September 22, 2023 • 15 mins
Two seasons removed from a 1-15 campaign, the Carolina Panthers opened the season with two heart-pulsing wins. Jake Delhomme came off the bench to spark a 4th quarter comeback in Week one. In week two, Carolina blocked three kicks in an overtime road win against the defending Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 4th quarter comebacks and a bone-crushing defense would become hallmarks of the season… but there was a storm brewing in the backfield…
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Previously on cardiac two seasons, removed from a one to
fifteen campaign. The Panthers opened the year with two heart
pulsing wins. Jake Delane came off the bench to spark
a fourth quarter comeback in Week one, fires for.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Prowling the end zone.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
He got it, touchdown, touchdown, rocket roll.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
In Week two, Carolina blocked three kicks in an overtime
road win against defending champion Tampa Bay.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
While they've blocked two field goals, can they block an
extra point? Romatica ready tups, a holder, snap.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Kick, fourth quarter comebacks and bone crushing defense would become
hallmarks of the season. But there was a storm brewing
in the backfield.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Stephen Davis is the thunder part of it.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
David Stretchers for the end zone touchdown.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Smoke we call smoked. Sean Foster was the light pitch to.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Foster trying to turn the Fireside gets over Hoover, bounce
us off the tackle, still keeps the legs turning, and
Tis Tortiana touchdown.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
Such different dudes. You know, Deshaun was really young.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
He's in his second year.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Foster was a guy out of UCLA that was a
taller slimmer, built back, and we didn't know what he
was gonna be. But once we saw him carry the
ball in training camp in O three, we knew he
was physical, he was tough. We knew a California guy.
He brought that type of edge.
Speaker 6 (01:24):
I just could never figure out Stephen like I don't
think I ever saw him with waits. You take his
shirt off, and it was I mean, he didn't look bad,
but it was not impressive, and he didn't seem real fast.
But he would set you up as a blocker like
nobody I ever blocked. For ending it off to Stephen
Davis is a great play. Why Washington let him go?
I'll never have any idea.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Fires for throwing the ends up, big God, touchdown, big hole,
down the sideline. He's gone, and the Panthers are gonna
pull another one out.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
Of their head.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Tis Towarzienza touchdown, Buyers over the medal?
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Is that intercepting? Yes, it is up, it is gone.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Panthers of won in it over times head the forty
five to the forty.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
I thought it's right, honey, ten fine touchdown, Yes, Charlotte,
there is a super Bowl and we're in it.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Cardiac Stephen Davis had spent the first seven years of
his NFL career with Washington. From nineteen ninety nine to
two thousand and one, he was one of the most
productive running backs in the NFL, but in two thousand
(02:33):
and two, Steve Spurrier took over his Washington's head coach.
Spurrier's pass happy approach turned Davis into an afterthought. Panthers
radio analyst Eugene Robinson.
Speaker 7 (02:46):
Everybody knew how good a running he was. Everybody knew
he's a big man. It was a track guy, and
everybody knew that this dude could run the rock. Alloh, like,
have you've got Adrian Peterson or this guy was the guy.
And he was also a gy that was looking for
that team to go ahead and shine because I think
there was maybe a little bad blood, like, hey, okay,
(03:06):
I'm a proved to you that I'm the real real deal.
And boy did he ever do that.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Washington released the two time All Pro in February of
two thousand and three. Less than three weeks later, Davis,
a spartanburg A, South Carolina native, signed with Carolina. It
gave head coach John Fox the makings of a Championship backfield.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Well, I'd seen him a bunch when he was in
Washington because I came as a defensive coordinator into the
New York Giants, so I kind of knew what he wrought.
He was a big, physical back, a good teammate, and
I think he brought a whole heck of a lot.
Speaker 5 (03:44):
You know, in that locker room.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Davis flourished in his first season as a Panther. He
opened the two thousand and three campaign with four straight
one hundred yard games.
Speaker 6 (03:55):
Texas.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Stephen Davis running right, half back, left to the forty
Davis still going running right again. Nice turn fifteen, Davis
going to the forty five at Jacksonville. Stephen Davis, who
else trying to turn it outside and he's got room
to wash. Stephen Davis big hole left side to the
thirty to the thirty five. Drop play to Stephen Davis
finds a hole on the left side of the forty
five and pulls his way forward first down at midfield,
(04:16):
hits the line of scrim at, breaks outside. Davis still
turning the legs and out of bounds at the Tampa
Bay thirty one yard line.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
And I like it.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Carolina hosted Atlanta in the panthers third game of the season.
The Falcons were without their star quarterback Michael Vick, and
in this one, the Panthers didn't need to be cardiac.
Handing off to Stephen Davis was enough.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Davis outside depteen to the twenty down the near sideline,
Stephen Davis thirty and finally puts out of rounds with
the forty yard line.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Stephen Davis back to the ball game.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
He's got the ball up the middle, big hole forty
still turning hand off Davis looking for a hole up
the middle past forty thirty five. It's a sprints on
the sideline twenty Davis to the ten and it'll be
person goal at the eight yard line.
Speaker 8 (05:02):
Hey us with the football.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Hey walters into the ends off nobody touched down, touchdown.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Carolina a twenty point home win against the Falcons also
gave the Panthers their first extended look at rookie running
back to Shaun Foster.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Here's Deshaun Foster cover up the ball. Breck's a tackle
at the forty down.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
That air sideline goes to.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Shaun Foster and out of bounds at the twenty six
yard line. Of Atlanta.
Speaker 7 (05:30):
They better read the scot reports. Deshaun Foster is exceptionally fast,
exceptionally fast.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Head coach John Fox.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
We drafted Sean Foster in the second round, so we
had a good one two punch at running back, which
I felt like you needed, you know, to sustain a
good running game, you know, through a full NFL season.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Panthers radio analyst Eugene Robinson.
Speaker 7 (05:51):
Deshaun Foster has this ability to stay on his feet.
You could hit him boom boom, but he stays on
his feet. He has incredible ballot. If they let this
cat eat, I'm seeing the air parent of Stephen Davis
right now, mister sauf Boston.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
A three and oh Carolina team would host the New
Orleans in Week five. For quarterback Jake Delome, facing his
old team brought emotions to the surface.
Speaker 6 (06:19):
It was awful. I always slept well the night before
a game, even the night before the Super Bowl, just
I've always slept great. I didn't sleep a wink that night.
I wanted to beat them so bad, and emotion just
everything about it. One is a division game, but two
is just like you know, screw y'all. Y'all didn't give
me a chance, we're gonna beat And that was just
(06:41):
and that's not healthy, that's not good. But yeah, it
was an very emotional game, I know for me and
a couple of times during the game, you know, calling
plays in the huddle Stephen Davis, who's a country boy
from Spartanburg, South Carolina, and they used to tease Stephen
and I about our accents.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
But he understood me fine well.
Speaker 6 (07:00):
When Stephen Davis looked at me in the huddle and said,
hey boy, shut up and slow down. I can't.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
I can't of the stay what you're saying. That's what
I knew.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Man.
Speaker 6 (07:09):
I might be I might be a little too hyped up,
but yeah, that was It was great to win at home.
Rod Smart of the infamous He Hated Me, had a
kickoff return.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
He hate me?
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Rod Smart at the goal line, he's coming out with
a ten minute, twenty.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Big hole thirty?
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Can he get by Berger Dawes down the timeline He's
gone forty erdy No, it's gonna catch him.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
He hate me?
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Who I Love you? Touchdown Panther Delane didn't have to
do much against the Saints. The Panthers ran it forty times,
thirty of those carries went to Stephen Davis.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Davis cut back, Bud got the first down. Take the lights,
turning hand off, Stephen Davis up the middle, forty, big hold,
forty five and Davis to midfield. You're Stephen Davis again.
Up the middle, big hole, forty, Davis to the thirty five.
Is it Stephen Davis time again? I formation David, here's
the tailback. He's got the ball, right side, burls his
way in touchdown.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
Panthers.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Now that drive was all Steven Davis.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Carolina cruised to a nineteen thirteen win. The Panthers were
four to oh and headed for a heavyweight showdown former
Panthers play by play announcer Bill Razinski.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
The game that stood out to me that proved that
this team wasn't a bloke was Indianapolis.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
The Colts were five and oh. Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning
was twenty seven years old, in his prime and in
the midst of his first MVP season for Mike Rucker
and the Panthers defense, a daunting challenge awaited in India.
Speaker 5 (08:51):
That team was a very good team. As you start
to see them just peel off their Hall of Famers
and so going up there, I mean it was one
of the louder places to play at and so being
on their home turf man he's he Peyton Manning himself
is hard to play, especially as a defensive lineman, because
he'll come up to the line and take his time,
use up all that play clock, and so you don't
(09:15):
want to be on your you know, in your three
point stance for like the whole play clock. So you'll
come out and kind of be lack a daisical, maybe
get on a knee and just kind of get ready.
And as soon as you do that, bam, quick count, right,
and then as soon as you get down there, and
then you start hanging out because you think it's quick count,
he takes the whole play clock, and so he just
mentally messing with you physically and mentally the whole time.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Once again, with twenty on the play clock, the Cults
are at the line of scrimmage, and this will be
the way Peyton Manning runs things all afternoon.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Carolina fell into an early hole, trailing thirteen to three.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
At halftime, Williams are on a back play action factor
Williams back to throw his Manning down the.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Middle of the field.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Harrison's hying off and oh founded by Mike Mitner at
the one yard line. Manning hands off Mung for a
ride half.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
The metal touchdown. But the game turned when Peyton Manning
was bested by his namesake.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Pump fake little scran picked off.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
That's intercepted by Ricky Manning. Rookie Ricky Manning's interception of
Peyton Manning swung the pendulum to the Panthers. Carolina reeled
off seventeen unanswered to take the lead.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Here Stephen Davis trying to turn the right side cut
back left Davis twenty still going fifteen ten sideline five
to the pylon.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Did he get it in touchdown?
Speaker 8 (10:40):
Panthers.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Here's the lung setting up to throw floats it down
failed for Steve Smith. He's open at the thirty near
sideline twenty. That's my a tackler takes it to the
egg zone touchdown.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Though Carolina lad entering the fourth quarter, running back Stephen
Davis had left the game with an injury, and in
the final minute, Indy had a chance to top.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
The Colts have gone from deep in their own territory
to the Carolina twenty five inside a minute to go
Panthers by seven.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Bill.
Speaker 7 (11:09):
All we need is one plate. All we need is
one plate.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Well, let's get at manning pumps fires all wide open, caught,
touch down, touch down to Reggie Wayne.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
There wasn't anybody coastalm. With Stephen Davis sidelined, rookie de
Sean Foster shouldered the burden. In overtime, Foster and Hoover
in the backfield.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Pitches Foster trying to turn it outside right, cuts back
to the left, pass the first down to the forty
still going, keeps the legs.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Heays up to the forty four yard line.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
What a great second and third effort by Deshaun Foster.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
And if you have Panthers can't get.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Five, six, seven more yards, they can be in John
Casey range.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Hand off.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Foster looking for a hole outside in vig trouble, but
does turn the corner to the forty down sideline and
then he skipped out of bounds. Oh my goodness, Oh
my goodness, good that man is defintely a caddy.
Speaker 7 (12:06):
There was afinitely no way to go.
Speaker 9 (12:08):
You should have lost five yards of that one.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
In the biggest game of his young pro career, Foster
delivered rushing for eighty five yards and giving kicker John
Casey a chance to win it.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
And John Casey's gonna try and win this one in overtime.
This will be uh let We'll call it forty eight yards.
Forty eight yard field goal right in the middle between
the hash marks. Ser Brunt will hold. The crowd will
tell you whether it's good or not. Jason Kyle will
snap for the win. Good snap kicked by Casey's on
(12:43):
the way. Oh up up and God, it's God, and
the Panthers are pulling out and overtime John Casey from
forty eight yards out and the Panthers are still undefeated.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I remember coming back from that game thinking of my so, man,
we're five and zero. Are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (13:02):
That was the game where I think even the team said,
you know, we might have something special here.
Speaker 8 (13:08):
Inside the locker room, we were starting to believe we
really were. It's just people want to paint the narrative
and use of what that team's going to be, and
when you're not dominating week in and week out, they
don't really respect your record. You got to prove it
each and every week. If you're going to win close games,
you better string together some wins in a row and
a lot of people five is good, but that wasn't
(13:29):
enough to show that the Panthers were a team to
be reckoned with. In two thousand and three.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
We kept knocking off these juggernauts, you know what I mean.
Speaker 6 (13:35):
It was the Bucks, it was Peyton Manny, it was overtime,
and like, well, let's get it to overtime.
Speaker 9 (13:40):
We'll win this one and head on out of here.
Speaker 6 (13:42):
We had a super early buy too. That year is
like week three, I think, so at that point we
were six weeks into the season already. It was kind
of like, man, this thing's a piece of ke.
Speaker 9 (13:52):
The history lesson was John Fox and that group inherited
a one in fifteen team, drafted Julius Pepper's got to
having in nine again. A lot of that led by defense.
So when they start five and zher even though it's
close games, you're thinking, this is the progression or on
the speed right here of improvement from being the worst
team in the league.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
To where you thought, okay, this this could be something
special brewing here. The Panthers had come through the tempest
of one in fifteen. Their quarterback was a testament to perseverance.
They were unfazed by any fourth quarter deficit and had
beaten Tampa Bay and Indianapolis on the road. This was
a team that could handle adversity, But for John Fox's squad,
(14:34):
now came the hard part in life.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
You're either dealing with adversity. You know, a lot of
people deal with adversity and now you deal with It's important,
but sometimes dealing with prosperity is more difficult. You know,
you start, you know, getting a little wax. You're starting
to listen to what people are saying on the outside.
So you know, part of being a championship football team
is dealing with prosperity, and sometimes that can be harder
(14:58):
than
Speaker 1 (14:58):
University, a lesson the Panthers would soon learn
Previously on cardiac two seasons, removed from a one to
fifteen campaign. The Panthers opened the year with two heart
pulsing wins. Jake Delane came off the bench to spark
a fourth quarter comeback in Week one, fires for.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Prowling the end zone.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
He got it, touchdown, touchdown, rocket roll.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
In Week two, Carolina blocked three kicks in an overtime
road win against defending champion Tampa Bay.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
While they've blocked two field goals, can they block an
extra point? Romatica ready tups, a holder, snap.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Kick, fourth quarter comebacks and bone crushing defense would become
hallmarks of the season. But there was a storm brewing
in the backfield.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Stephen Davis is the thunder part of it.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
David Stretchers for the end zone touchdown.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Smoke we call smoked. Sean Foster was the light pitch to.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Foster trying to turn the Fireside gets over Hoover, bounce
us off the tackle, still keeps the legs turning, and
Tis Tortiana touchdown.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
Such different dudes. You know, Deshaun was really young.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
He's in his second year.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Foster was a guy out of UCLA that was a
taller slimmer, built back, and we didn't know what he
was gonna be. But once we saw him carry the
ball in training camp in O three, we knew he
was physical, he was tough. We knew a California guy.
He brought that type of edge.
Speaker 6 (01:24):
I just could never figure out Stephen like I don't
think I ever saw him with waits. You take his
shirt off, and it was I mean, he didn't look bad,
but it was not impressive, and he didn't seem real fast.
But he would set you up as a blocker like
nobody I ever blocked. For ending it off to Stephen
Davis is a great play. Why Washington let him go?
I'll never have any idea.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Fires for throwing the ends up, big God, touchdown, big hole,
down the sideline. He's gone, and the Panthers are gonna
pull another one out.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
Of their head.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Tis Towarzienza touchdown, Buyers over the medal?
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Is that intercepting? Yes, it is up, it is gone.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Panthers of won in it over times head the forty
five to the forty.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
I thought it's right, honey, ten fine touchdown, Yes, Charlotte,
there is a super Bowl and we're in it.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Cardiac Stephen Davis had spent the first seven years of
his NFL career with Washington. From nineteen ninety nine to
two thousand and one, he was one of the most
productive running backs in the NFL, but in two thousand
(02:33):
and two, Steve Spurrier took over his Washington's head coach.
Spurrier's pass happy approach turned Davis into an afterthought. Panthers
radio analyst Eugene Robinson.
Speaker 7 (02:46):
Everybody knew how good a running he was. Everybody knew
he's a big man. It was a track guy, and
everybody knew that this dude could run the rock. Alloh, like,
have you've got Adrian Peterson or this guy was the guy.
And he was also a gy that was looking for
that team to go ahead and shine because I think
there was maybe a little bad blood, like, hey, okay,
(03:06):
I'm a proved to you that I'm the real real deal.
And boy did he ever do that.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Washington released the two time All Pro in February of
two thousand and three. Less than three weeks later, Davis,
a spartanburg A, South Carolina native, signed with Carolina. It
gave head coach John Fox the makings of a Championship backfield.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Well, I'd seen him a bunch when he was in
Washington because I came as a defensive coordinator into the
New York Giants, so I kind of knew what he wrought.
He was a big, physical back, a good teammate, and
I think he brought a whole heck of a lot.
Speaker 5 (03:44):
You know, in that locker room.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Davis flourished in his first season as a Panther. He
opened the two thousand and three campaign with four straight
one hundred yard games.
Speaker 6 (03:55):
Texas.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Stephen Davis running right, half back, left to the forty
Davis still going running right again. Nice turn fifteen, Davis
going to the forty five at Jacksonville. Stephen Davis, who
else trying to turn it outside and he's got room
to wash. Stephen Davis big hole left side to the
thirty to the thirty five. Drop play to Stephen Davis
finds a hole on the left side of the forty
five and pulls his way forward first down at midfield,
(04:16):
hits the line of scrim at, breaks outside. Davis still
turning the legs and out of bounds at the Tampa
Bay thirty one yard line.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
And I like it.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Carolina hosted Atlanta in the panthers third game of the season.
The Falcons were without their star quarterback Michael Vick, and
in this one, the Panthers didn't need to be cardiac.
Handing off to Stephen Davis was enough.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Davis outside depteen to the twenty down the near sideline,
Stephen Davis thirty and finally puts out of rounds with
the forty yard line.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Stephen Davis back to the ball game.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
He's got the ball up the middle, big hole forty
still turning hand off Davis looking for a hole up
the middle past forty thirty five. It's a sprints on
the sideline twenty Davis to the ten and it'll be
person goal at the eight yard line.
Speaker 8 (05:02):
Hey us with the football.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Hey walters into the ends off nobody touched down, touchdown.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Carolina a twenty point home win against the Falcons also
gave the Panthers their first extended look at rookie running
back to Shaun Foster.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Here's Deshaun Foster cover up the ball. Breck's a tackle
at the forty down.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
That air sideline goes to.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Shaun Foster and out of bounds at the twenty six
yard line. Of Atlanta.
Speaker 7 (05:30):
They better read the scot reports. Deshaun Foster is exceptionally fast,
exceptionally fast.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Head coach John Fox.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
We drafted Sean Foster in the second round, so we
had a good one two punch at running back, which
I felt like you needed, you know, to sustain a
good running game, you know, through a full NFL season.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Panthers radio analyst Eugene Robinson.
Speaker 7 (05:51):
Deshaun Foster has this ability to stay on his feet.
You could hit him boom boom, but he stays on
his feet. He has incredible ballot. If they let this
cat eat, I'm seeing the air parent of Stephen Davis
right now, mister sauf Boston.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
A three and oh Carolina team would host the New
Orleans in Week five. For quarterback Jake Delome, facing his
old team brought emotions to the surface.
Speaker 6 (06:19):
It was awful. I always slept well the night before
a game, even the night before the Super Bowl, just
I've always slept great. I didn't sleep a wink that night.
I wanted to beat them so bad, and emotion just
everything about it. One is a division game, but two
is just like you know, screw y'all. Y'all didn't give
me a chance, we're gonna beat And that was just
(06:41):
and that's not healthy, that's not good. But yeah, it
was an very emotional game, I know for me and
a couple of times during the game, you know, calling
plays in the huddle Stephen Davis, who's a country boy
from Spartanburg, South Carolina, and they used to tease Stephen
and I about our accents.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
But he understood me fine well.
Speaker 6 (07:00):
When Stephen Davis looked at me in the huddle and said,
hey boy, shut up and slow down. I can't.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
I can't of the stay what you're saying. That's what
I knew.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Man.
Speaker 6 (07:09):
I might be I might be a little too hyped up,
but yeah, that was It was great to win at home.
Rod Smart of the infamous He Hated Me, had a
kickoff return.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
He hate me?
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Rod Smart at the goal line, he's coming out with
a ten minute, twenty.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Big hole thirty?
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Can he get by Berger Dawes down the timeline He's
gone forty erdy No, it's gonna catch him.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
He hate me?
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Who I Love you? Touchdown Panther Delane didn't have to
do much against the Saints. The Panthers ran it forty times,
thirty of those carries went to Stephen Davis.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Davis cut back, Bud got the first down. Take the lights,
turning hand off, Stephen Davis up the middle, forty, big hold,
forty five and Davis to midfield. You're Stephen Davis again.
Up the middle, big hole, forty, Davis to the thirty five.
Is it Stephen Davis time again? I formation David, here's
the tailback. He's got the ball, right side, burls his
way in touchdown.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
Panthers.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Now that drive was all Steven Davis.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Carolina cruised to a nineteen thirteen win. The Panthers were
four to oh and headed for a heavyweight showdown former
Panthers play by play announcer Bill Razinski.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
The game that stood out to me that proved that
this team wasn't a bloke was Indianapolis.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
The Colts were five and oh. Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning
was twenty seven years old, in his prime and in
the midst of his first MVP season for Mike Rucker
and the Panthers defense, a daunting challenge awaited in India.
Speaker 5 (08:51):
That team was a very good team. As you start
to see them just peel off their Hall of Famers
and so going up there, I mean it was one
of the louder places to play at and so being
on their home turf man he's he Peyton Manning himself
is hard to play, especially as a defensive lineman, because
he'll come up to the line and take his time,
use up all that play clock, and so you don't
(09:15):
want to be on your you know, in your three
point stance for like the whole play clock. So you'll
come out and kind of be lack a daisical, maybe
get on a knee and just kind of get ready.
And as soon as you do that, bam, quick count, right,
and then as soon as you get down there, and
then you start hanging out because you think it's quick count,
he takes the whole play clock, and so he just
mentally messing with you physically and mentally the whole time.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Once again, with twenty on the play clock, the Cults
are at the line of scrimmage, and this will be
the way Peyton Manning runs things all afternoon.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Carolina fell into an early hole, trailing thirteen to three.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
At halftime, Williams are on a back play action factor
Williams back to throw his Manning down the.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Middle of the field.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Harrison's hying off and oh founded by Mike Mitner at
the one yard line. Manning hands off Mung for a
ride half.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
The metal touchdown. But the game turned when Peyton Manning
was bested by his namesake.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Pump fake little scran picked off.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
That's intercepted by Ricky Manning. Rookie Ricky Manning's interception of
Peyton Manning swung the pendulum to the Panthers. Carolina reeled
off seventeen unanswered to take the lead.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Here Stephen Davis trying to turn the right side cut
back left Davis twenty still going fifteen ten sideline five
to the pylon.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Did he get it in touchdown?
Speaker 8 (10:40):
Panthers.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Here's the lung setting up to throw floats it down
failed for Steve Smith. He's open at the thirty near
sideline twenty. That's my a tackler takes it to the
egg zone touchdown.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Though Carolina lad entering the fourth quarter, running back Stephen
Davis had left the game with an injury, and in
the final minute, Indy had a chance to top.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
The Colts have gone from deep in their own territory
to the Carolina twenty five inside a minute to go
Panthers by seven.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Bill.
Speaker 7 (11:09):
All we need is one plate. All we need is
one plate.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Well, let's get at manning pumps fires all wide open, caught,
touch down, touch down to Reggie Wayne.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
There wasn't anybody coastalm. With Stephen Davis sidelined, rookie de
Sean Foster shouldered the burden. In overtime, Foster and Hoover
in the backfield.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Pitches Foster trying to turn it outside right, cuts back
to the left, pass the first down to the forty
still going, keeps the legs.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Heays up to the forty four yard line.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
What a great second and third effort by Deshaun Foster.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
And if you have Panthers can't get.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Five, six, seven more yards, they can be in John
Casey range.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Hand off.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Foster looking for a hole outside in vig trouble, but
does turn the corner to the forty down sideline and
then he skipped out of bounds. Oh my goodness, Oh
my goodness, good that man is defintely a caddy.
Speaker 7 (12:06):
There was afinitely no way to go.
Speaker 9 (12:08):
You should have lost five yards of that one.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
In the biggest game of his young pro career, Foster
delivered rushing for eighty five yards and giving kicker John
Casey a chance to win it.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
And John Casey's gonna try and win this one in overtime.
This will be uh let We'll call it forty eight yards.
Forty eight yard field goal right in the middle between
the hash marks. Ser Brunt will hold. The crowd will
tell you whether it's good or not. Jason Kyle will
snap for the win. Good snap kicked by Casey's on
(12:43):
the way. Oh up up and God, it's God, and
the Panthers are pulling out and overtime John Casey from
forty eight yards out and the Panthers are still undefeated.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I remember coming back from that game thinking of my so, man,
we're five and zero. Are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (13:02):
That was the game where I think even the team said,
you know, we might have something special here.
Speaker 8 (13:08):
Inside the locker room, we were starting to believe we
really were. It's just people want to paint the narrative
and use of what that team's going to be, and
when you're not dominating week in and week out, they
don't really respect your record. You got to prove it
each and every week. If you're going to win close games,
you better string together some wins in a row and
a lot of people five is good, but that wasn't
(13:29):
enough to show that the Panthers were a team to
be reckoned with. In two thousand and three.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
We kept knocking off these juggernauts, you know what I mean.
Speaker 6 (13:35):
It was the Bucks, it was Peyton Manny, it was overtime,
and like, well, let's get it to overtime.
Speaker 9 (13:40):
We'll win this one and head on out of here.
Speaker 6 (13:42):
We had a super early buy too. That year is
like week three, I think, so at that point we
were six weeks into the season already. It was kind
of like, man, this thing's a piece of ke.
Speaker 9 (13:52):
The history lesson was John Fox and that group inherited
a one in fifteen team, drafted Julius Pepper's got to
having in nine again. A lot of that led by defense.
So when they start five and zher even though it's
close games, you're thinking, this is the progression or on
the speed right here of improvement from being the worst
team in the league.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
To where you thought, okay, this this could be something
special brewing here. The Panthers had come through the tempest
of one in fifteen. Their quarterback was a testament to perseverance.
They were unfazed by any fourth quarter deficit and had
beaten Tampa Bay and Indianapolis on the road. This was
a team that could handle adversity, But for John Fox's squad,
(14:34):
now came the hard part in life.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
You're either dealing with adversity. You know, a lot of
people deal with adversity and now you deal with It's important,
but sometimes dealing with prosperity is more difficult. You know,
you start, you know, getting a little wax. You're starting
to listen to what people are saying on the outside.
So you know, part of being a championship football team
is dealing with prosperity, and sometimes that can be harder
(14:58):
than
Speaker 1 (14:58):
University, a lesson the Panthers would soon learn
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