout in Arizona. - PAT YASINSKAS

It's Vinny

  PHOENIX - Vinny Testaverde is the starting quarterback.

Carr's throwing

   PHOENIX - It's just about an hour from kickoff and David Carr is on the field and throwing. Still no official announcement, but you have to assume Carr's going to get the start as long as his back doesn't flare up in warmups. - PAT YASINSKAS

Today's inactives

   

PHOENIX

– Here are the inactives for today:

   Running back Nick Goings, linebacker Dan Morgan, linebacker Adam Seward, tackle Evan Mathis, tackle Frank Omiyale, receiver Dwayne Jarrett, defensive end Charles Johnson and defensive end Otis Grigsby.

   That means all three quarterbacks: David Carr, Vinny Testaverde and Matt Moore are active. But there’s no word yet on which quarterback will start. – PAT YASINSKAS

More Carr trouble

   For those who don't check the breaking news section of Charlotte.com, here's an important update on David Carr:

http://www.charlotte.com/panthers/story/317690.html

Carr practices, is listed as probable for Sunday

    Quarterback David Carr, recovering from a badly bruised back suffered
at New Orleans, practiced for the first time today, did everything he
needed to and was listed by the team as probable for Sunday's game at
Arizona.

          That means that he'll start, even though coach John Fox was
still calling it a game-time decision following the workout. And while
reporters can't write about specifics from practice, Fox did say Carr
looked good. And if Carr is healthy, he's the guy.

         Vinny Testaverde practiced for the first time as a Panther
Wednesday and has looked remarkably good, but, barring an unforeseen
setback, he'll be watching Carr work on Sunday.

-- Stan Olson

If Hank Hill covered the NFL ...

During Thursday's practice, running back DeShaun Foster glanced over
at the knot of writers loitering in front of the equipment building
near the entrance to the practice fields and remarked to teammates that
we looked like the guys on King of the Hill.

         If you've seen the show, you know exactly what Foster meant. 
If you haven't, he referred to a group of four good ole boys in the
animated series, including star Hank Hill, who stand together between a
couple of their neighborhood houses every evening, drinking beer,
yakking about nothing, and drinking more beer.

         We know that Foster said this because several players delighted
in relaying the information to us in the locker room later. They may
have hoped it would offend us, but funny is funny, especially when it
has the ring of truth. Foster had it just about right, except for the
beer part.  After all, we're working!

--Stan Olson

Gloves, sacks, real estate and travel plans

   Personally, I don’t get the whole attraction to the gloves David Carr wears. But a lot of people seem to be fascinated, so here’s a little more glove talk:

   There’s nowhere to find a definitive stat on this, but Sunday’s game between the Cardinals and Panthers might be the first in NFL history where both starting quarterbacks wear gloves on both hands. Assuming Carr is able to start, he and Kurt Warner will have their hands covered. Carr’s talked plenty about how he believes the gloves he started wearing this year allow him to grip the ball better when he throws.

   Warner started wearing the gloves last year, largely to help cure his fumbling problem. That hasn’t been an issue for Warner this season, mainly because he’s getting better protection from his offensive line.

   “As long as that happens, I don’t think we’ll ever find out or have significant evidence whether the gloves help or not,’’ Warner said.

   

VESTED INTEREST: Other than Julius Peppers’ and his agent, perhaps nobody is getting hit harder by the defensive end’s prolonged slump than Panthers defensive line coach Sal Sunseri. It seems every time the University of Pittsburgh head coaching job comes open, Sunseri’s name surfaces, then someone else gets the job.

   With David Wannstedt clearly on the hot seat, Sunseri’s stock isn’t exactly at an all-time high. He’s a Pittsburgh guy, through and through, and he was a heck of a player at Pitt. He’s also got a personality that would be great for recruiting and a decent resume that includes a lot of time as a college assistant.

   But that resume would look a whole lot better if Peppers (and Mike Rucker) started getting some sacks.

   

ON THE MARKET: Talked to a writer in New York this morning who knows Vinny Testaverde well. Apparently, even before Testaverde signed with the Panthers on Tuesday, his Long Island home was on the market. The price tag? About $7 million. Testaverde and his wife, who’s from Florida, have been planning a move to the Tampa area for some time.

   

EARLY DEPARTURE: Since the 2005 NFC Championship Game, I had several former and current Panthers tell me the single-worst coaching move John Fox has ever made was having the team fly to Seattle on Saturday for a Sunday game. Apparently, word got back to Fox. In the first West Coast game since then, he and the Panthers will fly to Phoenix tonight to get adjusted to the time difference.

– Pat Yasinskas

Who ranks in fumbles lost?

Some stats, courtesy of STATS, and a bit of history. First, a look at the leaders in fumbles lost. Running back DeShaun Foster is near the top:

NFL Leaders: Fumbles Lost (Thru Oct. 8, 2007)

Rank, Player, Team, Fumbles Lost

1. Steve McNair, Bal, 4

2t. DeShaun Foster, Car, 3

2t. Jon Kitna, Det, 3

2t. Philip Rivers, SD, 3

5t. Cedric Benson, Chi, 2

5t. Drew Brees, NO, 2

5t. Chris Davis, Ten, 2

5t. Brett Favre, GB, 2

5t. Larry Fitzgerald, Ari, 2

5t. Steven Jackson, StL, 2

5t. Rudi Johnson, Cin, 2

5t. James Jones, GB, 2

5t. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac, 2

5t. Donovan McNabb, Phi, 2

5t. Matt Schaub, Hou, 2

5t. Alex Smith, SF, 2

5t. LenDale White, Ten, 2

5t. Carnell Williams, TB, 2

Next, a look at the leaders in passes dropped. Steve Smith, who has been sure-handed through most of his career, ranks second:

NFL Leaders: Passes Dropped (Thru Oct. 8, 2007)

Rank, Player, Team Drops

1. Devery Henderson, NO, 7

2. Steve Smith, Car, 5

3t. Plaxico Burress, NYG, 4

3t. Santana Moss, Was, 4

3t. Terrell Owens, Dal, 4

3t. Roy Williams, Det, 4

3t. Jason Witten, Dal, 4

8t. Bernard Berrian, Chi, 3

8t. Anquan Boldin, Ari, 3

8t. Isaac Bruce, StL, 3

8t. Correll Buckhalter, Phi, 3

8t. Reggie Bush, NO, 3

8t. Keary Colbert, Car, 3

8t. Jerricho Cotchery, NYJ, 3

8t. Anthony Gonzalez, Ind, 3

8t. Frank Gore, SF, 3

8t. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cin, 3

8t. Michael Jenkins, Atl, 3

8t. Randy McMichael, StL, 3

8t. Jeremy Shockey, NYG, 3

8t. Kellen Winslow, Cle, 3

MAKING HISTORY: Interesting fact sent to us by http://mistermittens.org says the Panthers have made history. With David Carr and Vinny Testaverde, the Panthers now are the first team to have two quarterbacks who were No. 1 overall picks on the roster at the same time. – PAT YASINSKAS

Carr optimistic he'll be ready

   Although he missed a second straight day of practice Thursday, quarterback David Carr sounded optimistic about his chances of playing Sunday at Arizona. Carr injured his back in Sunday's win at New Orleans and hasn't practiced since. But he did some light throwing on the sideline for the first time and was encouraged.

   "I threw some balls today,'' Carr said. "It felt good, a little tight in the release, but I think it will definitely clear up by Sunday. It definitely feels better than it did Monday. We'll see if we can practice tomorrow.''

- Pat Yasinskas

Warner would be 'amazed' if Vinny starts

   Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner, who’s bounced around the league himself, had some interesting things to say when asked if it would be possible for Carolina’s Vinny Testaverde to come in, get a couple of days of practice and play Sunday if David Carr’s back isn’t ready. Testaverde signed with the Panthers on Wednesday.

   “That would be amazing if he plays Sunday,’’ Warner said in a conference call with the Carolina media.  “But to be able to pick it up and have enough of a comfort level to play, and on top of that after being out of the game for the first five weeks, if he were to come in and play that would be pretty amazing.  Although some things may be the same from one offense to another, some things as simple as terminology can be difficult.

   "Things like really being comfortable with what one term means in one offense compared to what it meant in another offense is just a difficult thing to do.  To be able to balance and juggle all of
that and still be productive is very difficult.  Knowing Vinny just a little, I know he is very studious and he has been around the game.  I suppose there is a possibility with a guy that is as seasoned as he is, but I think it would be a very difficult thing and much to his credit if he were to pull it off and play Sunday.’’

   The Panthers also have undrafted rookie Matt Moore, but all indications are they would start Testaverde if Carr’s not ready to play.

   BOOK SIGNING: Former Panthers radio announcer Bill Rosinski and I will be doing a signing of “Bill Rosinski’s Tales From The Carolina Panthers’’, the book we co-authored, on Friday at Borders in Northlake Mall. The signing starts at 7 p.m.

-- Pat Yasinskas

It's not Carr's team yet

Someone asked quarterback David Carr today if he felt like with Jake Delhomme out for the season, the Panthers were now his team.

"No, it’s not," he said. "I know I’m the quarterback out there and I’m going to do everything I can to win football games, do what I’ve done my whole life. But that’s something you just don’t hand over.

"Jake’s been here a long time; he’s done some great things. That’s tough to say."

Carr understands; he’s a member in good standing of that unofficial "quarterbacks club" that extends across team lines and throughout the league. Delhomme has gotten considerable feedback from other members since his injury was announced Monday.

"Monday and yesterday, just the messages and text messages from other guys around the league, you truly feel that fraternity," he said Wednesday. "That was great. Because so many guys, other quarterbacks, have had injuries they’ve had to come back from. They all said, 'Hey, that’s part of it, but that’s part of what we do.’. "

-- Stan Olson

Vinny overthrows Panthers

Stat of the week (or maybe the year): In their first 12 seasons, the Carolina Panthers attempted 6,229 passes. You can add the 150 passes they have thrown this year.

Either way, new quarterback Vinny Testaverde has thrown more career passes than the franchise. Testaverde has attempted 6,529 passes since starting his NFL career in 1987.

-- Pat Yasinskas

Don't count on Morgan this week

By John Fox standards, the coach gave a pretty strong clue about the plan for linebacker Dan Morgan after Wednesday’s practice. Morgan’s been sidelined with a slight tear in his Achilles tendon.

"He’s out of the cast,’’ Fox said. "The likelihood of him playing this week, I don’t want to put any predictions on it now, but we have a bye after this week and we’ll evaluate it as we go.’’

Translation: Don’t look for Morgan to be on the field until after next week’s bye.

-- Pat Yasinskas

Here's a little-known Testaverde fact

   In honor of Cliff Clavin, the know-it-all mailman from Cheers, here's a little-known fact about Vinny Testaverde: The 43-year-old (about to be 44) quarterback is color blind.

   Seriously.

   It's pretty much forgotten now, but it was a huge story when it was revealed somewhere near the end of Testaverde's time in Tampa Bay. At the time, Testaverde was a struggling young quarterback and the public reaction to the news spawned a lot of jokes about why Testaverde threw so many interceptions.

   To his credit, Testaverde admitted he was color blind, but said that never was an issue in games because he could tell the difference between dark and light.

   HISTORY LESSON: There's a minor celebration here in the media room this morning. For the first time since Rodney Peete left, the Panthers have a player who is older than me. Testaverde was born in November 1963. A quick check reveals that in November 1963, co-worker and blog partner Stan Olson was living in suburban Philadelphia and was a freshman at Ben Franklin's high school, which became Ben Franklin High School a few years after Stan and Ben graduated.

- Pat Yasinskas

Breakdown of Carr's completion stats

Just got some updated info from the folks at STATS. Couple of items of special interest. First, the breakdown of what’s happened with David Carr’s incomplete passes this season:

Incomplete Pass Information

Pass Attempted 62; Completions 32; Total Incomplete 30

Pass Dropped 4

Poor Throw 8

Pass Defensed 4

Pass Hit at Line 0

Other 12

Intercepted 2

Next, the rundown of the league leaders in dropped passes. Carolina’s Steve Smith is tied for second, but keep this in perspective. Smith also ranks in the leaders in times targeted and in receptions. No. 2 receiver Keary Colbert, coming off his best game of the season Sunday, is tied for sixth:

Rank,  Player, Team Drops

1. Devery Henderson, NO, 5

2t. Plaxico Burress, NYG, 4

2t. Santana Moss, Wash, 4

2t. Steve Smith, Car, 4

2t. Roy Williams, Det, 4

6t. Bernard Berrian, Chi, 3

6t. Anquan Boldin, Ariz, 3

6t. Isaac Bruce, StL, 3

6t. Correll Buckhalter, Phi, 3

6t. Reggie Bush, NO, 3

6t. Keary Colbert, Car, 3

6t. Anthony Gonzalez, Ind, 3

6t. Frank Gore, SF, 3

6t. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cin, 3

6t. Michael Jenkins, Atl, 3

6t. Jeremy Shockey, NYG, 3

6t. Jason Witten, Dal, 3

- PAT YASINSKAS

Panthers really miss Basanez now

One thing that's been lost in all the quarterback events of today is the sad story of Brett Basanez. He's the guy the Panthers wanted to be their No. 3 quarterback heading into the season.

But he suffered ligament damage in his right wrist late in the preseason, had surgery and was placed on injured reserve. Too bad, because a healthy Basanez wouldn't have had the Panthers scrambling so much for quarterback help after deciding Jake Delhomme's season was over today.

Basanez had been through the entire off-season with the team, knew the offense and had displayed some potential in practice. The Panthers probably would have been comfortable going with Basanez as the No. 2 guy and perhaps now signing a younger player as the No. 3 quarterback.

But with rookie Matt Moore as the only other quarterback besides David Carr, the Panthers almost certainly have to bring a quarterback with some NFL experience. - Pat Yasinskas

Here's what happened with Jake's elbow

A bit of background on how the Jake Delhomme scenario played out today:

Delhomme threw for the first time Sunday when David Carr first was injured. He experienced no problems with his elbow at the time and the team decided to use rookie Matt Moore in Carr's place. Had Carr not returned to the game, the team would have considered using Delhomme later in the game, probably in the fourth quarter. But Carr did return and led the Panthers to victory.

There was wide-spread optimism within the organization this morning that Delhomme would be able to return and play this Sunday in Arizona. The next step was to have Delhomme test the arm out more fully by having him throw today and the hope was that he'd return to practice Wednesday, according to team officials.

But that's where the plan went awry. When Delhomme did throw, the elbow got much worse - pretty much right back to where it was when Delhomme went down in a Sept. 23 game in Atlanta. Once that happened, Delhomme and the team agreed that surgery (scheduled for next week) was the only option. - PAT YASINSKAS

What about Tampa's Gradkowski?

This might be a long shot to work out – and it might not even be the best option available – but a source in Tampa tells me that quarterback Bruce Gradkowski is on the trading block.

That became pretty obvious when the Bucs threw Gradkowski in at the end of a loss to Indianapolis. Bucs coach Jon Gruden usually lets his starters mop up their own mess, so it’s not a stretch to say he might have been trying to showcase Gradkowski to the rest of the league.

Gruden took heat when he kept four quarterbacks (Jeff Garcia, Luke McCown and Chris Simms also are on the roster), but he might look like a genius today or tomorrow. There’s a sudden desperation for quarterbacks and the Bucs have an abundance. They can turn Gradkowski into a future draft pick and they might control a bidding war.

Besides the Panthers, the Cardinals and Dolphins are desperately seeking a quarterback today. Again, Gradkowski, who got significant playing time as a rookie last year, might not be any better than some of the guys sitting out there with no contracts. But he is available.

That said, it’s still tough to imagine him ending up with the Panthers. There’s an unwritten rule in football that you don’t trade within your own division and why would the Bucs want to help out the team that’s currently tied with them for first place in the NFC South? But, hey, stranger things have happened. - PAT YASINSKAS

More available QBs...

In case the previous list of available quarterbacks didn't excite you (and it shouldn't have), here are a few more available stiffs - oops, I mean names:

Rohan Davie

James Killian

Kliff Kingsbury

Stefan LeFors

Doug Johnson

Ingle Martin

Bradley Van Pelt

Quinton Porter

Shaun King

Tim Couch

Drew Henson

Adrian McPherson

Rob Johnson

Josh Booty

Rod Rutherford

Tommy Maddox

Dave Ragone

Jay Fiedler

Matt Mauck

Possible free agent QB list for Panthers

With help from our friends at KFFL.com, who keep a nice database of available players, we just put together a partial list of available free-agent quarterbacks. It isn’t particularly pretty and some of these guys, like Drew Bledsoe and Vinny Testaverde, might not want to come out of retirement.

Then again, Bledsoe and Testaverde, might make the most sense of anybody on the list.

They have tons of experience and both have played in the New England offensive scheme in which Carolina offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson was schooled.

Also, apologies to the Chris Leak fan club, but the former Independence High star isn’t going to be the guy the Panthers bring in because they want someone with experience. Here’s the list:

Drew Bledsoe

Todd Bouman

Shane Boyd

Casey Bramlet

Aaron Brooks

Koy Detmer

Kevin Eakin

Brett Elliott

Gibran Hamdan

Tim Hasselbeck

David Koral

Toby Korrodi

Shane Matthews

Erik Meyer

Craig Nall

John Navarre

Drew Olson

Bryan Randall

Brett Ratliff

Tim Rattay

Lester Ricard

Kent Smith

Vinny Testaverde

Chris Weinke

Jared Zabransky

PAT YASINSKAS

Available QBs list: It isn't pretty

  With help from our friends at KFFL.com, who keep a nice database of available players, we just put together a partial list of available free-agent quarterbacks. It isn’t particularly pretty and some of these guys, like Drew Bledsoe and Vinny Testaverde, may not want to come out of retirement. But, then again, Bledsoe and Testaverde, might make the most sense of anybody on the list. They have tons of experience and both have played in the New England offensive scheme in which Carolina offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson. Also, apologies to the Chris Leak fan club, but the former Independence High star isn't going to be the guy the Panthers bring in because they want someone with experience. Here's the list:

   Drew Bledsoe
   Todd Bouman
   Shane Boyd
   Casey Bramlet
   Aaron Brooks
   Koy Detmer
   Kevin Eakin
   Brett Elliott
   Gibran Hamdan
   Tim Hasselbeck
   David Koral
   Toby Korrodi
   Shane Matthews
   Erik Meyer
   Craig Nall
   John Navarre
   Drew Olson
   Bryan Randall
   Brett Ratliff
   Tim Rattay
   Lester Ricard
   Kent Smith
   Vinny Testaverde
   Chris Weinke
   Jared Zabransky

-- Pat Yasinskas

Matt Moore era to start?

   NEW ORLEANS - They just loaded QB David Carr on a cart and are about to drive him off to the locker room. Rookie Matt Moore is warming up on the sidelines and it looks like he'll be in for the next drive. But don't rule out the possibility of seeing Jake Delhomme at some point today. He threw before the game and can play even though he's listed as the inactive third quarterback. If Delhomme enters the game before the fourth quarter, Moore and Carr can't return. - PAT YASINSKAS

Beason in the middle

   NEW ORLEANS - So much for the plan of bringing rookie Jon Beason along slowly and letting him stay at weak side linebacker. Beason's playing in the middle today and calling the defensive signals. It makes sense because Beason's going to end up spending most of his career in the middle. - PAT YASINSKAS

Today's inactives

   NEW ORLEANS - Here are the guys who won't be playing today: Quarterback Jake Delhomme, running back Nick Goings, linebacker Dan Morgan, linebacker Adam Seward, tackle Evan Mathis, tackle Frank Omiyale, defensive end Charles Johnson and defensive end Otis Grigsby. - PAT YASINSKAS

Thoughts on Peppers, Jake, Rucker and others ...

Five random thoughts while spending a Friday night doing laundry and getting packed for New Orleans:

1. If I’m the Panthers, I’m having second thoughts about the possibility of signing Julius Peppers to a massive contract extension until he starts making some plays. On the flip side, the Panthers long ago made the decision to keep Peppers, and they might hold a pretty good negotiation hand right now.

2. If it’s a certainty that Jake Delhomme is going to have elbow surgery or miss months, as some national television reporters have suggested, why hasn’t Delhomme already had the surgery? And why haven’t the likes of Jeff George, Chris Weinke, etc., been strolling through for workouts? The word I keep hearing is the hope within the organization is that Delhomme will be ready to play after the bye in a few weeks.

3. Is defensive end Mike Rucker quietly doing what best friend and former safety Mike Minter planned: Using this season as a farewell tour. Rucker’s contract is up after this season and he hasn’t exactly been piling up numbers, but the Panthers are quietly assembling some young talent at defensive end.

4. Shold it really have taken a concussion to Nick Goings to prompt the Panthers to use either DeAngelo Williams or Ryne Robinson on kickoff returns?

5. Can’t believe the e-mail I continue to get calling Jack Del Rio a defensive genius and Mike Trgovac a defensive idiot, among other things. Neither is true. History has blurred people’s memory of Del Rio.

He was defensive coordinator here for only one season (2002) and his defense played very well. But Del Rio was a first-time coordinator and had an awful lot of input from coach John Fox, who had made his name as a defensive coordinator.

Presumably, Fox is still heavily involved in the defensive strategy, and if you’re pointing at Trgovac because you don’t like the defensive scheme, you might be pointing at the wrong guy.

PAT YASINSKAS

Finding the same page

As the Carolina Panthers walked off their practice fields around noon today, wide receiver Steve Smith and quarterback David Carr strode toward the locker room side by side, deep in conversation. There's been a lot of that this week, as Carr and Smith try to learn the inner workings of each other, the better to know how the other is likely to react in various game situations.

It wasn't pretty last week; with the play that summed it all up coming late in that 20-7 loss to Tampa Bay. Smith, wide on the left side, went 15 or 20 yards down the sideline and turned and looked for the ball, while slot receiver Drew Carter ran a similar pattern but a shorter one. Carr, though, was expecting somebody to go deep, and threw the ball at least 30 yards beyond everyone.

Carr took the blame for all the miscommunication later, but the problem--for the quarterback and his receivers--is learning each other's tendencies. And it's not just Carr and Smith.

"Any job, the more you work at it, the better you get," Carolina coach John Fox said following practice. "It's what you make of it....I don't just think it's (Carr and Smith). Again, if you're the CEO of a company; they have different styles and strengths and weaknesses. It's a matter of doing that with your teammates. I think it relates to everybody, not just those two."

The bottom line, though, is "those two" have to get it right. Smith is Carolina's game-breaker. His quarterback - almost certainly Carr again Sunday since starter Jake Delhomme did not throw all week - has to be able to get him the ball. -- Stan Olson

Jarrett relieved to get in lineup

While most of the talk in Thursday’s locker room revolved around Wednesday’s players-only meeting (more on that in The Observer tomorrow), receiver Dwayne Jarrett spoke briefly to several reporters, and with a sense of relief.

Jarrett was a No.. 2 draft pick in April, but found himself inactive for the season’s first three games. Finally given a jersey on Sunday, he was in the lineup for several series and caught one pass for 6 yards.

Asked if he was nervous, Jarrett said, "No, not at all; I’ve been doing it for too long."

But if nerves weren’t involved, he was certainly happy to get on the field, if only briefly.

"Yeah, definitely," he said when asked about that sense of relief. "Last week is in the past; I was able to go out there and give a sample of what I can do, and I’ll just move forward from there."

There’s no guarantee he’ll remain active Sunday; that depends on what the team’s needs are at various positions. But sooner or later, the Panthers will have to take a longer look at him.

STAN OLSON

Carr did have one amazing play

Quarterback David Carr will be the first to claim blame for Carolina’s poor performance against Tampa Bay, but there was one play that amazed virtually everyone who saw it. Forced from the pocket, Carr decided to run for a first down. To get there, he eventually leaped into the air and did a flip over two Bucs’ players.

He got the first down, and was asked the following day what the reaction of his teammates was to his Superman-like move.

"Mostly positive, but with some surprises," Carr said. "Guys were like, ‘I didn’t realize that you were an athlete.’ I’m like, ‘yeah, thanks man. That’s cool.’

"I’ve run before; I’ve jumped in the air before….We’d been like, three-and-out 12 times before that. And I’m running, I’m looking at the sticks out of the corner of my eye and I’m like, I’m not sliding; there’s no chance. I knew I wasn’t going to run them over (Derrick Brooks and Ronde Barber were closing on him), so the only other option was to go up and see what happens."

Carr bounced up and threw down the ball, making the first down gesture, and there was some worry that since he didn’t appear to be touched, the officials would call the play a fumble. But contact was ruled, and the play was signaled over.—STAN OLSON

Players-only meeting this afternoon

   Ah, you knew it was coming. Several Panthers said there will be a players-only meeting this afternoon.

   It’s a common event for a struggling team. Veteran tight end Christian Fauria made a very good point when he said this type of meeting can help. But you can only call them ONCE a season or they lose their significance.

   The full story about the team meeting will be in tomorrow’s Observer and on Charlotte.com/panthers.

-- Pat Yasinskas

Gogan rips Jenkins for outburst

   I don't agree with this stance because I think Kris Jenkins did the right thing in ripping the Panthers and because I also think he couldn't be more accurate. But not everyone agrees.

   Former NFL player Kevin Gogan took a pretty strong stance against Jenkins' words in his blog. Here's the link:  http://blog.nbx.com/2007/10/trainwreck---je.html

- Pat Yasinskas

No QB movement

   Read into this whatever you want, but general manager Marty Hurney said the Panthers didn't work out any quarterbacks on Tuesday (generally the day teams try out free agents). Hurney also said no plans to make any roster moves at quarterback are on the immediate horizon. That doesn't necessarily mean Jake Delhomme's elbow has suddenly healed and he'll play this week. But it's a pretty strong sign the Panthers really are hoping surgery isn't necessary and Delhomme can return fairly soon. Keep one key date in mind: The Panthers have a bye after games at New Orleans and Arizona. That's a potential week of rest for Delhomme, if he's not back before then, and surgery probably becomes a stronger option if he's not ready after the bye.

   PRACTICE SQUAD MOVE. For the diehards or the really bored, the Panthers re-signed running back Alex Haynes to the practice squad. They released fullback Billy Latsko from the practice squad. -- PAT YASINSKAS

'Don't come back without a heart'

    Monday was an interesting day in the Panthers' locker room, where reporters camped out for two hours.
          Quarterback Jake Delhomme and linebacker Dan Morgan came out and discussed their injuries at length, and backup QB David Carr was frank about his poor performance and lack of chemistry with the wide receivers, Smith in particular. He said that would be fixed in practice this week.
          At one point, wide receiver Steve Smith came through, asking, "when are you all supposed to be out of here?" He was obviously hoping to use that air horn I told you about to speed our departure.
          He was told there was no time limit on Mondays after a loss; we could stay until every unit was finished with its position meetings. "We're not leaving until all the captains talk," I said jokingly.
         "OK, then I'm outta here," he said to general laughter.  Smith, who is a captain, is also not currently speaking to the media. He says his silence will last though the end of the year. No one is certain why, because he hasn't told us. That's bad for his fans, since his comments are often perceptive and thoughtful.  Not so much for us; there are still 52 other guys in the locker room who can speak -- more or
less.
         As Smith was leaving Monday, he said, "Don't anyone come back in here Wednesday without heart,"  a tongue-in-cheek reference to  defensive tackle Kris Jenkins' comments that Carolina lacked heart and  passion.

-- Stan Olson

Jenkins discusses state of team; Peppers talks, too

The two biggest names on the defensive line talked Monday. First, we’ll run the transcript of Kris Jenkins session with the media. Once you get through that, you’ll see a word-by-word account of Julius Peppers interview:

KRIS JENKINS

Q. What kind of reaction did you get on yesterday’s comments?
A. There’ve been some conversations. I felt like what I said needed to be said. I’ve been here for awhile. It becomes frustrating when you see things happening the same way over and over again and the issues don’t get taken care of. We’re better than that. The team as a whole is better than that. If it was something that I felt we were mediocre as far as the talent we had and we just couldn’t get it done, I’d keep my mouth shut. I know we can do better than that. I know we have what it takes to get to the Super Bowl, but we just have to exercise it. That’s what came out yesterday, that frustration, that intensity.

I know I’m not the perfect person. I know that I haven’t done everything by the book and some people look at me as being a rebel or whatever, but when it’s all said and done, the things that I’m asked by this organization to do that are mandatory and require me to be here, I come and I give them 100 percent. I’m pretty sure they demand 100 percent of me, so I have to demand 100 percent of myself and my teammates. It’s just not something I can come in here and say, "Oh, everything’s cool." I’m not a captain, but a lot of the younger guys look up to me for leadership. It wouldn’t be right for me to give them anything less than that.

Q. Did any teammates or coaches take exception to what you said?
A. What do you mean?
Q. Any negative response?
A. I think it was all positive. I’ll be honest with you. I’ve been having a lot of conversations over the course of this day and they’ve been positive. We took a long look at the film and we collectively looked at how we can make ourselves better. I think that’s a big step forward. We’re policing ourselves and I feel like we are starting to do what it takes and hopefully it will show the next time we step out on the field, especially when we step out on the field in front of our home crowd. We would love for them to be able to see that progress. We’re going to get after it.

Q. Did you have any conversations with Mr. Richardson?
When? Today? No, the only players you see here right now are the players and the coaches. When you look at football the way I do, this is still a family. If you have moments when you’re upset, you still need to talk through those and let people understand where you’re really at and for you to know where they’re really at as well, because you can’t build and move on if you sit there and have a little hissy-fit. We’re better than that as men and we just need to honor that.

Q. Did you initiate some of those conversations?
A. Honestly, I’ve been here for awhile. This is my seventh season and I’ve never done anything like this before. To tell you the truth, this isn’t me. Talking and running my mouth, that’s not me. I enjoy being in my own little corner and I enjoy having peace and quiet. I just like football. I don’t play for my family to eat, I play because I love it. I don’t feel like I owe anybody anything, but to play the game the way that I know how to. That was the reason that I was brought here and I want to continue to do that. Now, I forgot what the point was I was trying to make. What was the question?

Q. Did you initiate those conversations?
A. There were both. Some guys wanted to know what was on my mind. I’ve been here when we were 1-15 with Seifert. I was here the second season where we were 7-9, but you could see it coming together. I was here for the Super Bowl and even though I was hurt in ’04 and ’05, I knew what was going on. I know what we look like when all cylinders are firing.

My thing was I really didn’t see anybody else doing it and I kind of felt like, "Well, if I don’t say anything, I’m just as guilty as anybody else." It wasn’t me trying to bash anybody or drag the team down or anything. I just want what’s best for my team. When the offseason comes, that’s when I have to do what’s best for me and my family. But when the season’s in and I’m here, it’s what’s best for the team.

Regardless of what my viewpoint on the business side of it is to everybody else, that doesn’t matter once it’s in this locker room. The business part needs to subside a little bit, that’s when football begins. It’s not about the business all the time. If you’re doing what you’re supposed to do, playing the game and loving it, the business is going to take care of itself. If you’re really being responsible about that, playing with your heart, being mindful of what partying and going out and doing all of that stuff does and how it affects the game and everything, you’re going to do a pretty good job of policing yourself and doing what needs to be done.

Q. You talked about being here through 1-15. Are the signs you’ve seen through four games as discouraging as that?
A. If we were 1-15, I’d probably be hanging off of something right now. I don’t think I could take another one of those. I don’t think we’re there, but I think it’s like this: If you’re not doing what you need to for that Super Bowl, what’s the point of doing it? If we’re not playing at that caliber, why are we playing? Why are we going through the motions. You can just sit back and hope that doing this and doing that will get you by each week and, then, at one point it’s just going to magically come together and just take off. That wasn’t what happened the year we went. We fought to the end and we made plays when they needed to be made. It wasn’t anything special. We just did what we had to do and let the rest take care of itself.

Q. Did any part in front of you want to say the things you said yesterday to the team and in a closed environment?
A. No. At the time, what I felt was that sometimes when you say things behind closed doors, it’s easy to just kind of let things pass on. If everybody knows what’s going on, you’ve got to hold yourself accountable. I’m not the type of person that won’t say to (the media) that I won’t say to the person himself. I talk to everybody and everybody’s known how I've felt since training camp, since before the season. The whole trade thing? That’s what I had to deal with. It’s been on my mind. It’s been expressed within the team. The season’s here now and things weren’t getting addressed. I just felt like if it’s not getting handled within the team, just put it in the paper and that way it has to be addressed.

Q. Do your statements put more pressure on you?
A. What I went through this offseason for deciding to stand up and honor myself, it couldn’t get any worse. I caught a lot of pressure, lot of flak, lot of bad press and whatever for doing what I felt was best for me. I didn’t come back screaming at anybody. I accepted it for what it was. I’m a football player. I’m not your media person. I’m not going to sit here and talk to you and say all the good things. I’m here to play. Sunday, I show up. After that, I go about my business.

Q. Do you still stand by everything you said?
A. Yeah, I still stand by everything I said. This is the easiest way to put it: If it was right or if it was wrong, that has yet to be determined. We’ll work through it. If I owe anybody any apologies, those will come out. But I felt like what was said needed to be said. I have no problem standing on it.

JULIUS PEPPERS
Q. Hey, Julius, you got a minute?
A. I gotta meeting right now.

Fox has little to say after defeat

John Fox just finished his weekly day-after-the-game news conference. After reviewing the film and getting some sleep, Fox said ... well, basically, nothing.

So, if you’re still looking for the only insightful explanation of Sunday’s disaster against Tampa Bay, we once again give you the locker-room words of defensive tackle Kris Jenkins in their entirety:

"You all ready (clears throat)? All right, I’m going to be honest. I think the players owe the fans an apology. I would be as upset as they are if I had to sit in the stands for four hours and look at that garbage. I’m going to be honest with you. That’s what it was, garbage.

I apologize to you Pat because I didn’t put everything out as far as the issue (in an Observer story last week, where Jenkins challenged his teammates to handle prosperity better). This is our issue as a team. As a team collectively, we have no heart. We have no energy. We have no drive. Football is about pride and passion. I’m going to repeat that again. Football is about pride and passion. The pride and the passion that you have for this game makes you want to win.

It’s not about the money. It’s not about looking the part. It’s not about standing on the field so everybody can see you on TV and that you look good. It’s about pride and heart. If you have those two, if you win or lose, you’re going to look like a football team.

That’s why we have issues with prosperity. That’s why we have issues when things look good. That’s why we can’t get enough together to look and act like a football team. This is not a 9-to-5 job. This is a game. It is a street fight. It is a gladiator sport and I apologize that sometimes I don’t look the part for what people want me to be. I’m not the weight that everybody wants me to be. But when I step on that field, what you are going to see is pride and heart because I value this game. I love it and that is what is frustrating me. We don’t have that.

We went out there and I felt embarrassed. I walked out the little line or whatever you come through to go play and I walked out and basically, in certain way, I challenged their team. And I challenged my team, because when you step out there like that and you do something like that, you better back it up and we didn’t. We got broke off. We really got broke off and I’m embarrassed to say so.

Right now, my heart hurts. It really does. It’s hard to sit there week after week and go through this. This is what’s not being addressed. Week in and week out, we might say this and we might say that or we need to change this. It’s not that you can’t pay for pride and heart. It might good when you look at the stats or when you look at someone’s 40 time or you look at everything else. But it doesn’t matter how many skills you have. It doesn’t matter how good you look when you catch a pass or when you run the ball or when you tackle somebody or cover somebody.

It’s not going to matter if you don’t have those two things, because this is the NFL. It is the National Football League. It is a professional sport and you have people out here, such as myself, who love this game enough that they’re going to put it all out on the field.

Tampa Bay came and they did that and they royally broke their foot off in our butt. I have nothing else to say. I’m upset about this, but I wanted to say that.’’