Tom Talks

Another Panther slugfest, and when was the last time you said that?

   Panthers trail 24-20 at the half. Last season they didn't exceed 20 points until Oct. 24. And that was for an entire game.

    Their high score last season was 23. They beat San Francisco 23-20 and lost to Cleveland 24-23.

     Cam Newton threw for 199 yards in the half against Chicago today and rushed for 30. DeAngelo Williams ran for 47, Jonathan Stewart for 23. Steve Smith caught 132 yards worth of passes.

      That was the most entertaining half Carolina has played this season or last. 

       We saw halves like this one last season when we watched other games on TV.

 

Not bad

    Carolina's touchdown and drive attests to the difference between 2010 and 2011. Cam Newton kept the ball on third-and-two and picked up 14 yards and a first down, and ended the run with a stiff-arm. Steve Smith broke down the left side and was as open as an NFL receiver gets. Newton didn't see him and then he did, hitting him with a big-armed 53-yard pass. Two plays later Newton rolled into the end zone for a game tying TD.

     With 14:55 left in the second quarter, the Panthers and Bears are tied at 10.