subject: Carolina Panthers Tickets- Panthers Defeats Redskins 20-17 [print this page] Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme, who entered the game with 15 turnovers (8 interceptions, 7 fumbles), helped the Panthers rally past the Washington Redskins 20-17. Get Carolina Panthers tickets and see Delhomme throw a TD pass. Delhomme said everything that could have gone wrong in the first month of the season has gone wrong for his team. The quarterback continued to say he'll take any win he can get. Carolina (1-3) registered the game's final 18 points. Running back Jonathan Stewart carried the ball for an 8-yard TD with 9:21 left of the game for the go-ahead touchdown. Carolina scored the touchdown after a fumbled punt gave them the ball at the Washington 12-yard line. Washington (2-3) was up 17-12 when they forced a punt with 10 minutes left of the game.
Carolina's Quinton Teal blocked Washington's Byron Westbrook into returner Antwaan Randle El, which was ruled a legal play because Randle El had moved forward due to a short punt. The ball went off Westbrook's foot and Carolina's Dante Wesley jumped onto the ball. The ref initially awarded the ball to the Skins, but after the officials determined the ball hit Westbrook, they gave the ball to the Panthers. The Skins challenged the call, but the ref upheld the decision made on the field. Two plays later, Stewart scored and the Panthers had their first lead. Delhomme then hooked up with Steve Smith on a two-point conversion. Carolina's defense, led by Thomas Davis and Julius Peppers, then forced a punt. Delhomme and the Panthers faced third-and-eight from their 25 with two minutes left.
The quarterback faked a handoff to Stewart before he ran a bootleg and picked up the first down. As Delhomme rolled out, he was greeted by Washington's DeAngelo Hall, but the quarterback stiff-armed him and was able to get a fresh pair of downs. Delhomme pumped his fist after the play, and then he took a knee to run out the clock. He went 16-of-25 for 181 yards. Although Delhomme has thrown only three TDs, the Panthers feel the victory against the Skins could jumpstart a turnaround with games against Tampa Bay and Buffalo in the next two weeks. Washington saw their 17-2 lead quickly disappear because they had two drives that amounted to only 14 yards.
Early in the game, Carolina's DeAngelo Williams fumbled the ball from the line of scrimmage and Skins' Albert Haynesworth recovered. Two plays later, Washington quarterback Jason Campbell hit Clinton Portis with a 10-yard TD pass to put the Skins up 7-0. Hall later picked off Delhomme and jetted 45 yards to the Panthers one. Portis rushed a one-yard TD for his first running score this season. Carolina's Kenny Moore then returned the kickoff 55 yards, which set up Delhomme's 17-yard pass to Jeff King to cut the lead 17-9. Portis was stuffed in his end zone by Peppers and Davis for a safety. Those were the Panthers' only first-half points. Campbell was sacked five times. After the game he said, "We lost to Detroit on the road. We come here and lose to Carolina. This one stings more."
