Smitty discusses Delhomme, season

[Kevin Greene]

Jake Delhomme didn't walk out of Bank of America Stadium alone Sunday.

Steve Smith walked with him.

Smith, Carolina's Pro Bowl wide receiver, defended both his quarterback and the team's season amid widespread criticism of the Panthers' stunning 33-13 loss to Arizona in Saturday night's home playoff game.

“I feel about Jake the same way I felt about Jake after the 2003 season,” Smith said, recalling the year Delhomme led the Panthers to the Super Bowl. “My opinion and my respect in my friend have not changed.”

As for the Panthers, Smith said the loss doesn't deter from what they accomplished during the regular season – a 12-4 record, NFC South championship and a first-round playoff bye.

“I personally think people are going to write this off and are going to say, `Ah, it was a waste,'” Smith said. “It's not the case.

“The loss didn't take away from who we were and what we did. People can write and say it did. Fans can have their opinion. But I would not trade in or forfeit any of the experiences we had in that locker room, and the joy we had on the field together, for one more week.

“There's only going to be one team in the end who's going to be happy, and we weren't that team.”

Other players and coach John Fox voiced strong support for Delhomme the morning after he threw a career-high five interceptions and fumbled once during arguably the worst performance of his NFL career.

“It doesn't shake my confidence in him,” said fullback Brad Hoover.

Said Fox of Delhomme: “He had a bad game. He didn't have a bad season. He's not a bad quarterback. It happens.”

Delhomme said he was startled by his performance.

“With the work I put in, I never anticipated in a million years that I'd go out and play like I did last night,” he said. “You ask yourself, `Was it worth all the film last week, all the studying?'

“You have those days, but you hope they're very few and far between.”

Delhomme said he received an encouraging text message from a Hall of Fame quarterback, whom he didn't identify.

“He's been through it,” said Delhomme. “He said it's all part of it. The sun comes up and you have to move on.”

But one-and-done wasn't what the Panthers had expected from their playoff experience.

“It's a harsh reality,” said linebacker Jon Beason. “It's amazing how one second you're on top of the world, the next second you're packing your stuff.

“It's a learning experience. There are some things we can do differently next time. We're a young team and we'll be back.”

Smitty offers some perspective. A lot of young players on this team, hopefully this painful loss will be a good lesson.

Didn't see it posted, hopefully I didn't miss it.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/panthers/story/467053.html

[xPUREBYBLOODx]

"Tell me if I am wrong...If anybody that is a Panther fan is not tired of this consistant underachieving team "the only thing with this coaching staff/gm that is consistant" I don't no what to tell you but STOP DRINKING THE KOOL-AID AND WAKE-UP". Carolina is not going anywhere with this regime. You could tell by the way Julius Peppers talked after the game the only way he wants to be here is a coaching/gm change and the rest of the players with-out saying it sure pretty much acted the same way. Personally I have NEVER liked Fox or Hurney.I am tired of being the NFL poster child for most mediocre and underachieving team...Turn up the heat!!!"

says it ALL!

[joemac]

Wait, you mean that we are not worse than the Lions, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse are not drawing nigh?

[CLTPanther]

This just in, Delhomme throws another int.

[ashehudson]

I'm sorry, but if Steve wants to be the amazing WR that he can be, he'll need to stop defending Jake. Picture this, a QB that can hit Smith in stride....

[engine9]

Yay, we're better than the Lions! :party:

[charlottenian]

for some reason these two are like glove in hand.... take one away from the other and they are just not that good

[dksmith17]

I am ashamed to be attributed to the same fanbase that can post comments like that about such a great quote by Smitty.

[ThPantherFan]

I'm addressing the Panthers and not one individual specifically. Am I disappointed because of the loss? Yes I am. However, I'm not disappointed in the Panthers. We could debate the issues all day long on why the loss happened. Ever how many huddlers there are, there is that many opinions on why. I have faith in the team and what it can do. Jake had a bad night as well as others. It does happen. It just happened at the wrong time. I still believe that this team is super bowl caliber. Could there have been some different coaching? I don't know, maybe, but I'm not a coach so I couldn't say what should have been done. I don't know all the facts. I have to trust the front office to do what they think is right. I stood with the Panthers during the 1-15 and will still be here cheering them next year. Super bowl, here we come!

[StepandFetch]

I am ashamed to be attributed to the same fanbase that can post comments like that about such a great quote by Smitty.

you aren't alone.

Everyone is zeroing in on Jake because he was the most obvious problem with the game. It is unfortunate, because, IMO, it is unfair and uninformed... The problem at QB is far from the most significant issue with the Panthers. The whole mess starts at the top-- coaching. Jake had the worst game of his career, and that game unfortunately happened in the most visible game- the playoffs.

Fire Jake, and you are asking for 7-9 all over again.

It sucks that Jake had a terrible game, but if the players still stand behind him him, and if the coaches still stand behind him him, then I, too, stand behind him.

Trgovac.. on the other hand...

[Woodcookedbbq]

Looks like all we can do is pray and hope Jake gets better.

Hopefully he'll dedicate the entire offseason to practice.

[StepandFetch]

If anyone would, it would be Jake.

[89=#1]

To the moron who say smith is not as good without jake..... what the *** are you talking about. Is he better with jake than say D. carr, v. teste, m. moore? yes, but this is all we have seen. Imagine that world class reciever with a quarterback that can hit him in stride and not make him wait on the deep ball.... its sick to know how good this guy can be, he is being held back. I mean do you people watch jake play and then watch say umm 20 of the other 32 QBs in the league their is no comparison his fundamentals are terrible and his constant pump fakes and immobility is so bad. *** all you "jake until he retires people". If we can find a better QB then bring them in its time to move on. Yes, Steve Smith is going to defend him they are friends and Steve smith is a great teammate, much better than the other "diva" recievers out their. So, with that said Jake is second on the list that needs go behing trgo. Saturday was no fluke bad performance for trgo. He has been consistently terrible for some time now.

[scpanther22]

lol acourse smith will defend jake..all jake does is throw to smith even when he is not open ..