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February 1, 2004
READY, WILLING: Panthers, Patriots have capable backups waiting for chance to star in Super Bowl
By John Dell | JOURNAL REPORTER
It's no secret that the NFL's strict salary cap makes well-paid reserves a luxury most teams can't afford.
That leaves the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers with many key backups who are young players just waiting for a chance or aging veterans who, though no longer in their physical prime, have plenty of experience. Maybe today's Super Bowl will make one of them a star.
The Panthers don't have to look far to see how valuable a good backup can be.
DeShaun Foster, in his second NFL season, stepped in admirably for a banged-up Stephen Davis late in the year. And his short touchdown run, the first rushing touchdown of his career, in the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles is something fans will remember for a long time.
If Davis does get banged up again today, Foster is more than capable of coming in and playing at a high level. Foster ended the regular season with 429 yards on 113 carries and started two games when Davis was hurt. Also a valuable receiver out of the backfield, he added 26 catches for 207 yards and two touchdowns. In the playoffs, he has contributed 153 yards rushing and 26 receiving.
Foster said after the NFC Championship game that all he can do is stay ready.
"Coach does a real good job keeping the backs ready to go," Foster said, "whatever the situation is."
If quarterback Jake Delhomme goes down, veteran Rodney Peete, 37, would have to step in for the Panthers. Contrary to popular belief, Peete wasn't the quarterback at Southern California when O.J. Simpson was a running back there, but he is capable of replacing Delhomme.
Peete, a 15-year veteran, hasn't played since the first game of the season, and he could be a little rusty, but his presence gives the Panthers a clear advantage over the Patriots at the position.
Quarterback Tom Brady had another steady year in guiding the Patriots to 14 straight wins in the regular season, but his backup, Damon Huard, has thrown just one pass this season and didn't throw any in two games last season. A seven-year veteran, Huard has nine career touchdown passes against eight career interceptions.
The Patriots have a capable backup at running back, with Kevin Faulk in place behind Antowain Smith. But the Patriots like to use both backs. Smith rushed for 642 yards and three touchdowns in the regular season. Faulk, a better receiver out of the backfield, rushed for 638 yards, caught 48 passes and was used a lot on third-down situations.
The Panthers have several other valuable reserves on offense, including wide receivers Ricky Proehl and Kevin Dyson, who was injured most of the season. Proehl will see a lot of time on third-and-long plays, and Dyson is more than capable of making a big play if Muhsin Muhammad or Steve Smith goes down.
At tight end, Kris Mangum is listed as the starter, but Jermaine Wiggins has proven to be just as good. Wiggins started 11 games and made just eight catches but is one of the team's best blockers. Wiggins, Proehl and Dyson also have Super Bowl experience, and Wiggins played for the Patriots in the Super Bowl win two years ago.
The Patriots also have a key backup at wide receiver in Troy Brown, an 11-year veteran. Brown had just 40 catches this season, compared to 97 last season, and usually plays when the Pats go with three wide receivers. The other backup at receiver is Bethel Johnson, a rookie from Texas A&M. He had 16 catches for 209 yards and two touchdowns in the regular season and added nearly 900 yards in kick returns.
The Panthers have been solid all season on the defensive line, and the starters there - Mike Rucker, Julius Peppers, Brentson Buckner and Kris Jenkins - have stayed healthy. But there are some backups who have played at key times, most notably veterans Shane Burton (17 tackles) and Al Wallace (37 tackles, 2 interceptions).
In the secondary, Ricky Manning Jr., who had three interceptions against the Eagles, became a starter late in the season after playing primarily as a fifth defensive back. He has had four interceptions in the playoffs and now has seven for the season. Not bad for a rookie.
Elsewhere in the Panthers secondary, Dante Wesley, Travares Tillman and Colin Branch have seen little action this season because of the strong play of Mike Minter, Reggie Howard and Deon Grant.
The Patriots' defense has also been healthy for the most part, even though linebacker Tedy Bruschi was banged up in the playoffs. Their most capable backup at linebacker is Ted Johnson, a nine-year veteran who has been hurt most of the year but did play in eight games and had 21 tackles.
It's not unusual for backups to take on a starring role in the Super Bowl.
In the first Super Bowl, Max McGee of the Packers wasn't expected to play much after catching just four passes all season. But when Boyd Dowler got hurt, McGee was thrust into the game and made seven catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns as the Packers won 35-10.