Kaspers Korner

The Carolina Panthers are one win away from tying the number of wins they had all of last year, which is seven.  The difference is the play of quarterback Jake Delhomme, and defensive end Julius Peppers.

Delhomme missed most of last season after he tore a ligament in his elbow.  The Panthers were never the same after Delhomme went out.  That is obvious now as the Panthers have a 6-2 record.

Last year the Panthers averaged 170 yards passing per a game.  Now, they are averaging 213 yards per a game.  That is over 40 yards per a game, which goes to show how much Delhomme means to the offense.

The difference in the defense is as a result of the combination of Delhomme, and Peppers.

The Panthers had recorded only 23 sacks last season.  This year they have recorded 13 already, and four of them have been by Peppers.  Peppers had only two last year.

Also, the defense has played less than it did last year.  The Panthers defense played 1,032 plays last season.  This year after half a season they have only played 483 this year.  That is four plays less per a game.

The reason for that is not only because the play of Peppers, but also because of Delhomme.  With Delhomme having the offense playing better that mean the defense is on the field less.  Which, results in the defense being fresher when it takes the field.

Simply, having that franchise quarterback makes all the difference, but only when the quarterback has been with the team for a long period of time.  Not like the situation that Brett Farve is in.