Steve Smith thought he might be traded.

[panthers55]

And why would you pass when your turnover-prone QB had just thrown a very stupid pick six to tie up the game. He's pretty much the opposite of clutch at this point, so you let your more stable guys try to pull out the win.

Why did he pass to Smith on that drive then? Couldn't be because he saw something in the defense to exploit. First of all we ran because that was what we did all game not just on that drive and it was working. We only threw the ball 17 times all day. It isn't like we were throwing for 3 quarters and changed our philosophy because of the pick 6. We had just given them 14 points not just 7 and we needed to go roughly 40 yards for a field goal and run out the clock. You don't do that passing the ball. Again I am not saying that in that situation you don't try to go to what works which was running the ball and taking the pressure off Jake. I am simply saying that if we ran the ball and ended up in third and 8 or 10 we would have thrown the ball at that point in order to extend the drive. And that our philosophy is run the ball and wear down the defense so you can grind it out running in the fourth quarter.

I am simply saying the playcalling wasn't a function of being afraid to throw it. And Jake's picks last week will have no bearing on how much we throw this Sunday.

[jpniner]

Smith and any passing games needs an accurate QB, and a QB that can throw the long ball and be a threat to the defense with it. Delhomme is neither of those things, and for that reason should be a backup QB, period.

We got to get a franchise QB and soon, perfect draft coming up to do it. Make some sort of deal, attempt to keep Smith though. But if a Team would give up 2 first rounders for him....?