From the Press Box: Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals

The fourth quarter began with a near pick of Kurt Warner’s first pass, which he paid no mind and hit Breaston for a 21-yard gain on the following play. Warner hit Breaston on the following play for 7 yards, and gained the first down on a 12 yard pas to tight end Leonard Pope. Boldin caught a pass before the Cardinals received an automatic first down on an 5-yard illegal contact. John Beason intercepted a Warner pass tipped by Early Doucet and returned to the 50-yard line.

After the Carolina completed a couple of running plays and a short throw to King, Kasay knocked in a 50-yard field goal, putting the Panthers up 27-23.

Warner threw another near interception to begin their drive from the 20-yard line. He converted a first down to Hightower on the next play. Another tip on a Warner pass came on first down. Urban caught a 20-yard pass that was called back on a hold call. Johnson registered his second sack of the day when the Cardinals faced a second-and-20 down. They later punted on fourth down.

When they began their drive, Carolina was set in running the clock off with the run and did just that. They finished with a 23-27 win.

4th quarter: Panthers:27; Cardinals:23

From the Press Box: Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals

Kurt Warner’s offense came back on the field in the second half and scored quickly, gaining 64 yards on right plays en route to a two-yard Hightower rushing touchdown.

In the first positive to begin a Panther possession, Williams rushed for 14 yards, breaking several tackles on the play. He followed that run up by breaking for 13 yards and a second touchdown. Delhomme then hit tight end Jeff King on a 31-yard pass. Williams continued his dominance, bouncing off defenders into the in-zone for a 15-yard touchdown, the Panthers first of the day. The score shortened the Cardinals lead to seven in the 10-17 game.

Edgerrin James fumbled on the Cardinals’ 20-yard line and set the Panthers up at the 18-yard line, which immediately paid dividends as Delhomme hit Steve Smith for a touchdown, tying the game at 17 with 6:10 left in the third quarter.

The Cardinals attempted rolled down field, as Warner picked the Panthers’ defense apart, hitting four different receivers on the drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Boldin. The Cardinals’ special teams gave the Panthers’ offense something to build on when they botched the snap, leaving a point on the field and off the scoreboard of the 23-17 game.

With 52 seconds left in the third quarter, the Panthers had their shot to create something on the offensive side of the ball. Williams was their to extend the drive once more, gaining eight yards on a third-and- two down. Smith turned a play-action play into a 65-yard touchdown that was challenged by the Cardinals when he seemed to step out of bounds. In a questionable call, the ruling on the field stood and took a timeout away from Arizona, giving the Panthers a 24-23 lead, their first of the day, to end the third quarter.

3rd Quarter: Panthers:24; Cardinals:23

From the Press Box: Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals

In what seems to be a slow game offensively, the Panthers began their first posession of the second quarter with their seond third and out for a quick punt.

Linebacker Karlos Dansby added some suspense to a dull game when he forced a Jake Delhomme fumble that led to an immediate Cardinal touchdown, as Kurt Warner hit Anquan Boldin for a five-yard touchdown pass. The score put the Cardinals up 10-0 with 11:16 left in the quarter.

The Panthers’ offense was still stagnant when they returned to the field, taking their first shot down field, with a miss fire to Steve Smith. Delhomme threw a eight-yard pass to Dwayne Jarrett on the third down to gain a first down. Williams broke for 14 yards and a face mask tacked 15 yards onto the run for a Panthers’ 29-yard gain.

William followed with a nine-yard gain on a direct snap, and the Panthers gave the ball to full back Brad Hoover for another first down. Steve Smith then caught his fist ball of the day on a 11-yard pass that put his team on the four-yard line. Muhammad dropped a easy catch on a out route on the following play. Williams was stuffed on second down, leading to a third and four play that was a near interception. Kicker John Kasay came on to finish the drive with a 22-yard field goal.

Kurt Warner hit Larry Fitzgerald for 16 yards on a critical third and eight. Warner continued to heat up hitting Steve Breaston on a 21-yard pass two plays later. Urban was Warner’s next target on a 23 yarder that put the Cardinals on the Panthers’ 16-yard line. Edgerrin James rushed for 10 yards, before the Panthers’ Charles Johnson forced a fumble that saved a touchdown and gave the Cardinals a fourth down.

The Panthers’ coaches did what’s all the rage in NFL circles, call a meaningless timeout to ice the kicker, who missed the first kick, and was given another shot by the shady decision. The Cardinals faked the kick on the next play and gained 10 yards on a pass that turned it over on downs.

With a little more than a minute on the clock, Delhomme hit Muhammad on consecutive plays to reach his own 40-yard line. A holding call gave the Panthers a first down with five seconds on the clock, which resulted in a miscue between Delhomme and Smith to end the first half.

2nd quarter: Panthers:3; Cardinals:10

From the Press Box: Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals

The First Carolina drive saw a failed revers and two incomplete Jake Delhomme passes lead to a quick three-and-out series.

The Cardinals’ offense came on the field with intent to pass hitting wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and newly re-implemented Anquan Boldin. A one-yard run by Tim Hightower on third down kept the drive alive. Arizona kept the drive going on another third down when quarterback Kurt Warner hit tight end Jerheme Urban for an eight-yard completion. On the following play  Boldin broke a reverse for 30 yards.

The Panthers played stout defense with the ball in goalline territory, forcing a fourth-and-one down and a 22-yard field goal from kicker Neil Ruckers.

The Panther road a 6-yard pass and DeAngelo William run to their first first down of the game. After a Jake Delhomme pass to Mushin Muhammad, another attempt to Muhammad seemed to be a pass interference, but no flags flew. The Panthers were then forced to punt and the Cardinals began their drive from the 14 yard line.

After an uneventful drive, the Cardinals punted to the Panthers where they began their next drive from the eight-yard line, ending the first quarter.

1st Quarter: Panthers:0;Cardinals:3