CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme loves to move his arms when he talks. Monday was no exception, sore elbow and all.
With both arms flailing and nothing protecting his strained right elbow, Delhomme was happy after an MRI determined he won’t need surgery. But Delhomme was unsure if he or backup David Carr will start on Sunday against Tampa Bay.
“I’ll be getting a ton of treatment on it and we’ll go from there,” Delhomme said. “I’ve never had anything like this before, so how long it’s going to last, I don’t know. I usually do OK with treatment and I think my body heals pretty fast.”
Coach John Fox didn’t make things any clearer. He retreated to his usual role of being vague on injuries. Fox also had no information on middle linebacker Dan Morgan, who suffered shoulder, hamstring and heel injuries in Carolina’s 27-20 win over Atlanta. He was scheduled to undergo a series of tests later Monday.
Delhomme was injured late in the third quarter when he was sacked by John Abraham, saying something “didn’t feel right” after Abraham tried to grab the ball.
Delhomme continued to play, tossing a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jeff King that tied the game.
Still, he was concerned. He threw on the sideline when the defense was on the field before deciding to go back out for the next series.
Delhomme threw a 29-yard pass over the middle to King, then winced and clutched his elbow after throwing a short pass to Brad Hoover.
“I couldn’t help us after that,” Delhomme said. “It was too much of a sharp pain.”
He was replaced by Carr, who completed 3 of 4 passes for 56 yards, leading the Panthers on two run-dominated scoring drives to snap a tie and give the Panthers the win.
It was what the Panthers had hoped for from Carr, a five-year starter in Houston who was signed to provide an upgrade over last year’s backup, Chris Weinke.
“I thought he did good,” Fox said of Carr. “We didn’t change what we were doing, because, ‘Oh no, we’re putting in our backup quarterback.’ He went out there and managed the game well.
“He played well enough for us to win.”
Delhomme has also played well, a bright spot for a team that has shown many holes despite its 2-1 start. He has completed 64 percent of his passes, with eight touchdowns and just one interception. His 111.9 passer rating is tied for third-best in the NFL.
Delhomme completed 10 of 18 passes for 109 yards and two TDs against the Falcons, where the Panthers relied on a dominating running game to overcome Steve Smith having just one catch and a suspect defense.
DeShaun Foster rushed for 122 yards and a score and caught another TD from Delhomme.
It’s the second injury Delhomme has suffered in as many seasons. His streak of consecutive starts was snapped at 59 when he suffered ligament damage in his right thumb in a late-season loss at Philadelphia in 2006.
As Delhomme sat on a table at Bank of America Stadium Monday, he said his elbow didn’t hurt.
“If I grab something or whatnot, it will hurt a little bit,” he said.
Expect the Panthers to reveal little about the newest injury this week, trying to keep the Buccaneers guessing if they’ll face Delhomme or Carr in an early season matchup for the NFC South lead.
“Rather than put a time frame on it, I don’t think any of us are in the business of predicting the future,” Fox said. “It’s a medical situation.”
Add A Comment