Skins.com:Redskins, Panthers Are Familiar Foes

[TK]

http://www.redskins.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=2883

Redskins, Panthers Are Familiar Foes

By Rich Campbell

Special to Redskins.com

August 13, 2004

The last time anyone saw the Carolina Panthers, the clock had just struck midnight on their Cinderella season.

Facing the heavily favored New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII, the Panthers found themselves leading 22-21 in the fourth quarter. Carolina's defense couldn't hold the lead, however. With four seconds remaining and the game tied 29-29, Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri nailed his second Super Bowl-winning field goal and ended the Panthers' improbable playoff run.

Seven months later, the Redskins and Panthers meet at FedExField in a Saturday evening pre-season contest. Among the top storylines? It will be the first time running back Stephen Davis returns to play his former team at FedExField.

Stephen Davis returns to FedExField for the first time as a Carolina Panther.

It's often been said that Davis is the type of power runner that Joe Gibbs would have used during his first coaching tenure with the Redskins.

"He's a big guy, but he also can break it," Gibbs said earlier this week. "He's certainly a great package and I think he showed that last year."

Davis will power the Panthers' attack after a solid first season in Carolina. The former Redskin ran for 1,444 yards and eight touchdowns on 318 carries in 2003. More importantly, he helped Carolina immensely during close games. With Davis controlling the ball in the fourth quarter last season, Carolina was 10-4 (including the playoffs) in games decided by seven points or less.

One of those close victories came against the Redskins on November 16 in Charlotte. Redskins quarterback Patrick Ramsey's second touchdown pass of the fourth quarter-a bullet to a leaping Patrick Johnson-put Washington ahead 17-13 with 4:19 remaining in the game.

Davis capped a 7-play, 71-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown plunge that gave Carolina a 20-17 lead with 1:09 to play. As he crossed the goal line on the scoring run, the ball appeared to come loose. The play was ruled a touchdown after a replay review. For the game, Davis carried 28 times for 92 yards and one touchdown.

The Redskins and Panthers also clashed in Charlotte last August in the preseason debut for both teams. In Davis's first game as a Panther (ironically against his former team), he carried seven times for 74 yards, including a 34-yard scamper. Carolina won the game in convincing fashion, 20-0

Carolina's regular-season victory over the Redskins last year was the Panthers' first in franchise history. The Redskins were 6-0 all time against Carolina up until that contest. Although the series record is lopsided, most of the games in the series have been close. Five of the Redskins' six victories over the Panthers have come by a margin of three points or less.

Washington won its first game of the 2001 season and ended a five-game losing streak with a 17-14 overtime victory at FedExField. In 1999, the Redskins overcame a 21-0 first quarter deficit and won 38-36 on a last-second field goal by kicker Brett Conway.

This will be just the second regular season since 1997 that the Redskins and Panthers will not play each other. For the Redskins, the season is a chance to return to past glory. For the Panthers, it's a chance to take care of some unfinished business.

After coming so close to winning the franchise's first NFL title last February, the Panthers worked this offseason to make their championship dreams a reality. On the eve of training camp, Panthers head coach John Fox acknowledged that returning to the Super Bowl will be a difficult task.

"In my mind, you start over," Fox said. "I'd like to think that we have developed into a better football team over my tenure, whether it's the first year or last year. There's a lot of hard work ahead, and that's true in every camp. It's hard to predict what will happen, but I feel good about where we are now."

Carolina won the NFC South last season with an 11-5 regular-season record and enters the 2004 campaign with its core of young players intact. The team's defensive focus remains its powerful defensive line, while the Panthers' offensive centerpiece remains Davis.

While those two strengths will carry over to this season, much change took place during the offseason among Carolina's offensive line and secondary. Whether the Panthers repeat last year's success will depend partly on the play of those two overhauled units.

"Those are the areas where we are going to have to improve and jell and become cohesive, because there are going to be different faces," Fox said. "Different doesn't always mean worse, either. That's our job as coaches and my job as head coach to get that organized."

Only one starter on the offensive line, center Jeff Mitchell, is expected to start in the same position in 2004 as he did in 2003. Guard Kevin Donnalley retired, while guard Jeno James and tackle Todd Steussie signed with Miami and Tampa Bay, respectively. Guard Travis Claridge and tackles Jordan Gross and Adam Meadows are among the linemen expected to protect quarterback Jake Delhomme and create holes for Davis.

Two new faces will appear in the Panthers' starting secondary this season. Cornerback Artrell Hawkins came to Carolina after six years with the Cincinnati Bengals and will start opposite incumbent cornerback Ricky Manning, Jr. At safety, Mike Minter will team with Travares Tillman, who was promoted to replace the departed Deon Grant.

Another name familiar to Redskins fans has also been added to the Panthers' defense. Linebacker Jessie Armstead landed in Carolina after the Redskins released him in late February. He is reunited with Fox, who was Armstead's defensive coordinator from 1997-2001 with the New York Giants.

While Armstead is not expected to start, linebacker Mark Fields could. Fields missed all of last season while battling Hodgkin's disease and his return is expected to provide an emotional boost.

Because of the Panthers' auspicious finish last season, they were not in a position to make a big splash on draft day. With the 28th overall pick, Carolina drafted Ohio State cornerback Chris Gamble.

Gamble played both cornerback and wide receiver in college and was an integral part of the Buckeyes' 2002 championship team. Gamble isn't projected to start this season, in part because he split time on offense and defense in college. He is expected to return punts and see time as the third cornerback while he hones his defensive skills.

The Panthers added depth at wide receiver when they drafted Keary Colbert out of Southern Cal in the second round. For the co-national champs last season, Colbert racked up nine touchdown catches and 1,013 yards while playing alongside star wideout Mike Williams. Carolina's receiving corps already consists of Steve Smith, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark last season, and Muhsin Muhammad, who caught 54 passes for 837 yards and three touchdowns a year ago.

Amidst all the personnel changes on defense, the Panthers' strength remains its front line. Defensive end Mike Rucker finished fourth in the NFC last season with 12.0 sacks while teammate Julius Peppers had 7.0. Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins led the team with ten tackles for a loss and had two sacks against the Redskins in Week 11.

[Coach Williams]

lets hope they don't notice the whole bootleg thing on the tape....lol

I could you not though

1st run gain of 2

2nd run loss of 1

3rd pass sack loss of 14

4th & 23 roll out pass to the 295 LB TE for a first down...