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| Other Week 6 Game Recaps | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI at SEA | BAL at MIN | BUF at NYJ | CAR at TB | CHI at ATL | CLE at PIT | DEN at SD | DET at GB |
| HOU at CIN | KC at WAS | NYG at NO | PHI at OAK | STL at JAX | TEN at NE | ||
Week 6 Game Recap: Carolina Panthers 28, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21
Carolina Panthers
| QB Jake Delhomme, Pass: 9 - 17 - 65 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - 5 - 0 |
Delhomme once again struggled. He was able to move the chains early on, getting the ball to Muhsin Muhammad on a few shorter patterns, but each time he attempted to get the ball to Steve Smith, it blew up in his face: He overthrew Smith on a deep pass; threw to him a second too late into zone coverage - too late to hit him while he was open; and had a pass tipped (which became an interception) while forcing it to him over the middle. Delhomme was accurate and decisive getting the ball to his receivers on short routes, as was evidenced on his 1 yard TD strike to Jeff King. He found Dante Rosario a couple of times for what would have been decent gains, but Rosario couldn't make the catch. The running game was clicking, but Delhomme looked increasingly frustrated as the game went on that he couldn't get anything going in the air.
| RB DeAngelo Williams, Rush: 30 - 152 - 2, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (2 targets) |
Williams showcased great moves all day long. He was shifty in traffic, and his breakaway speed got him a 20 yard TD early in the game. He was able to gain a lot of yardage with seemingly very little space to run, then has the ability to get outside for extra yards. He also ran it up the gut successfully for short yardage when the game was on the line, and caught both passes thrown to him as well. He did it all, and his 30 carry, 172 yard, 2 TD day is all the more astounding when considering that Carolina's struggling passing game meant that the defense knew exactly what was coming.
| RB Jonathan Stewart, Rush: 17 - 110 - 1 |
Stewart was the clear 2nd option in the running game, and still finished with 17 carries for over 100 yards. Early in the game, he would spell DeAngelo Williams for a couple of plays at a time, and made the most of his opportunity. He did cough up a costly fumble near the Buccaneers goal line, but later made up for it when he broke free for a 26 yard TD. Stewart showed remarkable power running inside, while Williams got the call on most of the off tackle and end runs.
| WR Muhsin Muhammad, Rec: 3 - 27 - 0 (4 targets) |
Muhammad proved that he is still reliable when thrown to, and can still get open and move the chains. But his only deeper target was unsuccessful; he wasn't able to gain separation, and Delhomme wasn't able to get the ball where he could have caught it.
| WR Steve Smith, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (5 targets) |
Delhomme couldn't really find his favourite receiver. They never found a rhythm together, and Smith was only looked to on deep routes in the first half. They tried getting the ball to him in different ways in the second half, which resulted first in an interception, and then in Smith's only catch of the game, for a paltry four yards.
| TE Jeff King, Rec: 2 - 8 - 1 (2 targets) |
King was primarily a checkdown target, but showed nice hands on his 1 yard touchdown reception.
| TE Dante Rosario, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (4 targets) |
Rosario had one ball on his fingertips late in the first half, and it would have been a big gain had he caught it. This was immediately followed by another in his hands that he couldn't hang on to, which would have been an important first down. He caught one after that, but that was his story: He did a great job of getting open, but could not catch the ball.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| QB Josh Johnson, Pass: 11 - 17 - 147 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 8 - 45 - 0 |
Johnson looked comfortable leading this team. He was not afraid to throw deep, or into coverage. When he had time to make plays, he made them. Early in the game, his line gave him plenty of time, and he was almost always able to find an open receiver. On occasion, he reminded us that he was a rookie -- for example, when he overthrew a wide open Sammie Stroughter in the red zone. Johnson had great scrambling ability, and often fought for the extra yard to get the first down. He also played smart under pressure, showing veteran-like poise at times, which won't show up in the box score or his fantasy line, but bodes well for the future. For example, he got out of his own end zone to avoid giving up a safety as the pocket collapsed, instead of making a desperation throw that could have been intercepted. Ultimately, Johnson's inconsistency cost him: his fumble and interception were too much to overcome, and led to a narrow defeat.
| RB Cadillac Williams, Rush: 16 - 77 - 1 |
Cadillac showed good burst at the line, and excellent vision. He broke a tackle and scampered away from the pack for his 20 yard TD on the first series. Later he made a nice block for his scrambling QB to help get the first down. After the first series, the Panthers were able to cut off the running lanes effectively, but Williams came out strong in the second half, powering through for 27 yards on only three carries. He was used as the feature back the whole game, and was only spelled for brief periods.
| RB Derrick Ward, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) |
Ward's first touch was a fumbled pitch. He did come back in for next series, but was barely even used as a change-of-pace back. Of note is the fact that he was the only RB targeted for a pass.
| WR Sammie Stroughter, Rec: 3 - 65 - 0 (4 targets) |
Stroughter came to play. He made two pretty significant catches, and returned a kickoff for a 97-yard TD. He showcased great catch and run ability, taking short routes and swing passes for first down yardage. Stroughter looked dangerous every time he touched the ball.
| WR Antonio Bryant, Rec: 2 - 37 - 0 (3 targets) |
Bryant made a hard fought 29 yard catch in tight coverage, but that would be the highlight of his day. He was only targeted 3 times in total.
| WR Michael Clayton, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (3 targets) |
Clayton could not seem to get open, though Johnson did try to get the ball to him anyway. One of the passes thrown to him was a costly interception. It wasn't his fault necessarily, but it was indicative of how his day went.
| TE Kellen Winslow, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (4 targets) |
Winslow was reliable, but his number was not called often enough to make a difference in this one.