Opinions: A Merry Christmas? Not for Panthers' Fans, By Coby DuBose, 12/25/05

"If Ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas" - Anon.

Sour grapes? Perhaps. Color me jaded after watching the Panthers play the Dallas Cowboys on the Eve of Christmas. With presents being wrapped on the floor in front of me, I longed only for a Panthers' win that would lock up a playoff spot. After investing almost three hours of my life in the weekend tilt, I feel cheated and almost violated. In case anyone missed all of the obnoxious highlight shows, the Cowboys left Charlotte on Saturday afternoon with a win to boost their playoff fortunes. The win came in, should we say, controversial fashion. Put to the side the fact that the NFL's best reciever got the boot when Steve Smith was ejected in the third(we'll get back to that), but the botched field goal by the Cowboys gave Panthers' fans a reason to be the Scrooge. With close to a minute left in the game and the Cowboys trailing the Panthers by only three, Billy Cundiff lined up for a 31 yard field goal. A chip shot, right? Well, when Julius Peppers and Ken Lucas collapsed the Dallas line and got a piece of the try, it flew off to the right. Peppers landed on the ground just below Cundiff, who flopped down in agony, drawing a five yard penalty that gave the Cowboys a first down. Upon further review, as is often the case, the striped shirts found no reason to make themselves look silly by overturning a game-changing call, and the play stood.The 'Boys went on to score the game winning touchdown moments later.

Panthers' fans may feel cheated by the referees, but their anger would be better placed on their own defense. The Panthers' front seven, a usually tough and angry bunch, allowed much maligned Dallas running back Julius Jones to have a field day, racking up nearly 200 yards. He gashed the defense at the worst of times, continually putting pressure on the secondary and regularly changing field position. The play on this day came as a bit of an abomination for a group that had earned praise on the way to becoming the league's second best unit.

Where do John Fox and the Panthers turn from here? A loss at Atlanta next Sunday will probably leave them out of the playoffs, but they should find success against the free-falling Falcons, who have been officially eliminated from the Playoffs. If they are to win and gain the number five seed in the NFC playoffs, there are some positives which they can take from this weekend's performance.

Jake Delhomme: Delhomme had another strong game, showing poise in the pocket and making some big throws. He also showed an ability to complete passes to players other than Steve Smith. Where Delhomme fails is in balancing his game. If he could learn to throw to the other wideouts in addition to Smith, the Panthers' offense may takeoff.

Drew Carter: The second year man out of Ohio State has emerged as a solid and explosive number two option alongside Smith. He caught a touchdown pass against the Cowboys and was open on other occasions. Continued success from Carter will be essential if the blue and black are to make their second appearance in the Super Bowl come February.

Will Witherspoon: Few fans outside of North Carolina or Georgia know about this former Bulldog, but Witherspoon has quietly turned himself into one of the game's best young linebackers. He has shown the ability to make big plays in pass rush and has already shown a knack for playing the ball in the air. He must shore up his run defense and show the ability to shed blocks if the defense is to return to its "pre-Saturday" form.

Julius Peppers: With four sacks and two(that's right, TWO) blocked field goals in Saturday's game, Peppers made his presence felt early and often. He has the ability to be a game changing defensive player, and his must continue to play well and force turnovers if they Panthers are going to be successful.

Since we are busy grading members of the organization, a look must be taken at the team's front office. One move still baffles some fans and bugs me. Last season, Mushin Muhammad carried the team without Smith, making big play after big play, only to see GM Marty Hurney spurn his re-signing request. Sure, Muhammad wanted good money, but he is worth it. Muhammad has been putting on big numbers in the Bears' system, and any WR who can do that is certainly special. If Hurney would have given him the money he wanted, the Panthers' offense would have been nearly unstoppable. Imagine Delhomme having two pro bowl type recievers to throw to. Now that would have been something. While Marty Hurney and John Fox have done an excellent job drafting football players over the last four years, this decision is one that will likely stick in their craw for some time to come.

Side Notes

-->Steve Smith was ejected from Sunday's game for making contact with an official. Ok, sure, it is in the rulebook. You can not touch an official on the field. But, watch any NFL game and you will see quarterbacks making contact with officials when pleading for a call and you will see officials routinely give players a gentle tap on the rear end after a job well done. Say what you will about Smith, but he is one of the league's marque playmakers. Officials need to think twice before giving an impact player the boot over something so small. Smith's contact, which was intended to get the official's attention about a call, was nothing out of the ordinary. If a ref can't show better judgement than in this instance, he does not deserve to be calling big games. I am sure the ACC could use more inadequate striped shirts.

-->Ricky Proehl caught another touchdown pass in Saturday's game. How old is he, anyway? Proehl is surely one of the NFL's good guys. He has played the game in the right manner for the past 15 seasons, and if he chooses to hang them up after this year, then Panthers' fans should feel privilidged to have been able to share in some of the best years of his lengthy career.