2001 Growing Pains: A Panthers Franchise

[PeoplesChampGB]

Week Six Preview

--Sitting at 1-3, the Panthers have little room for error as they travel down to Tampa this week to take on the Bucs. The Panthers are hoping to get back into the division battle, and a win against the Bucs will provide them what they need to get into the playoff chase.

After getting gashed every week by the running game, the Panthers got some relief when it was announced that halfback Warrick Dunn will not be suiting up this Sunday because of injury. Instead, the Panthers are going to have to deal with backup Aaron Stecker. So far, Stecker has only ran for 122 yards on 55 carries, a 2.2 average.

What the Panthers do need to worry about is the receiving threats by the Bucs, lead by receiver Keyshawn Johnson. With the lack of running game, expect the Panthers corners to be tested early and often.

You would expect the Bucs defense to be dominant under Coach Tony Dungy, but they are still looking to resemble what they once were. Ranked 25th in the league in yards allowed, Warren Sapp and company are not making the plays that we are accustomed to seeing from them. Still, if the Panthers have any chance of victory, they are going to have to limit possessions and play field position.

Carolina Panthers Depth Chart - 2001
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	#83 Patrick Jeffers (77)	#82 Isaac Byrd (69)	#88 Karl Hankton (49)
TE	#85 Wesley Walls (86)	#80 Luther Broughton (48)	#86 Kris Mangum (46)
LT	#75 Todd Steussie (85)	#78 Jeno James (39)
LG	#69 Jeff Blackshear (71)	#63 Jamar Nesbit (61)
C	#60 Jeff Mitchell (78)	#67 Bryan Stoltenberg (59)
RG	#65 Kevin Donnalley (60)	#76 Leander Jordan (55)
RT	#70 Chris Terry (75)	#73 Melvin Tuten (54)
WR	#87 Muhsin Muhammad (88)	#81 Donald Hayes (75)	#15 Jim Turner (50)*
QB	#16 Chris Weinke (66)*	#1 Randall Cunningham (63)	#2 Dameyune Craig (41)
FB	#45 Brad Hoover (71)	#44 Chris Hetherington (68)
HB	#34 Richard Huntley (70)	#21 Tim Biakabutuka (77)	#22 Dee Brown (55)*
Base 4-3 Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	#97 Jason Peter (73)	#96 Jay Williams (62)
LDT	#94 Sean Gilbert (82)	#98 Alvin McKinley (67)
RDT	#99 Brentson Buckner (68)	#64 Larry Chester (57)
RDE	#93 Mike Rucker (65)	#92 Gillis Wilson (59)
WLB	#55 Dan Morgan (78)*	#52 Kory Minor
MLB	#57 Lester Towns (70)	#56 Jason Kyle (55)
SLB	#95 Dean Wells (70)	#53 Hannibal Navies (65)
CB	#37 Jimmy Hitchcock (74)	#31 Tony Booth (57)
SS	#30 Mike Minter (76)	#39 Damien Richardson (58)
FS	#41 Eugene Robinson (80)	#27 Deon Grant (72)	#29 Ray Green (54)
CB	#33 Doug Evans (73)	#46 Rashard Anderson (73)	#23 Reggie Brown (53)
Special Teams
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
K	#4 John Kasay (82)
P	#5 Todd Sauerbrun (72)

Tampa Bay Bucanneers Depth Chart - 2001
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	#81 Jacquez Green (78)	#86 Karl Williams (52)
TE	#83 Dave Moore (72)	#84 Sean McDermott (41)*
LT	#67 Kenyatta Walker (76)*	#69 Pete Pierson (61)
LG	#64 Randall McDaniel (88)	#76 Demarcus Curry (57)
C	#62 Jeff Christy (90)	#69 Pete Pierson (55)
RG	#62 Cosey Coleman (60)	#76 Demarcus Curry (56)
RT	#71 Jerry Wunsch (62)	#76 Demarcus Curry (62)
WR	#19 Keyshawn Johnson (91)	#85 Reidel Anthony (71)	#87 Frank Murphy (47)
QB	#14 Brad Johnson (83)	#10 Shaun King (73)	#12 Ryan Leaf (60)	#1 Joe Hamilton (56)
FB	#40 Mike Alstott (93)	#42 Jameel Cook (48)*
HB	#28 Warrick Dunn (16)	#22 Aaron Stecker (61)	#27 Rabih Abdullah (48)
Base 4-3 Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	#97 Simeon Rice (87)	#94 Steve White (67)	#95 John McLaughlin (54)
LDT	#99 Warren Sapp (99)	#98 James Cannida (66)
RDT	#92 Anthony McFarland (86)	#93 Ellis Wyms (55)*
RDE	#78 Marcus Jones (82)	#94 Steve White (66)
WLB	#53 Shelton Quarles (69)	#51 Al Singleton (66)
MLB	#59 Jamie Duncan (82)	#52 Nate Webster (60)*
SLB	#55 Derrick Brooks (97)	#54 Jude Waddy (65)
CB	#20 Ronde Barber (84)	#25 Brian Kelly (66)
SS	#47 John Lynch (98)	#46 David Gibson (59)	#36 Than Merril (58)*
FS	#34 Dexter Jackson (64)	#46 David Gibson (55)
CB	#21 Donnie Abraham (89)	#26 Dwight Smith (64)*
Special Teams
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
K	#7 Martin Grammatica (98)
P	#3 Mark Royals (72)

*-Denotes Rookie
RED-Denotes Injured

[PeoplesChampGB]

Tampa's Defense Stifles Panthers

—Apparently, the Tampa Bay Bucs didn't get the memo about how they are the 25th best defense in the league. On a sweltering day, Chris Weinke was intercepted five times and sacked four times as the Bucs devastated the Panthers 41-7.

Limiting the Panthers to a mere 152 yards, the Bucs had a field day against an offensive unit that couldn't muster hardly anything. Weinke looked confused often as the Bucs Tampa 2 locked down receiving threats while the defensive line repelled any running attack.

Bucs quarterback Brad Johnson had an easy day, completing 12/16 passes for 143 yards and wasn't sacked once. That was probably because runningbacks Aaron Stecker and Rabih Abdullah combined for over 200 yards of offense and four combined touchdowns. The longest run was a 63 yarder for a touchdown by Abdullah, who dodged three tackles on his way to the endzone. He also scored on a 13 yard run earlier in the game.

(Left) Receiver Muhsin Muhammad makes a sideline catch; (Right) Receiver Keyshawn Johnson beats Doug Evans for a catch.


(Left) Wesley Walls makes a leaping catch over Donnie Abraham; (Right) Weinke was harassed all game, suffering four sacks and five interceptions.


Safety John Lynch picks off Chris Weinke.

GAME LOG

Weather
Forecast: Fair
Wind: 4 mph
Temp: 88 degrees

Team               Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT      FINAL
Panthers            0    0    7    0    0          7
Buccaneers          7   10   10   14    0         41

Game Statistics:                 Panthers Buccaneers
First Downs                             9         18
Third Down Conversions                  6          3
Third Downs                            15          9
Third Down Percentage               40.0%      33.3%
Fourth Down Conversions                 0          0
Fourth Downs                            2          0
Fourth Down Percentage               0.0%       0.0%
Two Pt Conversions Made                 0          0
Two Pt Conversions Attempted            0          0
Two Pt Conversion Percentage         0.0%       0.0%
Offense Redzone Num                     1          6
Offense Redzone TDs                     0          3
Offense Redzone FGs                     0          2
Offense Redzone Percentage           0.0%      83.3%
Rushing Attempts                       18         41
Rushing Yards                          26        258
Rushing Average                       1.4        6.3
Rushing TDs                             0          4
Passing Yards                         126        143
Passing Completions                    13         13
Passing Attempts                       40         19
Completion Percentage               32.5%      68.4%
Passing Average                       3.1        7.5
Passing TDs                             0          0
Offensive Pass Interceptions            5          0
TOTAL OFFENSE                         152        401
Defensive Pass Interceptions            0          5
Punt Return Yards                       0         29
Kick Return Yards                     170         31
Punts                                   6          3
Punt Avg                             41.5       40.3
Fumbles                                 0          2
Fumbles Lost                            0          2
Penalties                               2          7
Penalty Yds                             6         99
Turnovers                               5          2
TIME OF POSSESSION                  19:01      28:59

Individual Stats: Buccaneers
PASSING                        CMP  ATT  YDS  PCT   YPA SACK   TD  INT LONG RATING
Brad Johnson                    12   16  143   75   8.9    0    0    0   22  101.8
Shaun King                       1    3    0   33   0.0    0    0    0    0   42.4

RUSHING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD  FUM
Aaron Stecker                   28  133   4.7   23    2    0
Rabih Abdullah                  10   90   9.0   63    2    1
Jameel Cook                      1   18  18.0   18    0    0
Mike Alstott                     2   17   8.5   12    0    0

RECEIVING                      REC  YDS   AVG LONG   TD DROP  YAC
Keyshawn Johnson                 2   34  17.0   22    0    0    0
Dave Moore                       3   33  11.0   14    0    1    1
Jacquez Green                    4   32   8.0   15    0    0   13
Reidel Anthony                   3   29   9.6   21    0    0    3
Karl Williams                    1   15  15.0   15    0    0    0

KICKING                        FGM  FGA  PCT FGSBLOCKED  XPA  XPM  PCT XPSBLOCKED KICKOFFS TOUCHBACKS
Martin Gramatica                 2    3   66          0    5    5  100          0        8          0

PUNTING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG BLOCKS IN20 TOUCHBACKS
Mark Royals                      3  121  40.3   51      0    0          0

KICK RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG   TD LONG
John Lynch                       1   31  31.0    0   31

PUNT RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD
John Lynch                       2   29  14.5   22    0

DEFENSE                        TOT LOSS SACK   FF FREC  YDS   TD  INT  RET   AVG DEFLECTIONS SAFETIES CTH ALLOW BIG HITS
Jamie Duncan                     5    2    0    0    0    0    0    1    5   5.0           0        0         1        0
Marcus Jones                     4    2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Derrick Brooks                   4    0    1    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           3        0         0        0
Brian Kelly                      4    0    0    0    0    0    0    1    9   9.0           1        0         1        0
Warren Sapp                      3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
John Lynch                       3    0    0    0    0    0    0    2   20  10.0           5        0         2        0
Shelton Quarles                  3    0    1    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0         0        0
Anthony McFarland                3    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Alshermond Singleton             2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Donnie Abraham                   2    0    0    0    0    0    1    1   55  55.0           2        0         0        0
Simeon Rice                      2    0    2    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0         0        0
David Gibson                     1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Ronde Barber                     1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         1        0
Dexter Jackson                   1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0         0        0
Jude Waddy                       1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Nate Webster                     1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0

BLOCKING                      PANCAKES SACKS ALLOWED
Randall McDaniel                    13             0
Jeff Christy                         7             0
Mike Alstott                         6             0
Kenyatta Walker                      4             0
Dave Moore                           4             0
Jerry Wunsch                         2             0
DeMarcus Curry                       2             0


Individual Stats: Panthers
PASSING                        CMP  ATT  YDS  PCT   YPA SACK   TD  INT LONG RATING
Chris Weinke                    13   40  170   32   4.2    4    0    5   29    7.3

RUSHING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD  FUM
Richard Huntley                 14   24   1.7    8    0    0
Chris Weinke                     1    2   2.0    2    0    0
Brad Hoover                      3    0   0.0    0    0    0

RECEIVING                      REC  YDS   AVG LONG   TD DROP  YAC
Wesley Walls                     3   73  24.3   29    0    1   15
Muhsin Muhammad                  4   38   9.5   17    0    2    4
Donald Hayes                     2   28  14.0   18    0    0    3
Patrick Jeffers                  1   12  12.0   12    0    0    0
Luther Broughton                 1   11  11.0   11    0    0    4
Tim Biakabutuka                  1    4   4.0    4    0    0    2
Brad Hoover                      1    4   4.0    4    0    0    3

KICKING                        FGM  FGA  PCT FGSBLOCKED  XPA  XPM  PCT XPSBLOCKED KICKOFFS TOUCHBACKS
Todd Sauerbrun                   0    0    0          0    0    0    0          0        1          0
John Kasay                       0    0    0          0    1    1  100          0        0          0

PUNTING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG BLOCKS IN20 TOUCHBACKS
Todd Sauerbrun                   6  249  41.5   44      0    1          1

KICK RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG   TD LONG
Muhsin Muhammad                  8  170  21.2    0   23

PUNT RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD
Muhsin Muhammad                  0    0   0.0    0    0

DEFENSE                        TOT LOSS SACK   FF FREC  YDS   TD  INT  RET   AVG DEFLECTIONS SAFETIES CTH ALLOW BIG HITS
Lester Towns                    16    2    0    1    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0         1        0
Dean Wells                       7    3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0         0        0
Dan Morgan                       6    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         1        0
Rashard Anderson                 6    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         3        0
Doug Evans                       5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         3        0
Eugene Robinson                  3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Jeff Blackshear                  2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Mike Rucker                      2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Jason Peter                      2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Sean Gilbert                     1    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Mike Minter                      1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Tony Booth                       1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Jeff Mitchell                    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Jay Williams                     1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        1
Jimmy Hitchcock                  1    0    0    0    1   85    1    0    0   0.0           0        0         3        0
Richard Huntley                  1    0    0    1    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0

BLOCKING                      PANCAKES SACKS ALLOWED
Muhsin Muhammad                      1             0
Chris Terry                          1             1
Jeff Blackshear                      0             1
Kevin Donnalley                      0             1

SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter
TB TD: D. Abraham 55 yard interception return (XP Good)-(6:38)
2nd Quarter
TB TD: R. Abdullah 13 yard run (XP Good)-(10:03)
TB FG: M. Gramatica 34 yards-(6:16)
3rd Quarter
TB FG: M. Gramatica 39 yards-(7:40)
TB TD: A. Stecker 12 yard run (XP Good)-(7:23)
CAR TD: J. Hitchcock 85 yard fumble return (XP Good)-(2:38)
4th Quarter
TB TD: A. Stecker 1 yard run (XP Good)-(9:35)
TB TD: R. Abdullah 63 yard run (XP Good)-(3:07)

[PeoplesChampGB]

Around the NFL

NFL Injury Report
Team	Player	Injury Note
WAS	WR Michael Westbrook	Upper Arm Fracture (Season)
BUF	WR Eric Moulds	Broken Wrist (9 Weeks)
WAS	CB Deion Sanders	Strained Achilles (3 Weeks)

[PeoplesChampGB]

The Embarrassing Panthers

--Let's face it. Right now the Panthers are terrible. In fact, I don't believe I have seen so much ineptness through five games in my lifetime. This team is poling at 37% fan support and attendance is sinking fast. Carolina is also on pace to set NFL records in futility. Let's review what is killing this team.

1) Lack of talent at quarterback.

Everyone knows it was a mistake to let Steve Beuerlein go. Sure, he had no mobility whatsoever but he did put up solid numbers even in his worst seasons with the Panthers. It's alright to want to go younger, but Seifert should have known who was behind Beuerlein wasn't going to take the Panthers anywhere. Jeff Lewis (who is no longer here) and Chris Weinke have turned out to not be the answer. And not everything falls on Weinke as I believe he has been set up to fail.

2) There is no running game.

The Panthers are only averaging 80 yards of rushing offense a game. It gets worse if you take out the lone 100 yard rushing day by Richard Hundley against Washington. Our runners cannot break any tackles and the offensive line has not been knocking guys out of the way. As of right now, the Panthers are dead last in pancake blocks.

3) The defense cannot stop the run.

Vince Lombardi said the best play is one the defense knows your calling and can't stop it. The Panthers know going in that teams are going to run all day on them and there is nothing they have been able to do about it. Every single starting rusher the Panthers have faced has gone over 100 yards. The Panthers cannot contain the edge because most of the rushing yardage is coming from tosses and off tackle runs.

4) Lack of pass rush.

The defensive line cannot generate a four man rush to save its life. The Panthers are only averaging a sack a game and their leading sacker is defensive end Jason Peter. The right side of the defensive line (Buckner and Rucker) is problematic, as they cannot get close to the opposing quarterback.

This week we take on Buffalo (2-4) in the Woe is Me Bowl. If we cannot beat the Bills, it is going to be a long journey through the rest of this season.

[PeoplesChampGB]

Week Seven Preview

--First one to six wins this week when the lowly Bills come to Charlotte to take on the lowly Panthers. Both teams are coming off of losses and any hopes of the postseason are dwindling more each week.

Rob Johnson is going to lead a Bills offense without the help of starting halfback Sammy Morris and standout wide receiver Eric Moulds. He needs to do better than he did last week in a 20-14 loss to the Jets. Johnson completed only 8/21 passes for just 63 yards.

Expect Johnson to utilize rookie halfback Travis Henry. The Panthers have not had a game without a 100 yard rusher, and Henry looks like he will have a field day with Carolina's defense.

Carolina Panthers Depth Chart - 2001
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	#83 Patrick Jeffers (77)	#82 Isaac Byrd (69)	#88 Karl Hankton (49)
TE	#85 Wesley Walls (86)	#80 Luther Broughton (48)	#86 Kris Mangum (46)
LT	#75 Todd Steussie (85)	#78 Jeno James (39)
LG	#69 Jeff Blackshear (71)	#63 Jamar Nesbit (61)
C	#60 Jeff Mitchell (78)	#67 Bryan Stoltenberg (59)
RG	#65 Kevin Donnalley (60)	#76 Leander Jordan (55)
RT	#70 Chris Terry (75)	#73 Melvin Tuten (54)
WR	#87 Muhsin Muhammad (88)	#81 Donald Hayes (75)	#15 Jim Turner (50)*
QB	#16 Chris Weinke (66)*	#1 Randall Cunningham (63)	#2 Dameyune Craig (41)
FB	#45 Brad Hoover (71)	#44 Chris Hetherington (68)
HB	#21 Tim Biakabutuka (77)	#34 Richard Huntley (70)	#22 Dee Brown (55)*
Base 4-3 Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	#97 Jason Peter (73)	#96 Jay Williams (62)
LDT	#94 Sean Gilbert (82)	#98 Alvin McKinley (67)
RDT	#99 Brentson Buckner (68)	#64 Larry Chester (57)
RDE	#93 Mike Rucker (65)	#92 Gillis Wilson (59)
WLB	#55 Dan Morgan (78)*	#52 Kory Minor
MLB	#57 Lester Towns (70)	#56 Jason Kyle (55)
SLB	#95 Dean Wells (70)	#53 Hannibal Navies (65)
CB	#37 Jimmy Hitchcock (74)	#31 Tony Booth (57)
SS	#30 Mike Minter (76)	#39 Damien Richardson (58)
FS	#41 Eugene Robinson (80)	#27 Deon Grant (72)	#29 Ray Green (54)
CB	#33 Doug Evans (73)	#46 Rashard Anderson (73)	#23 Reggie Brown (53)
Special Teams
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
K	#4 John Kasay (82)
P	#5 Todd Sauerbrun (72)

Buffalo Bills Depth Chart - 2001
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	#81 Peerless Price (70)	#83 Reggie Germany (52)*
TE	#85 Jay Riemersma (84)	#84 Bobby Collins (60)	#88 Sheldon Jackson (56)
LT	#70 John Fina (82)	#74 Marquess Sullivan (59)*
LG	#79 Ruben Brown (93)	#71 Corey Hulsey (57)*
C	#60 Jerry Ostroski (73)	#63 Bill Conaty (57)
RG	#76 Craig Heinburger (66)	#71 Corey Hulsey (60)*
RT	#77 Robert Hicks (72)	#71 Corey Hulsey (57)*
WR	#80 Eric Moulds (54)	#86 Jeremy McDaniel (66)	#89 Avion Black (50)
QB	#11 Rob Johnson (74)	#10 Alex Van Pelt (48)	#7 Pete Gonzalez (42)
FB	#37 Larry Centers (91)
HB	#33 Sammy Morris (21)	#25 Travis Henry (69)*	#38 Shawn Bryson (68)
Base 4-3 Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	#90 Phil Hansen (78)	#92 Aaron Schobel (64)*	#91 Shawn Price (41)
LDT	#93 Pat Williams (80)	#97 Leif Larson (59)
RDT	#98 Ron Edwards (68)*
RDE	#96 Erik Flowers (73)	#92 Aaron Schobel (66)*
WLB	#54 Corey Moore (64)	#55 Jay Foreman (63)
MLB	#56 Sam Cowart (93)	#51 Dashon Polk (56)	#50 Brandon Spoon (51)*
SLB	#50 Keith Newman (70)	#55 Jay Foreman (59)	#98 Kenyatta Wright (51)
CB	#26 Antoine Winfield (80)	#21 Chris Watson (69)
SS	#20 Henry Jones (83)	#45 Tony Driver (59)*
FS	#29 Keion Carpenter (74)	#22 Nate Clements (66)*	#28 Travares Tillman (59)
CB	#27 Ken Irvin (75)	#22 Nate Clements (74)*
Special Teams
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
K	#2 Steve Christie (71)
P	#5 Pat Pidgeon (67)*

*-Denotes Rookie
RED-Denotes Injured

[Bigsheen]

Man, rough go of things so far. I like giving Weinke the reigns and bringing in Cunningham but it might get to a point this year where Weinke can only play so poorly that it’s not worth letting him get worse.

Aside from that, the defense is seriously an eye sore right now. Just have to hope with the Bills’ injuries that you are able to get a few stops and put some points on the board this week.

Following!

[PeoplesChampGB]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bigsheen

Man, rough go of things so far. I like giving Weinke the reigns and bringing in Cunningham but it might get to a point this year where Weinke can only play so poorly that it’s not worth letting him get worse. Aside from that, the defense is seriously an eye sore right now. Just have to hope with the Bills’ injuries that you are able to get a few stops and put some points on the board this week. Following!

Definitely an eyesore. I have played Madden for over 20 years and this has to be the worst team I have ever played with. Can't wait for the offseason to get some upgrades (if anyone will sign with me). Thanks for the follow.

[PeoplesChampGB]

Injured Buffalo Still Tops Panthers

—It just doesn't matter who the Panthers play these days. Even with the Bills battling injuries among their receiver corps and in the backfield, the Bills offense had no problems dispatching the Panthers 45-14.

Led by quarterback Rob Johnson, who finished the game with three touchdown throws, the Bills converted 9/16 on third down and easily went down the field for touchdowns.

On the flipside, the Panthers couldn't get out of their own way. Though Chris Weinke looked better today with two touchdown throws, the running game still remains an eyesore. Coach George Seifert inserted Tim Biakabutuka back into the starting lineup but the results were futile. He ended the day with 17 yards on 12 carries.

(Left) Weinke is gobbled up by the Bills; (Right) Peerless Price makes a great sideline catch.


Muhsin Muhammad and Donald Hayes both caught passes over the Bills secondary.

GAME LOG

Weather
Forecast: Fair
Wind: 2 mph
Temp: 64 degrees

Team               Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT      FINAL
Bills               7   10    7   21    0         45
Panthers            0    7    0    7    0         14

Game Statistics:                    Bills   Panthers
First Downs                            25         11
Third Down Conversions                  9          5
Third Downs                            15         14
Third Down Percentage               60.0%      35.7%
Fourth Down Conversions                 1          0
Fourth Downs                            1          1
Fourth Down Percentage             100.0%       0.0%
Two Pt Conversions Made                 0          0
Two Pt Conversions Attempted            0          0
Two Pt Conversion Percentage         0.0%       0.0%
Offense Redzone Num                     6          0
Offense Redzone TDs                     4          0
Offense Redzone FGs                     1          0
Offense Redzone Percentage          83.3%       0.0%
Rushing Attempts                       44         14
Rushing Yards                         243         23
Rushing Average                       5.5        1.6
Rushing TDs                             1          0
Passing Yards                         196        235
Passing Completions                    16         19
Passing Attempts                       27         37
Completion Percentage               59.3%      51.4%
Passing Average                       7.3        6.4
Passing TDs                             3          2
Offensive Pass Interceptions            0          1
TOTAL OFFENSE                         439        258
Defensive Pass Interceptions            1          0
Punt Return Yards                       0          0
Kick Return Yards                     139        172
Punts                                   2          7
Punt Avg                             30.0       46.6
Fumbles                                 0          1
Fumbles Lost                            0          1
Penalties                               2          4
Penalty Yds                            10         29
Turnovers                               0          2
TIME OF POSSESSION                  29:37      18:23

Individual Stats: Panthers
PASSING                        CMP  ATT  YDS  PCT   YPA SACK   TD  INT LONG RATING
Chris Weinke                    19   37  273   51   7.3    7    2    1   31   82.3

RUSHING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD  FUM
Tim Biakabutuka                 12   17   1.4    5    0    0
Chris Weinke                     2    6   3.0    6    0    0

RECEIVING                      REC  YDS   AVG LONG   TD DROP  YAC
Wesley Walls                     5   72  14.3   31    1    0   23
Donald Hayes                     5   69  13.7   22    1    1   13
Muhsin Muhammad                  2   49  24.5   31    0    0    0
Tim Biakabutuka                  4   37   9.2   13    0    2   39
Patrick Jeffers                  2   27  13.5   17    0    0   13
Isaac Byrd                       1   19  19.0   19    0    0    4

KICKING                        FGM  FGA  PCT FGSBLOCKED  XPA  XPM  PCT XPSBLOCKED KICKOFFS TOUCHBACKS
Todd Sauerbrun                   0    0    0          0    0    0    0          0        3          0
John Kasay                       0    0    0          0    2    2  100          0        0          0

PUNTING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG BLOCKS IN20 TOUCHBACKS
Todd Sauerbrun                   7  326  46.5   56      0    1          1

KICK RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG   TD LONG
Eugene Robinson                  1   22  22.0    0   22
Muhsin Muhammad                  7  150  21.4    0   31

PUNT RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD
Muhsin Muhammad                  0    0   0.0    0    0
Eugene Robinson                  0    0   0.0    0    0

DEFENSE                        TOT LOSS SACK   FF FREC  YDS   TD  INT  RET   AVG DEFLECTIONS SAFETIES CTH ALLOW BIG HITS
Lester Towns                    15    2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         1        0
Eugene Robinson                  8    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Mike Minter                      8    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Mike Rucker                      5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Jimmy Hitchcock                  5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           2        0         8        0
Dan Morgan                       4    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         3        0
Jason Peter                      3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Brentson Buckner                 2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Doug Evans                       2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         1        0
Sean Gilbert                     1    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Deon Grant                       1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         1        0
Hannibal Navies                  1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Dean Wells                       1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Rashard Anderson                 1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         2        0
Jason Kyle                       1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0

BLOCKING                      PANCAKES SACKS ALLOWED
Todd Steussie                        2             0
Chris Terry                          2             3
Wesley Walls                         2             0
Brad Hoover                          1             0
Jeff Blackshear                      1             1
Kevin Donnalley                      0             2


Individual Stats: Bills
PASSING                        CMP  ATT  YDS  PCT   YPA SACK   TD  INT LONG RATING
Rob Johnson                     16   27  196   59   7.2    0    3    0   23  118.7

RUSHING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD  FUM
Travis Henry                    30  166   5.5   25    1    0
Shawn Bryson                    12   73   6.0   21    0    0
Larry Centers                    1    4   4.0    4    0    0
Jeremy McDaniel                  1    0   0.0    0    0    0

RECEIVING                      REC  YDS   AVG LONG   TD DROP  YAC
Peerless Price                   6   67  11.1   19    0    0    3
Jeremy McDaniel                  4   66  16.5   21    1    1   20
Jay Riemersma                    3   26   8.6   14    1    0   12
Bobby Collins                    1   23  23.0   23    0    0   13
Reggie Germany                   1   11  11.0   11    0    0    0
Sheldon Jackson                  1    3   3.0    3    1    0    0
Avion Black                      0    0   0.0    0    0    1    0

KICKING                        FGM  FGA  PCT FGSBLOCKED  XPA  XPM  PCT XPSBLOCKED KICKOFFS TOUCHBACKS
Steve Christie                   1    2   50          0    6    6  100          0        0          0
Pat Pidgeon                      0    0    0          0    0    0    0          0        8          0

PUNTING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG BLOCKS IN20 TOUCHBACKS
Pat Pidgeon                      2   60  30.0   38      0    0          1

KICK RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG   TD LONG
Larry Centers                    3  139  46.3    1   94

PUNT RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD
Larry Centers                    0    0   0.0    0    0

DEFENSE                        TOT LOSS SACK   FF FREC  YDS   TD  INT  RET   AVG DEFLECTIONS SAFETIES CTH ALLOW BIG HITS
Sam Cowart                       6    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0         0        0
Henry Jones                      6    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           2        0         0        0
Phil Hansen                      5    0    3    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Pat Williams                     5    0    1    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Ken Irvin                        4    0    1    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0         2        0
Antoine Winfield                 4    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0         0        0
Keith Newman                     3    0    1    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0         3        0
Ron Edwards                      2    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Nate Clements                    2    0    0    1    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           2        0         1        0
Corey Moore                      1    0    1    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Jay Foreman                      1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         2        0
Erik Flowers                     1    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Chris Watson                     1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         1        0
Bobby Collins                    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         0        0
Dashon Polk                      0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         1        0
Tony Driver                      0    0    0    0    0    0    1    1   60  60.0           1        0         0        0
Keion Carpenter                  0    0    0    0    1    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0         3        0

BLOCKING                      PANCAKES SACKS ALLOWED
Ruben Brown                         13             0
Robert Hicks                         7             0
Jay Riemersma                        4             0
Jerry Ostroski                       4             0
John Fina                            4             0
Sheldon Jackson                      2             0
Larry Centers                        1             0
Corey Hulsey                         1             0
Bobby Collins                        1             0

SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter
BUF TD: J. McDaniel 19 yard pass from R. Johnson (XP Good)-(4:00)
2nd Quarter
CAR TD: W. Walls 31 yard pass from C. Weinke (XP Good)-(11:24)
BUF FG: S. Christie 28 yards-(5:16)
BUF TD: S. Jackson 3 yard pass from R. Johnson (XP Good)-(0:35)
3rd Quarter
BUF TD: J. Riemersma 6 yard pass from R. Johnson (XP Good)-(0:53)
4th Quarter
BUF TD: T. Henry 13 yard run (XP Good)-(9:02)
BUF TD: T. Driver 60 yard INT return (XP Good)-(4:46)
CAR TD: D. Hayes 22 yard pass from C. Weinke (XP Good)-(2:19)
BUF TD: L. Centers 94 yard kick return (XP Good)-(2:06)