WP:Patient Panthers Put On a Few Airs

[TK]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A49883-2003Nov16&notFound=true

Patient Panthers Put On a Few Airs

Muhammad Has Big Day Receiving

By Gene Wang

Special to The Washington Post

Monday, November 17, 2003; Page D13

CHARLOTTE, Nov. 16 -- For a team that thinks run first and uses the pass to keep defenses off-balance, the Carolina Panthers executed their game plan as scripted early against the Washington Redskins: Stephen Davis left for eight yards, Davis right for six, and Davis right again for nine more.

Then the Redskins began to bear down with more fervor on their former teammate, stacking the line of scrimmage in an effort to take the Panthers out of their comfort zone.

"We knew they were going to come up and play some eight-man fronts and try to take Stephen Davis out of the plan," wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad said. "I know that they were trying to take him out of the game . . . so we said, 'Hey, let's just try to air it out a little bit.' "

Plan B yielded a passing attack that rolled up 317 yards against an ailing Redskins secondary with cornerbacks Champ Bailey and Fred Smoot playing hurt. And at the center of it all was Muhammad, Carolina's all-time leader in virtually every significant receiving category who has been waiting patiently for a breakout game this season.

It came Sunday in the form of 189 yards -- three short of tying a career high -- on nine catches.

"It's been a long time coming, but I'm the type of player, I'm just going to remain quiet and do what's best for the team and keep my head on the grind, you know," Muhammad said. "I just work hard. I know that good things will happen to me if I just keep working hard."

Muhammad logged his first 100-yard game since Dec. 8, 2002, and his performance included an important catch midway through the fourth quarter, with the score tied at 10 and the Panthers' momentum stalled after the Redskins had rallied to tie minutes earlier. On first and 10 from the Carolina 31, Muhammad ran a pattern to the right sideline, with Smoot in coverage. Quarterback Jake Delhomme spotted the mismatch -- Muhammad is 6 feet 2, 217 pounds, Smoot 5-11, 174 -- and delivered a high throw that wound up as a 40-yard gain.

Five plays later, the Panthers re-took the lead after John Kasay converted a 26-yard field goal with 5 minutes 28 seconds to play.

"He's fast, but if he was on a motorcycle, he couldn't outrun me," Smoot playfully said of Muhammad, whose blocking exploits are as revered by his teammates as his pass-catching.

"The thing about Moose is that he's a Pro Bowl receiver who's caught 90, 100 balls before, and I know he's not catching a lot right now, but a lot of that is our offense," Delhomme said. "But he's never complained once, and he blocks like a lineman. I mean, safeties and corners don't want to see him when he's out there blocking, and he's never complained. He works hard. Today he caught, what, nine for 180-something? I mean, that's just huge, and he probably should have had a couple touchdowns."

Muhammad's day, however, did not get off to a promising start. On the Panthers' second possession, Muhammad was involved in a gaffe that could have cost Carolina points. With the Panthers at their 47-yard line, Delhomme delivered a first-down throw that hit Muhammad in the hands. But he could not secure the ball, which bounced into the waiting arms of Smoot.

That play set up the Redskins at the Carolina 19, but the defense sacked Redskins quarterback Patrick Ramsey for an 11-yard loss on third down and eight to force a field goal attempt. John Hall then missed from 46 yards 6:44 before halftime.

"We just knew that we weren't playing our best football," Muhammad said. "We always carry the mentality that [the previous] play is over, let's go to the next one. The next one could be the play that wins the game. And that's the kind of mentality that we instill in our players on offense. That's what we've got to believe.

Former Panthers Pro Bowl cornerback "Eric Davis told me this one time when I was a rookie. He said, 'The best players in this league have the shortest memories.' So I mean that's something we kind of just pass around. I don't even remember what happened today because I've got Dallas next week."

© 2003 The Washington Post Company