|
|
January 19, 2004
Panthers flyin' high
Panthers in Super Bowl just two seasons after going 1-15; Eagles lose in NFC championship game third straight year
By Joe Menzer | JOURNAL REPORTER
The Carolina Panthers intercepted the Philadelphia Eagles' date with Super Bowl destiny last night, carving out a convincing 14-3 victory in the NFC championship game at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Panthers who are headed to Houston for Super Bowl XXXVIII, where they'll face the New England Patriots on Feb. 1 for the NFL championship. The Patriots beat the Indianapolis Colts 24-14 earlier yesterday to win the AFC title.
The Panthers won the right to represent the NFC in professional football's biggest game by pounding the favored Eagles into submission last night in front of a crowd of 65,158, knocking quarterback Donovan McNabb out of the game and riding a wave of four interceptions - including three by rookie Ricky Manning - to their first NFC championship.
Owner Jerry Richardson said that he was not as surprised about his team's success as outsiders may think, even though the Panthers are only two seasons removed from a 1-15 record that led to George Seifert's removal as head coach and the hiring of John Fox.
"Actually, I'm not shocked," Richardson said. "I want to thank John Fox and the coaching staff and a wonderful, wonderful group of players. I am thrilled about it and for all the people back in the Carolinas, particularly in Charlotte. You have shown our players a lot of love this week - and I hope you are going to continue to show it for a couple of more weeks. It's going to be fun."
A more business-like Fox added: "This has been a great run.... But we have one more test left."
The game began with questions lingering about the availability and effectiveness of running back Stephen Davis, Carolina's star running back, who suffered a quadriceps strain a week earlier during an NFC divisional playoff victory at St. Louis. But in the end, Davis played and McNabb, Philadelphia's undisputed star, was the one on the sideline nursing an injury.
"My leg was still hurting. But the trainers and our running backs coach (Jim Skipper) did a great job of getting me ready and telling me how I was going to be used," Davis said.
Davis started at running back and combined with DeShaun Foster to give the Panthers a potent one-two punch in the running game, with Davis usually operating when the Panthers placed two tight ends in the backfield to block for him. Davis ended up carrying 19 times for 76 yards, while Foster carried 14 times for 60 and one hard-earned touchdown when he broke at least three tackles to get into the end zone.
"It was a toss outside, and I just wanted to get in the end zone. You have to have the determination to get in there," Foster said .
Of course, Foster could not have made his big play without Manning first making his third big one of the night.
His third interception - and the most important - came on third-and-13 for Philadelphia from its own 33-yard line in the third quarter. Just as a McNabb pass reached the hands of wide receiver James Thrash, strong safety Mike Minter arrived to deliver a brutal hit that caused the ball to pop up into the air. Manning grabbed it and returned it 15 yards to the Eagles' 37.
Four plays later, cornerback Lito Sheppard of the Eagles was called for pass interference on a pass intended for wide receiver Steve Smith in the end zone. The ball was placed at the 1-yard line, and on the next play, Foster shook off repeated hits from Philadelphia defenders and kept his legs churning until he was in the end zone for a touchdown and a 14-3 Carolina lead.
Manning, meanwhile, became only the second player in franchise history to make three interceptions in a single game. The last time was free safety Deon Grant's three in a regular-season game at Minnesota on Sept. 22, 2002. That game, however, was a smaller stage than the one occupied by Manning last night.
"I was hoping to get at least one. I can't say I came in expecting to get three (interceptions), but I did come in expecting to win," Manning said. "We just kept attacking their receivers on the edges."
They kept attacking McNabb, too, and eventually drove him from the game.
McNabb first injured his ribs when he was sacked by defensive end Mike Rucker of the Panthers with 4:22 left in the second quarter. Linebacker Greg Favors came in at the end of the play and appeared to stumble over McNabb high as Rucker hit the quarterback low.
Although McNabb left the game for just one play, he was ineffective much of the rest of the way and eventually was knocked out of the game for good when safety Jarrod Cooper leveled him on a blitz on the next-to-last play of the third quarter.
"Donovan McNabb is a great football player," Fox said. "It was just a job well done by our defense against a great football player.... We've got a bunch of big, strong-willed guys on our team, and it showed tonight."
The Panthers won mostly because of Manning, the rest of their defense and their running game, as quarterback Jake Delhomme threw only 14 times and completed nine for 101 yards and one touchdown. They gained 155 yards rushing on 40 attempts.
The Panthers were clinging to a 7-3 lead early in the third quarter when Manning made his second interception. With the driving Eagles facing a third-and-6 situation from the Carolina 18-yard-line on their first possession of the second half, Manning stepped in front of wide receiver Todd Pinkston and intercepted McNabb's pass at the 16.
The two teams spent the first quarter and the early part of the second feeling each other out. Both offenses moved the ball, but ultimately the defenses stiffened, and neither team was able to score.
That changed when the Panthers put together an eight-play, 79-yard scoring drive that was capped by Delhomme's 24-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad for a 7-0 lead with 10:12 remaining before halftime. Muhammad made a nice comeback adjustment on a lame-duck throw by Delhomme, outwitting defenders Bobby Taylor and Brian Dawkins of the Eagles. Taylor, a cornerback, failed to turn back and locate the ball while Dawkins, the free safety who was playing behind Muhammad, slipped and fell down.
The Eagles cut the lead to 7-3 on a 41-yard field goal by place-kicker David Akers with 2:56 left in the second quarter. The Eagles were driving again toward the end of the half, but Manning intercepted a McNabb pass intended for Pinkston.
It was a harbinger of things to come, leading to a jubilant Carolina locker room. Fullback Brad Hoover seemed to speak for the consensus when he said: "We're going to the Super Bowl. It's crazy. It's just crazy. I don't think it's sunk in quite yet - but it's going to be a fun plane ride home."
• Joe Menzer can be reached at jmenzer@wsjournal.com