Steve Smith News

For all the plays Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers made last week, there's a sense among those around him that they're only seeing the beginning of what he could do.

When New Orleans hosts Carolina on Sunday, you've likely read as much about the Saints as you possibly can.

NEW ORLEANS For the Saints, there never seems to be a good time to face the Carolina Panthers in the Superdome.

CHARLOTTE - It is amazing what one week can mean in the National Football League.

CHARLOTTE For eight seasons, Dante Wesley has earned a paycheck in the NFL because of his special teams prowess.

Do you anticipate Fujita practicing this week? "I'm hopeful. It's getting better so we're shooting for it." Did Clancy re-injure something? "No, it was swelling so we backed off it on Wednesday." Were Moore and Goodwin's injuries bruises? "Lance's was a sprain and Goodwin was a contusion or bruise." Does the Ellis injury look to be fairly ...

C. Johnson Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas A look at the players opposing teams hate to see with the ball in their hands in the open field.

Tom Sorensen has been a columnist at The Observer for 20 years and has been at the paper for 25, writing about nearly every sport in the Carolinas.

Carolina Panthers' Jake Delhomme gets past Arizona Cardinals' Darnell Dockett as Delhomme runs in the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov.

The Panthers missed a chance to score when the failed to pick up a first down on fourth-and-1 from the Buffalo 13.

The Panthers are sticking with Delhomme, who hasn't played a good game since last December, going up against a team that made him look like a 75-year old quarterback in their last meeting.

This week the Carolina Panthers announced they plan to stick with their struggling veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme .

Carolina coach John Fox said Wednesday he has decided Jake Delhomme remains his best option at quarterback, ahead of backups Matt Moore and A.J. Feeley.

OVERALL , RUSH , PASS PANTHERS DEFENSE - OVERALL , RUSH , PASS CARDINALS OFFENSE - OVERALL , RUSH , PASS CARDINALS DEFENSE - OVERALL , RUSH , PASS STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Carolina OT Jordan Gross has started 101 of 102 regular-season games and all eight playoff games since he was Panthers' first-round draft pick in 2003.

A Nevada judge has denied a motion to dismiss a lawsuit accusing Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger of raping a woman at a hotel-casino at Lake Tahoe.

There were plenty of Panthers lining up to take blame for Sunday's 20-9 loss to the Buffalo Bills, including John Kasay and Kenny Moore.

Panthers coach John Fox announced Wednesday that Jake Delhomme will remain the team's starting quarterback Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, a decision that certainly won't sit well with a frustrated fan base.

You know those movies in which a guy wakes up and walks outside and everybody is gone and he thinks he's the only human in the world? He's wrong, of course.

Sophomore Dillon Matthews rushed for 218 yards and four touchdowns and broke the single-season rushing record as the host Spartans defeated the Comets 33-15 to ensure their first winning season since 1998.

JEFF SINER - jsiner@charlotteobserver.com http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2009/10/24/21/PANTHERS_SKINS_323.embedded.prod_affiliate.138.JPG 249 Carolina Panthers' John Kasay boots a field goal against the Washington Redskins in the 4th quarter at Bank of America Stadium.