Broncos challenge Delhomme to throw, and Panthers QB makes them pay
0 Comment December 15 Dallas Morning News
"The Carolina Panthers ran the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into submission last Monday night. The Denver Broncos were not going to allow the Panthers a repeat performance six days later.
So the Broncos opened Sunday's game between the two division leaders with four linebackers - creating an eight-player run defense - and dared the Panthers to throw the ball.
Why not? Jake Delhomme had been in a bit of a slump since Carolina's bye, and the Broncos drooled at the prospect of forcing the Panthers quarterback to match throw for throw with their own gunslinger, Jay Cutler.
Unbeknownst to the Broncos, Delhomme welcomed the prospect and lit Denver up, passing for 253 yards and a touchdown to outduel Cutler and deal the Broncos a 30-10 defeat. That gave the 11-3 Panthers a two-game lead in the NFC South with two games to play.
The four-linebacker front surprised the Panthers.
"It was a look we hadn't seen from them," Delhomme said.
But the Panthers reacted quickly, going to a no-huddle offense and filling the chilly late afternoon air with footballs.
"We like that matchup," Delhomme said. "We saw that [four-linebacker look] from our own defense in training camp. We see a lot of exotic looks from our defense."
Delhomme completed four of his first five passes as the Panthers moved 74 yards in six plays for the game-tying touchdown, a 15-yard scoring strike to Steve Smith.
The flaw in Denver's defensive strategy was that Champ Bailey, their best pass defender, was a game-day inactive with a groin injury.
That forced the Broncos to play rookie Josh Bell of Baylor, and Delhomme attacked him repeatedly. Muhsin Muhammad beat Bell for a 27-yard reception in the first quarter, and Smith dinged him for a 38-yarder in the second."
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