WithFantasy Footballseason ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.
Meet the ... Home of Smash and Dash. Why is that important? Because that's the nickname of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, one of the most prolific running back combinations in the NFL last year. Oh, yes, and in case you didn't see the Jake Delhomme Meltdown Party against the Arizona Cardinals in the playoffs last year, the running game is mildly important to the Panthers success.
You've got questions. I've got answers. If not, I'll make them up. Each Thursday at 1 p.m. EST, I answer your queries on all things related to the NFL. If you have a question, send it over to NFLMailbag@aol.com. Don't forget to include your name and location. Click here for the archives. Rock'n'roll.
I know that this feature is slated to run on Thursdays, thus making this a day late. The Thursday season opener threw things off this week, but the mailbag will be running every Thursday from here on out. I wasn't hung over and I didn't forget. OK, I was a little hung over. Anyways ...
Was it a good move for the Carolina Panthers to dump Brett Basanez, a QB who'd been with the team for some time, knew the offense, and was relatively young with some upside, and instead bring in Josh McCown, who very well may be a decent backup but shouldn't be starting in this league, whereas Basanez possibly could have one day been a starter? - SoulCitySigma1914, Greensboro, NC
Basanez did make a solid impression entering this year after two years mostly on the Panthers' practice squad, enough that a few teams gave him a look when the Panthers released him. That being said, the Panthers have a "project" quarterback that they like in Matt Moore, and they want to win now. Jake Delhomme is no sure thing, performance- or health-wise, so the Panthers probably wanted a backup with game experience who could come in if needed without disturbing too much. Basanez isn't that guy. Neither is Moore. Plus, I have to say, I've always liked McCown. Though four teams disagree. But what do they know? One of them was the Raiders ...
On Friday, the Dolphins sent quarterback Josh McCown to the Panthers, presumably to provide depth behind Jake Delhomme after Matt Moore suffered what looked to be a serious injury during the preseason finale against the Steelers (turns out, Moore will be okay and, like the rest of us, is day to day).
Prior to moving McCown, there was some speculation that Miami would either trade or release John Beck, the team's 2007 second-round pick. After all, Beck was drafted by the previous regime, and Bill Parcells himself had green-lighted the McCown signing, which included $2.5 million in up-front loot.
Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
Quarterback:Jake Delhomme is coming off Tommy John surgery so no one knows what to expect. At the end of 2006, some fans wanted someone new at quarterback. Before he was injured in 2007, he was off to a white-hot start. How he recovers will go a long way to a successful Panthers season. Matt Moore filled in nicely late last season and may be the team's future. Brett Basanez isn't ready for prime time. No more Vinny or Mr. Mittens. Heat Index: 5
Running backs: The Panthers have been looking for a Stephen Davis type back and may have found one in rookie Jonathan Stewart. He's the kind of bull coach John Fox likes to center his offense around. DeAngelo Williams will be more efficient as a change-of-pace back. Brad Hoover is back again as an effective fullback. Nick Goings is always around to back up anybody. Heat Index: 5
According to the Charlotte Observer -- who, unlike me, did some actual research into this matter -- the record still belongs to the Chicago Bears, who started five quarterbacks in 1984. (Jim McMahon, Steve Fuller, Rusty Lisch, Bob Avellini and Greg Landry.) In addition, Carolina is tied for second with five other teams this decade who have started four QBs in one season.
Plus, the Panthers weren't the first to have four starting QBs that all won at least one game. That honor goes to the 1998 New Orleans Saints. To add further insult, one of those QBs was Kerry Collins, who drank his way out of Charlotte a few years earlier.
So no, the Panthers didn't make any history this season, though they came close. Clearly, John Fox will be hoping his team doesn't come nearly as close to these records in 2008.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Moore was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for December. The last quarterback to be named offensive rookie of the month? Ben Roethlisberger. And the Steelers actually drafted him. Just sayin'.
Moore definitely deserved the award after going 2-1 as a starter against three playoff teams to close the season, completing 62% of his passes in those games and throwing three touchdowns to two interceptions. Perhaps the only reason Moore wasn't in there sooner was because the fans were calling for him. Some Panthers fans called for Chris Weinke in 2006, though perhaps not as vocally. It's hard to blame John Fox for tuning them out -- even if the fans were right this time.
The real question, though, is whether fans will ask for Moore again in 2008, when Jake Delhomme will presumably be healthy again. Despite playing only 10 1/2 quarters of football, Jake actually finished the season as the team leader in touchdown passes with 8. He was playing well enough in Jeff Davidson's offense to leave us all wondering what might have been. Maybe next year, fans won't be so quick to call for Jake to sit down.
Then again, Jake's never actually had a good backup behind him, has he?
Here's all you really need to know about this game -- Luke McCown and Matt Moore earned the right to keep their jobs in 2008.
Sure, they're still backups. Jeff Garcia will probably be the Buccaneers' starter until he can't walk anymore, and Jake Delhomme's elbow should be healthy again by the start of the Panthers' next training camp. If either of those guys gets hurt in 2008, though, McCown and Moore are ready, and they proved that today.
McCown arguably had the better day, completing 19 of 25 for 219 yards and 2 touchdowns until a late interception by Richard Marshall late in the 4th quarter. McCown found targets regularly and scrambled for first downs when nobody was open. He even finished the game as the Bucs' leading rusher, gaining 47 yards on 5 carries -- a rather scathing indictment of Michael Bennett. (15 carries, 39 yards)
Perhaps that was the big difference between McCown and Moore; Moore had help.
The one constant nearly all of the division leaders have had this year is the quarterback position. Guys like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Tony Romo and Brett Favre have started every game, and that's a big reason their teams are division winners.
Clearly, that lack of consistency at the primary offensive position is a big reason they're 6-9 and out of the playoff race. It doesn't help that once Delhomme and Brett Basanez ended up on injured reserve, Carolina's first choices at QB were 1.) really, really old and 2.) really, really bad.
This is why I'm still a little surprised that Marty Hurney will be back next season. He signed Carr, which proved to be a deplorable signing. A better backup for Jake might have helped. Regardless, Jerry Richardson is giving Hurney a pass for that. They better hope Jake stays healthy next season. Maybe a stronger offensive line and a starting running back that can actually do something would help with that.
Much has been said about John Fox's future as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers have had three winning seasons in their franchise's 13-year history; Fox helmed two of those teams including the one that went to and lost Super Bowl XXXVIII.
On the flip side, only ttwice has a Panthers team failed to win at least 7 games: 1998 and 2001. In both of those seasons, the Panthers elected to dump the head coach and look elsewhere.
In 1998, the Panthers went 4-12 and fired Dom Capers. Capers was the first head coach in franchise history and had led Carolina to the NFC Championship game in just their second season. He was replaced by George Seifert. Seifert was fired after the 2001 campaign after that team won their first game of the season ... then went on to lose the final 15 ones. Enter Fox.
Now, is this all a coincidence? Maybe. However, there have been four 7-9 seasons in franchise history and the coach has survived (including Fox twice). Fox could get a pass since Jake Delhomme (who was having a good start) missed most of the season with an arm injury. David Carr, unshockingly, stunk; 93-yr old Vinny Testerverde doesn't have the stamina to play every game and Matt Moore has never played.
At 6-8, I think if Fox wins at least one more game ... their final two games are against division winners Dallas and Tampa Bay ... he saves his job for at least one more season.
To those of you who have been calling me out on that whole drink-an-egg thing, yes, I promise I will get to that. First, though, I want to talk about next year, since that's all Panthers fans really have right now, and after watching Matt Moore yesterday, I had this thought:
Maybe, just maybe, the Carolina Panthers' quarterback situation in 2008 isn't all that unsettled.
Yes, Vinny Testaverde was an elderly stopgap, and David Carr must be cut, but consider this. The Panthers have two quarterbacks -- Jake Delhomme and Brett Basanez -- on injured reserve right now. Delhomme might have been on his way to his best season yet had he not gotten hurt. Basanez is still largely untested, but there must be a reason the coaching staff keeps him around.
Moore, meanwhile, sure looked capable of backing up Jake at this point. He's more game manager than gunslinger at this point, yes, but that and a solid run defense was enough to beat a division winner, wasn't it?
With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.
You've got questions. I've got answers. If not, I'll make them up. Each Thursday at 1 p.m. EST, I answer your queries on all things related to the NFL. If you have a question, send it over to 
Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, and to get you ready for 2008, 
It's correction time, folks.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Moore was 
The one constant nearly all of the division leaders have had this year is the quarterback position. Guys like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Tony Romo and Brett Favre have started every game, and that's a big reason their teams are division winners.
Much has been said about 
