Game Notes | Week 6: Panthers @ Buccaneers

Delhomme to the Black Rambo, Steve Smith, on the first play, and Smif drags the defenders for a first down.

Play action and Delhomme throws it right in Gaines Adams' gut . . . lucky that one wasn't picked.

Great day for defense/special teams. Rookie Geno Hayes blocks the Baker punt, picks it up, and dances into the end zone. Announcers say that Jon Gruden's father Jim was responsible for drafting Hayes in the 6th round. Nice pick.

Bucs D looking tough. Panthers have to punt again . . . let's see if Jason Baker can get this one off. Barely. Dexter Jackson just lost about 20 yards on the punt return. He just kept running backwards.

Jeff Garcia got Carmella DeCesare pregnant with their second child. Going home to her every night kind of takes the sting out of getting benched for Brian Griese.

Panthers can't get any offense going. Delhomme bounces one off of Dante Rosario's hands and into the hands of Tanard Jackson. Bucs have the ball close to the red zone. Garcia to Jerramy Stevens, and the Bucs are knocking on the door. Garcia avoids the rush nicely and finds Alex Smith in the end zone. 14-0 Bucs.

The Wildcat strikes again for the Dolphins! What a play that was ultimately Pennington to Patrick Cobbs.

Mark Jones is back returning kicks for the Panthers. I thought that was Jonathan Stewart's job? Bucs player down, white dude #44. Fullback Byron Storer. B.J. Askew is already out with a hamstring injury. Storer limps off on his own power. Not Rotoworld blurb worthy.

Delhomme with a bomb to Steve Smith. Smith put a hell of a move on Tanard Jackson and then with an all out effort to catch the ball. Awesome catch by Smif -- as usual. Panthers have the ball inside the 10-yard line. DeAngelo Williams with two straight red zone carries, one of them out of the Wildcat formation. Williams with a third straight carry, and he's inches away from a TD. Ooof. Williams replaced by Jonathan Stewart who trips over his own feet and fumbles with the Bucs recovering. That one's going to replay. Stewart did fumble, but he was touched by a defender before he fumbled. That one is not going on Stewart's highlight reel. What a clumsy play. Panthers ball, 3rd & goal from the two. Tampa D -- 151 straight rushes without a TD. Delhomme playfake to Muhammad, incomplete. Panthers have to settle for a FG here.

Warrick Dunn is too slow at age 33. I don't know why Earnest Graham isn't being used more often. All he's ever done is produce.

Dante Rosario with his second drop of the day, and the Panthers are having trouble moving the ball today. The only thing that's worked is passing to Steve Smith. They need to try that more. And there it is. Third down conversion to Smith for 22 yards. Smith again, and he's got 87 of the Panthers 97 receiving yards. Whoops. Delhomme throws it up for grabs and is intercepted.

Matt Bryant misses a 51-yard FG to close out the half. 17-3 Bucs.

Earnest Graham is seeing some time at fullback in the third quarter with Byron Storer and B.J. Askew both injured.

Panthers average starting field position today is their own 19-yard line. They can't get anything going offensively. Two straight plays where Delhomme throws it at Jonathan Stewart's feet just to get rid of the ball.

Earnest Graham hasn't seen a carry since Byron Storer left the game . . . but there's a nice 23-yard reception by Graham as I type. Dunn gets the red zone carry. Bucs playing a ball control, field position, special teams type of game today. Garcia bootleg gets the ball down to the 1-yard line. Let's see who gets the goal-line carry. It's Earnest Graham on a fullback plunge.

Muhsin Muhammad limps off with a left knee injury. Delhomme just threw a ball that Derrick Brooks should have caught and taken the distance. And he follows that one up with another near pick. Delhomme should never throw on the run like that. He's been terrible throwing on the run today.

Another interception from Delhomme -- this one off the hands of Steve Smith.

Ouch. Delhomme almost got DeAngelo Williams killed on that one. Not Delhomme's finest effort today.

Steve Smith owners aren't going to like that. Delhomme's best pass of the day hit a streaking Smith at the 10-yard line, but Smith dropped it. That would have been a nice meaningless TD for Smith.