The Cardiac Cats (Madden NFL 2004)

[superjames1992]

After playing some of my Yale Bulldogs dynasty recently, I was looking for another football game as a change of pace as some things about NCAA Football 07 really start to grate on me after a while (mainly, the impacts players and number of turnovers).

I decided to head back to one of my favorite Maddens, Madden NFL 2004. This game is somewhat special to me as it was my first Madden I ever owned on the Xbox (I had Madden NFL 2000 on the N64). It also starts in the 2003 season, which is a special season for my favorite NFL team: Carolina's first Super Bowl appearance. The title of this is a homage to that team, which was nicknamed the "Cardiac Cats" because of their tendency to play so many close games, and more often than not come out on the right side of them. Unfortunately, the Super Bowl was rather an exception to that rule as Adam Vinatieri won it with a walk-off 41-yard kick.

I have actually run a dynasty on Madden 2004 back some five or six years ago (LINK), but I ended up discontinuing it after getting too good at the game. I've found some better sliders now that I think should present more of a challenge. Unfortunately, I cannot pick up that old dynasty as my Xbox from 2018 bit the bullet and I don't have that file anymore.

[superjames1992]

Reserved...

[superjames1992]

Reserved....

[superjames1992]

Reserved.....

[superjames1992]

2003-2004 Carolina Panthers Roster



(Number / Name / Rating / Height / Weight / Experience)

OFFENSE

QB
17 Jake Delhomme (75) 6'2, 205, 4 Years
9 Rodney Peete (75) 6'0, 230, 13 Years
16 Chris Weinke (67) 6'4, 229, 2 Years

HB
48 Stephen Davis (87) 6'0, 230, 7 Years
42 Skip Hicks (71) 6'0, 230, 5 Years
20 DeShaun Foster (68) 6'0, 222, 1 Year
22 Dee Brown (66) 5'10, 209, 2 Years

FB
45 Brad Hoover (71) 6'2, 242, 3 Years
37 Nick Goings (62) 6'0, 225, 2 Years

Backfield notes: Jake Delhomme will get the nod over Rodney Peete at quarterback. Peete is 37 and will probably retire soon, so I don't see any reason to pass over Delhomme (and Delhomme was the historical starter after game 1, anyways). That being said, we may need to find another quarterback for future seasons as I don't expect Jake to be as good in the game as he was in real life over the ensuing seasons (not that he was ever a top-flight QB in real life, to be clear). Stephen Davis is a monster and will be fantastic this year for us. We should try to run the ball as much as possible. Brad Hoover is a solid fullback.

WR
87 Muhsin Muhammad (85) 6'2, 217, 7 Years
89 Steven Smith (80) 5'9, 179, 2 Years
85 Kevin Dyson (79) 6'1, 208, 5 Years (Injured Reserve, complete ACL tear)
81 Ricky Proehl (76) 6'0, 190, 13 Years
19 Walter Young (65) 6'4, 214, Rookie
88 Karl Hankton (61) 6'2, 202, 4 Years

TE
86 Kris Magnum (68) 6'4, 249, 5 Years
80 Keith Heinrich (62) 6'5, 255, 1 Year
84 Jermaine Wiggins (58) 6'2, 255, 3 Years

Receivers Notes: Muhammad is our top receiver, but Steven Smith has great speed and is young, so he should become our top receiver in the coming years. Kevin Dyson will be missed this year, but Ricky Proehl is a very good slot receiver, so we should be covered there well enough. Kris Magnum is a competent tight end, but nothing special.

LT
75 Todd Steussie (83) 6'6, 308, 9 Years

LG
79 Doug Brzezinski (79) 6'4, 305, 4 Years
76 Tutan Reyes (51) 6'3, 295, 3 Years

C
60 Jeff Mitchell (85) 6'4, 300, 6 Years
72 Bruce Nelson (70), 6'5, 301, Rookie
66 Louis Williams (57) 6'4, 291, 2 Years

RG
65 Kevin Donnalley (75) 6'5, 310, 12 Years
74 Derrick Fletcher (61) 6'6, 350, 3 Years

RT
69 Jordan Gross (77) 6'5, 306, Rookie
79 Melvin Tuten (73) 6'7, 320, 6 Years
78 Jeno James (66) 6'3, 310, 4 Years

Offensive Line Notes: Jeff Mitchell and Todd Streussie are pretty good, but aside from them our offensive line leaves some to be desired. Jordan Gross will get the nod at right tackle as a rookie and should develop into a top-level tackle in the coming years, however. We should probably try to find a replacement for Kevin Donnalley; he's not very good and is already in his 30s.

DEFENSE

LE
90 Julius Peppers (93) 6'6, 283, 1 Year
92 Kavika Pittman (74) 6'6, 273, 7 Years

RE
93 Mike Rucker (88) 6'5, 275, 4 Years
96 Al Wallace (62) 6'5, 258, 3 Years

DT
77 Kris Jenkins (93) 6'4, 315, 2 Years
99 Brentson Buckner (82) 6'2, 305, 9 Years
98 Shane Burton (73) 6'6, 305, 7 Years
92 Mario Fatafehi (56) 6'2, 305, 2 Years

Defensive Line Notes: This is the best unit on this team. Julius Peppers, Mike Rucker, and Kris Jenkins are some of the best defensive lineman in the NFL and will be a terror for opposing offensive lines to deal with.

LOLB
58 Mark Fields (85) 6'2, 244, 6 Years
53 Greg Favors (66) 6'1, 242, 5 Years

MLB
55 Dan Morgan (86) 6'2, 233, 2 Years
57 Lester Towns (62) 6'1, 252, 3 Years

ROLB
54 Will Witherspoon (77) 6'1, 231, 1 Year
52 Brian Allen (66) 6'1, 238, 2 Years

Linebackers Notes: This is another strong point for this team. Mark Fields and Dan Morgan are both very good. Right outside linebacker leaves a little to be desired, but Will Witherspoon is young and should continue to develop.

CB
21 Terry Cousin (77) 5'9, 181, 6 Years
23 Reggie Howard (74) 6'0, 190, 3 Years
34 Ricky Manning (69) 5'9, 185, Rookie
36 Brad Franklin (67) 5'9, 190, 1 Year
29 Dante Wesley (64) 6'0, 211, 1 Year

FS
27 Deon Grant (80) 6'2, 207, 3 Years
39 Damien Richardson (59) 6'1, 210, 5 Years

SS
30 Mike Minter (85) 5'10, 188, 6 Years
40 Jarrod Cooper (66) 6'0, 210, 2 Years

Secondary Notes: This is definitely the weak point of the defense. Mike Minter is a good strong safety and Deon Grant isn't a bad free safety, but our cornerbacks are frankly not very good. I wouldn't expect us to field a very good passing defense this year. Our best hope is to get a lot of pressure on the quarterback with our top-notch defensive line so that the pressure is taken off our subpar secondary.

SPECIALISTS

K
4 John Kasay (77) 5'10, 198, 12 Years

P
10 Todd Sauerbrun (98) 5'10, 204, 7 Years

Specialists Notes: John Kasay has solid accuracy, but lacks the power for deep kicks. Todd Sauerbrun was arguably the best punter in the NFL in 2002 and will be key to winning field position.

[superjames1992]

2003 Carolina Panthers Schedule



9/7 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
9/14 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9/21 vs. BYE
9/28 vs. Atlanta Falcons
10/5 vs. New Orleans Saints
10/12 at Indianapolis Colts
10/19 vs. Tennessee Titans
10/26 at New Orleans Saints
11/2 at Houston Texans
11/9 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
11/16 vs. Washington Redskins
11/23 at Dallas Cowboys
11/30 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
12/7 at Atlanta Falcons
12/14 at Arizona Cardinals
12/21 vs. Detroit Lions
12/28 at New York Giants

[dfsJunkie]

Re: The Cardiac Cats (Madden NFL 2004)

Scary d-line! Big Julius Peppers fan though. Fun roster.

[superjames1992]

Re: The Cardiac Cats (Madden NFL 2004)

Scary d-line! Big Julius Peppers fan though. Fun roster.

Yes! Just as in real life, the defensive line will be our defense's strength. We're a little weak at cornerback, but I think with our front seven and our safeties, we'll be okay. Our question mark is the offense, which I am not so confident about. Delhomme turned out to be a good quarterback in the mid-2000s in real life (albeit, a bit loose with the ball at times), but in this game he is very average, at best. Stephen Davis is a great running back, at least, but if we can't present a good passing attack, it may not matter. Steve Smith hasn't quite budded into the superstar he became in 2004, and given this is a videogame, that may never happen. So it'll be interesting.

[superjames1992]

Carolina Scores in Final Minute to Win Season-Opener


Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1) vs. Carolina Panthers (1-0)

CHARLOTTE, NC - The Carolina Panthers edged out a close victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a 28-25 win to open the 2003 season. The Panthers (1-0) used a strong passing offense as well as a strong red zone defense to secure the victory. Though the Jaguars (0-1) moved the ball into scoring position often, they were forced into six field goals against just one touchdown.

The game started with the Panthers taking an early lead in the first quarter, with Ricky Proehl catching a 15-yard pass from Jake Delhomme. The Jaguars, however, fought back in the second quarter, with J.J. Stokes making a significant contribution with a 31-yard reception from Mark Brunell. Despite their efforts, the Panthers maintained their lead, ending the half at 21-16.

In the third quarter, the Jaguars' kicker, Danny Boyd, kicked a 34-yard field goal, bringing the game to a narrow 21-19 in Carolina's favor going into the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter saw the Jaguars briefly taking the lead with two more field goals from Boyd, giving him a career-high six on the day. However, the Panthers reclaimed their advantage in the final minutes with their first score of the second half. Stephen Davis caught a 13-yard pass from Delhomme with 55 seconds left and the Carolina defense stood tall in the final minute, sealing their victory at 28-25.

Statistically, both teams performed fairly evenly. The Jaguars totaled 353 offensive yards, with Brunell throwing for 281 yards and a touchdown. On the Panthers' side, Delhomme passed for 277 yards and three touchdowns, though he also threw one interception. Backup quarterback Rodney Peete also tossed a nine-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter for Carolina when Delhomme had to miss a few plays due to a minor back injury. Stephen Davis was held in check for Carolina on the ground, rushing for only 21 yards on 18 carries, barely over a yard per attempt.

The critical statistic was red zone offense, where Carolina went four-for-four on scoring touchdowns inside the 20-yard line. In comparison, Jacksonville failed to score a touchdown on any of their red zone attempts, having to settle for a field goal on all three trips inside the 20-yard line. Jacksonville's only touchdown of the game came on a big 31-yard pass from Mark Brunell from outside the red zone.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Carolina Panthers
Sep 7, 2003	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)	0	16	3	6	25
Carolina Panthers (1-0)	7	14	0	7	28

Team Stats Comparison
	JAC	CAR
Total Offense	353	321
Rushing Yards	78	59
Passing Yards	275	262
First Downs	16	15
Punt Return Yards	9	10
Kick Return Yards	55	127
Total Yards	417	458
Turnovers	0	1
3rd Down Conversion	5-15	6-11
4th Down Conversion	1-2	1-2
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	3-0-3	4-4-0
Penalties	5-46	6-60
Posession Time	25:44	22:16

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		JAC	CAR
2:45	(CAR) R. Proehl, 15 yard pass from J. Delhomme	0	7
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		JAC	CAR
10:48	(JAC) J. Stokes, 31 yard pass from M. Brunell	7	7
6:44	(CAR) R. Proehl, 14 yard pass from J. Delhomme	7	14
3:13	(JAC) D. Boyd, 32 yard field goal	10	14
0:55	(JAC) D. Boyd, 22 yard field goal	13	14
0:25	(CAR) M. Muhammad, 9 yard pass from R. Peete	13	21
0:06	(JAC) D. Boyd, 51 yard field goal	16	21
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		JAC	CAR
5:33	(JAC) D. Boyd, 34 yard field goal	19	21
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		JAC	CAR
6:45	(JAC) D. Boyd, 51 yard field goal	22	21
4:00	(JAC) D. Boyd, 46 yard field goal	25	21
0:55	(CAR) S. Davis, 13 yard pass from J. Delhomme	25	28

Jacksonville Jaguars PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Mark Brunell 24/41 281 1 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Fred Taylor 23 77 3.3 0 LaBrandon Toefield 1 1 1.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Kyle Brady 7 85 12.1 0 J.J. Stokes 6 105 17.5 1 Donald Hayes 4 43 10.8 0 Fred Taylor 3 39 13.0 0 Chris Luzar 2 3 1.5 0 Marc Edwards 1 3 3.0 0 Jimmy Smith 1 3 3.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Danny Boyd 6/6 1/1 19 51 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Chris Hanson 3 121 40.3 1

Carolina Panthers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Jake Delhomme 23/35 277 3 1 Rodney Peete 1/1 9 1 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Stephen Davis 18 21 1.2 0 Jake Delhomme 2 29 14.5 0 Skip Hicks 2 8 4.0 0 Brad Hoover 1 1 1.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Ricky Proehl 6 71 11.8 2 Muhsin Muhammad 4 60 15.0 1 Stephen Davis 4 13 3.2 1 Steve Smith 3 58 19.3 0 Kris Mangum 3 43 14.3 0 Walter Young 1 20 20.0 0 Karl Hankton 1 13 13.0 0 Keith Heinrich 1 11 11.0 0 Brad Hoover 1 -3 -3.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG John Kasay 0/0 4/4 4 N/A PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Todd Sauerbrun 3 115 38.3 0

[superjames1992]

Tampa Bay Defense Dominates As Buccaneers Win 22-7 to Stay Atop NFC South


Carolina Panthers (1-1) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)

TAMPA, FL - The Super Bowl defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) dominated the Carolina Panthers (1-1) with a strong defensive performance to win 22-7.

The Buccaneers set the tone early in the game with Martin Gramatica kicking a 38-yard field goal in the first quarter. They extended their lead in the second quarter with Gramatica adding a 48-yard field goal and Brad Johnson connecting with Keyshawn Johnson for a spectacular 45-yard touchdown pass after Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme threw an interception in his own territory, setting the Buccaneers' offense up with a short field. Jake Delhomme eased the bleeding moments later, when he hooked up with Muhsin Muhammed for a 4-yard pass for a touchdown to cut the lead to 13-7, but Gramatica added another field goal before halftime to push the Buccaneers lead back to two scores at halftime, 16-7.

In the second half, the Tampa Bay defense stifled the Carolina offense, holding them scoreless. John Kasay had a chance to cut the Tampa Bay lead to 16-10 on the Panthers' opening drive of the second half, but his 49-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left. Tampa Bay kicker Martin Gramatica continued his exceptional performance, in contrast, adding two more short field goals in the fourth quarter after neither team found points in the third quarter, sealing the victory for Tampa Bay.

Offensively, the Buccaneers outperformed the Panthers with 333 offensive yards to Carolina's 266. Brad Johnson completed 24 of 31 passes for 289 yards, with one touchdown and one interception to lead the Buccaneers offense, which didn't find much success on the ground. Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman actually made his biggest impact in the passing game, where he caught four passes for 79 yards and led the Buccaneers in the receiving yards. Keyshawn Johnson also totaled four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown for Tampa Bay.

Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme struggled against Tampa Bay's defense, particularly in the second half, completing only 19 of 43 passes for 187 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.

Martin Gramatica's five field goals played a crucial role in Tampa Bay's victory. While the Carolina defense did a good job of keeping the Buccaneers out of the end zone, Gramatica's field goals added up.

The win today keeps Tampa Bay tied for first place at the top of the NFC South along with the Atlanta Falcons, who also won today to move to 2-0. Carolina, at 1-1, will look to lick their wounds during their bye week next week, before hosting the Falcons the week after.

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sep 14, 2003	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	OT	SCORE
Carolina Panthers (1-1)	0	7	0	0		7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)	3	13	0	6	22

Team Stats Comparison
	CAR	TAM
Total Offense	266	333
Rushing Yards	84	62
Passing Yards	182	271
First Downs	16	15
Punt Return Yards	0	15
Kick Return Yards	34	36
Total Yards	300	384
Turnovers	1	1
3rd Down Conversion	4-14	5-14
4th Down Conversion	1-3	0-0
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	1-1-0	3-0-3
Penalties	4-25	1-5
Posession Time	21:37	26:23

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		CAR	TAM
6:17	(TAM) M. Gramatica, 38 yard field goal	0	3
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		CAR	TAM
11:18	(TAM) M. Gramatica, 48 yard field goal	0	6
10:24	(TAM) K. Johnson, 45 yard pass from B. Johnson	0	13
4:43	(CAR) M. Muhammad, 4 yard pass from J. Delhomme	7	13
1:14	(TAM) M. Gramatica, 30 yard field goal	7	16
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		CAR	TAM
10:14	(TAM) M. Gramatica, 24 yard field goal	7	19
1:58	(TAM) M. Gramatica, 25 yard field goal	7	22

Carolina Panthers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Jake Delhomme 19/43 187 1 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Stephen Davis 15 72 4.8 0 Skip Hicks 3 4 1.3 0 Jake Delhomme 2 8 4.0 0 Brad Hoover 1 0 0.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Muhsin Mohammad 6 103 17.2 1 Stephen Davis 4 21 5.3 0 Kris Mangum 3 17 5.7 0 Ricky Proehl 2 27 13.5 0 Steve Smith 2 5 2.5 0 Skip Hicks 1 8 8.0 0 Brad Hoover 1 6 6.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG John Kasay 0/1 1/1 1 N/A PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Todd Sauerbrun 5 191 38.2 0

Tampa Bay Buccaneers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Brad Johnson 24/31 289 1 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Michael Pittman 24 64 2.7 0 Brad Johnson 2 -2 -1.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Ken Dilger 5 53 10.6 0 Michael Pittman 4 79 19.7 0 Keyshawn Johnson 4 76 19.0 1 Mike Alstott 4 17 4.3 0 Keenan McCardell 3 30 10.0 0 Joe Jurevicius 3 18 6.0 0 Charles Lee 1 16 16.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Martin Gramatica 5/5 1/1 16 48 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Tom Tupa 3 90 30.0 0

[superjames1992]

Michael Vick, Peerless Price Lead Falcons to Win Over Carolina


Atlanta Falcons (3-1) vs. Carolina Panthers (1-2)

CHARLOTTE, NC - The Atlanta Falcons (3-1) secured a narrow victory over the Carolina Panthers (1-2) with a 24-21 win today as they attempt to keep pace with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South.

The Falcons opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 45-yard field goal by Jay Feely. The Panthers responded in the second quarter with an 8-yard touchdown run by Stephen Davis, taking a brief lead. However, the Falcons quickly regained control with a 3-yard touchdown run by T.J. Duckett and a 31-yard touchdown pass from Michael Vick to Peerless Price, ending the first half with a 17-7 lead.

The Panthers narrowed the gap in the third quarter with another impressive 16-yard touchdown run by Davis, but the Falcons extended their lead once again on their next drive when Peerless Price got open again deep, setting up a 74-yard touchdown catch from Michael Vick, making the score 24-14. The Panthers fought back in the fourth quarter with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Jake Delhomme to Davis, but it was too little, too late.

The Carolina defense did a good job at containing Michael Vick in the running game, but he made them pay for it in the passing game, throwing for 262 yards and two touchdowns. Peerless Price was a big reason why as the lightning quick receiver caught two deep touchdown passes and garnered six receptions for 159 yards overall. Brian Finneran also made a big impact in the passing game with 68 yards on four catches.

Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme threw for 259 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Carolina kicker John Kasay missed both of his field goal attempts, one from 49 yards and the other from 38 yards, especially important in light of the three-point margin of defeat. Kasay is now 0-for-3 on field goals this season, despite making all eight of his extra point attempts.

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers
Sep 28, 2003	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Atlanta Falcons (3-1)	3	14	7	0	24
Carolina Panthers (1-2)	0	7	7	7	21

Team Stats Comparison
	ATL	CAR
Total Offense	302	356
Rushing Yards	53	105
Passing Yards	249	251
First Downs	9	19
Punt Return Yards	1	0
Kick Return Yards	22	98
Total Yards	325	454
Turnovers	0	1
3rd Down Conversion	6-13	9-17
4th Down Conversion	0-0	1-1
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2-1-1	4-3-0
Penalties	3-22	4-47
Posession Time	20:42	27:18

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		ATL	CAR
2:34	(ATL) J. Feely, 45 yard field goal	3	0
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		ATL	CAR
11:23	(CAR) S. Davis, 8 yard run	3	7
6:22	(ATL) T. Duckett, 3 yard run	10	7
0:14	(ATL) P. Price, 31 yard pass from M. Vick	17	7
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		ATL	CAR
6:33	(CAR) S. Davis, 16 yard run	17	14
5:43	(ATL) P. Price, 74 yard pass from M. Vick	24	14
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		ATL	CAR
0:26	(CAR) S. Davis, 4 yard pass from J. Delhomme	24	21

Atlanta Falcons PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Michael Vick 14/22 262 2 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD T.J. Duckett 21 54 2.6 1 George Layne 1 -1 -1.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Peerless Price 6 159 26.5 2 Brian Finneran 4 68 17.0 0 George Layne 2 16 8.0 0 Alge Crumpler 1 17 17.0 0 T.J. Duckett 1 2 2.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Jay Feely 1/1 3/3 6 45 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Chris Mohr 6 219 36.5 2

Carolina Panthers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Jake Delhomme 32/44 259 1 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Stephen Davis 22 86 3.9 2 Skip Hicks 3 4 1.3 0 J. Delhomme 1 15 15.0 0 Brad Hoover 1 0 0.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Ricky Proehl 7 60 8.6 0 Stephen Davis 7 17 2.4 1 Kris Mangum 6 43 7.2 0 Muhsin Muhammad 4 74 18.5 0 Walter Young 4 49 12.3 0 Karl Hankton 1 11 11.0 0 Keith Heinrich 1 6 6.0 0 Brad Hoover 1 1 1.0 0 Steve Smith 1 -2 -2.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG John Kasay 0/2 3/3 3 N/A PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Todd Sauerbrun 3 133 44.3 1

[superjames1992]

Saints Pick Up First Win of Season at Carolina


New Orleans Saints (1-4) vs. Carolina Panthers (1-3)

CHARLOTTE, NC - The New Orleans Saints (1-4) delivered a dominant performance against the Carolina Panthers (1-3) for a 37-6 win, their first of the season after four consecutive losses to start the season.

Carolina, who have now lost three straight, and New Orleans traded field goals in the first half, and the game went to halftime tied at 6-6. The second half would be a very different story, however.

The Saints took control in the second half, starting with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Brooks to Jerome Pathon in the third quarter. Shortly after, Brooks found Ernie Conwell for a 34-yard touchdown, extending their lead to 20-6. The fourth quarter saw the Saints extend, with Deuce McAllister rushing for a 1-yard touchdown and Carney adding another field goal. The game was sealed with Fred Thomas's 47-yard interception return for a touchdown, bringing the final score to 37-6.

After being tied at halftime, the Saints blanked Carolina in the second half 31-0.

New Orleans' defense, which was one of the worst defenses in the NFL statistically coming into today's game, completely dominated the Carolina offense. Not only were the Panthers held to just 179 yards of total offense, but they were also forced into five turnovers, a season-worst.

Jake Delhomme threw four interceptions, three of them coming in the fourth quarter as the Carolina melted down late. He also completed just 16 of 39 pass attempts.

Aaron Brooks, on the other hand, had a great game quarterbacking the Saints. Brooks passed for 212 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He also ran for 23 yards, including two successful scrambles on third-and-longs.

Donte Stallworth led the Saints in receiving with four catches for 72 yards, but Jerome Pathon and Ernie Conwell each caught touchdowns from Brooks.

Next, Carolina will travel to Indianapolis, IN to take on Peyton Manning and the Colts.

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
Oct 5, 2003	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
New Orleans Saints (1-4)	3	3	14	17	37
Carolina Panthers (1-3)	0	6	0	0	6

Team Stats Comparison
	NOR	CAR
Total Offense	293	179
Rushing Yards	82	77
Passing Yards	211	102
First Downs	13	11
Punt Return Yards	6	24
Kick Return Yards	41	146
Total Yards	340	349
Turnovers	2	5
3rd Down Conversion	5-13	3-15
4th Down Conversion	0-0	0-2
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2-2-0	2-0-2
Penalties	1-5	1-15
Posession Time	27:14	20:46

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		NOR	CAR
3:44	(NOR) J. Carney, 42 yard field goal	3	0
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		NOR	CAR
7:25	(CAR) J. Kasay, 34 yard field goal	3	3
4:04	(NOR) J. Carney, 49 yard field goal	6	3
0:49	(CAR) J. Kasay, 29 yard field goal	6	6
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		NOR	CAR
5:10	(NOR) J. Pathon, 21 yard pass from A. Brooks	13	6
3:06	(NOR) E. Conwell, 34 yard pass from A. Brooks	20	6
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		NOR	CAR
5:17	(NOR) D. McAllister, 1 yard run	27	6
1:57	(NOR) J. Carney, 45 yard field goal	30	6
1:12	(NOR) F. Thomas, 47 yard interception return	37	6

New Orleans Saints PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Aaron Brooks 18/26 212 2 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Deuce McAllister 25 57 2.3 1 Aaron Brooks 3 23 7.7 0 Curtis Keato 2 2 1.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Jerome Pathon 5 54 10.8 1 Donte Stallworth 4 72 18.0 0 Ernie Conwell 3 51 17.0 1 Joe Horn 3 26 8.7 0 Michael Lewis 2 13 6.5 0 Deuce McAllister 1 -4 -4.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG John Carney 3/3 4/4 13 49 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Mitch Berger 4 156 39.0 1

Carolina Panthers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Jake Delhomme 16/39 114 0 4 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Stephen Davis 19 56 2.9 0 Jake Delhomme 2 17 8.5 0 DeShaun Foster 1 4 4.0 0 Brad Hoover 1 0 0.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Stephen Davis 6 0 0.0 0 Muhsin Muhammad 3 28 9.3 0 Keith Heinrich 2 33 16.5 0 Steve Smith 2 12 6.0 0 Kris Mangum 1 25 25.0 0 Karl Hankton 1 12 12.0 0 Ricky Proehl 1 4 4.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG John Kasay 2/2 0/0 6 34 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Todd Sauerbrun 6 227 37.8 1

[superjames1992]

NFL STANDINGS - AS OF WEEK 5 2003

NFL Standings - Updated: Oct 7, 2003
NFC EAST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Dallas Cowboys	2	2	0	67	77
Washington Redskins	2	3	0	112	118
New York Giants	1	3	0	83	76
Philadelphia Eagles	1	3	0	82	104
NFC NORTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Chicago Bears	2	2	0	78	81
Green Bay Packers	2	2	1	136	110
Detroit Lions	2	3	0	73	94
Minnesota Vikings	1	4	0	55	112
NFC SOUTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	4	0	0	114	55
Atlanta Falcons	4	1	0	126	83
Carolina Panthers	1	3	0	62	108
New Orleans Saints	1	4	0	116	133
NFC WEST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Seattle Seahawks	3	1	0	108	85
San Francisco 49ers	3	2	0	122	87
St. Louis Rams	2	2	0	101	82
Arizona Cardinals	2	2	1	99	110
AFC EAST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Miami Dolphins	4	0	0	82	53
Buffalo Bills	3	2	0	107	101
New York Jets	2	2	0	70	68
New England Patriots	2	3	0	79	104
AFC NORTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Pittsburgh Steelers	5	0	0	142	76
Baltimore Ravens	2	2	0	70	64
Cleveland Browns	1	4	0	72	132
Cincinnati Bengals	0	5	0	77	100
AFC SOUTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Indianapolis Colts	3	2	0	144	109
Houston Texans	2	2	0	84	103
Jacksonville Jaguars	2	3	0	119	112
Tennessee Titans	2	3	0	100	131
AFC WEST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Oakland Raiders	5	0	0	143	64
Kansas City Chiefs	4	1	0	106	94
Denver Broncos	3	2	0	88	90
San Diego Chargers	0	5	0	79	170

[superjames1992]

Re: The Cardiac Cats (Madden NFL 2004)

I've had Covid recently, so I've had plenty of time available to play, hence updates may be pretty frequent for a bit.

[superjames1992]

Idrees Bashir Picks Off Jake Delhomme in Waning Seconds, Colts Beats Carolina 19-13


Carolina Panthers (1-4) vs. Indianapolis Colts (4-2)

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Idrees Bashir intercepted Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme with 28 seconds left, ending the Panthers' comeback hopes as Indianapolis held on to win at home 19-13.

The Panthers (1-4) led at halftime 10-6, and had a chance to take a 16-13 lead in the fourth quarter, but John Kasay erred on a 44-yard field goal attempt, his fourth miss in seven attempts this season.

Instead, moments later, Indianapolis Colts (4-2) kicker Mike Vanderjagt kicked a long field goal through the uprights to give his team a 16-13 lead. Then, after Carolina went four-and-out on their ensuing possession, he kicked through another, giving the Colts a 19-13 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the game.

Jake Delhomme, who had had an up-and-down game, but hadn't turned the football over after throwing four picks last week at home against New Orleans, led a great drive down the field, and the Panthers reached the Indianapolis 31-yard line with 40 seconds remaining. Unfortunately for him and his team, from there things spiraled out of control.

The Colts' defensive line got pressure on Delhomme on a blitz up the middle, and Delhomme rolled out to his left. About to get sacked, Delhomme unloaded a pass towards the sideline in an attempt to throw it away, but his pass didn't quite make it to the sideline, and Idrees Bashir ended the game with an interception.

"It hurts to lose like that," said Delhomme about his last-minute interception. "I've let my team down with two many turnovers this year, and that's just another in a long list. I've got to do better."

Delhomme has thrown an interception in every one of Carolina's five games this season, and has eight interceptions overall.

Delhomme threw for 198 yards, one touchdown, and one interception for Carolina, but it was Stephen Davis who had a breakout performance. The veteran tailback had his best game this season with 117 yards rushing, frequently keeping Carolina drives alive with consistent running between the tackles and beyond, keeping Peyton Manning off the field.

Manning still had a decent outing, throwing for 218 yards, but he didn't throw any touchdown passes, nor did he turn the ball over, either. Indianapolis only scored one touchdown, a short run by Edgerrin James in the third quarter. James rushed for 41 yards on 13 carries.

Carolina, now losers of four straight games, will host the Tennessee Titans next Sunday.

Carolina Panthers at Indianapolis Colts
Oct 12, 2003	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Carolina Panthers (1-4)	3	7	3	0	13
Indianapolis Colts (4-2)	3	3	7	6	19

Team Stats Comparison
	CAR	IND
Total Offense	325	255
Rushing Yards	135	43
Passing Yards	190	212
First Downs	18	17
Punt Return Yards	0	16
Kick Return Yards	69	64
Total Yards	394	335
Turnovers	1	1
3rd Down Conversion	7-16	3-10
4th Down Conversion	2-3	0-0
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2-1-1	2-1-1
Penalties	3-21	0-0
Posession Time	26:25	21:35

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		CAR	IND
7:46	(IND) M. Vanderjagt, 48 yard field goal	0	3
2:57	(CAR) J. Kasay, 20 yard field goal	3	3
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		CAR	IND
6:36	(IND) M. Vanderjagt, 20 yard field goal	3	6
1:57	(CAR) M. Muhammad, 9 yard pass from J. Delhomme	10	6
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		CAR	IND
2:58	(IND) E. James, 1 yard run	10	13
0:11	(CAR) J. Kasay, 42 yard field goal	13	13
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		CAR	IND
2:54	(IND) M. Vanderjagt, 52 yard field goal	13	16
1:28	(IND) M. Vanderjagt, 47 yard field goal	13	19

Carolina Panthers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Jake Delhomme 16/32 198 1 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Stephen Davis 29 117 4.0 0 Skip Hicks 4 11 2.7 0 Jake Delhomme 1 7 7.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Kris Mangum 4 65 16.2 0 Muhsin Muhammad 4 40 10.0 1 Skip Hicks 2 47 23.5 0 Karl Hankton 2 17 8.5 0 Walter Young 1 12 12.0 0 Steve Smith 1 9 9.0 0 Stephen Davis 1 5 5.0 0 Keith Heinrich 1 3 3.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG John Kasay 2/3 1/1 5 42 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Todd Sauerbrun 4 122 30.5 1

Indianapolis Colts PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Peyton Manning 22/34 218 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Edgerrin James 13 41 3.2 1 Detron Smith 1 3 3.0 0 Peyton Manning 1 -1 -1.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Marcus Pollard 7 79 11.3 0 Reggie Wayne 7 67 9.6 0 Marvin Harrison 5 49 9.8 0 Brandon Stokley 2 24 12.0 0 Edgerrin James 1 -1 -1.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Mike Vanderjagt 4/4 1/1 13 52 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Hunter Smith 3 116 38.7 1