Jake Delhomme still the starter in Carolina

Posted by Mike Florio on October 28, 2009, 1:49 PM EDT

Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme is leading the league in interceptions, but that won’t cost him his job — at least not yet.

Panthers coach John Fox announced today that Delhomme will start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

“We feel like he gives us the best chance to win,” Fox said. “Going through and looking at some of our mishaps I don’t think it’s one guy and I think he still gives us the best chance to win.”

Fox said he decided after watching film on Tuesday that Delhomme would be the starter, and he added that Delhomme isn’t on any more of a short leash than any other player. Delhomme’s 13 interceptions through six games puts him on pace for 35 interceptions in a 16-game season. That would tie Vinny Testaverde in 1988 for the second-most in a season in NFL history. Only George Blanda, with 42 interceptions in 1962, has had more in one season.

If the Panthers aren’t going to change their starting quarterback, they should at least consider changing their offensive game plan: In Sunday’s loss to the Bills, Delhomme threw 44 passes while running back DeAngelo Williams got just 16 carries.

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34 responses to “Jake Delhomme still the starter in Carolina”

  1. jake delhomme and fox have to go….it’s over…they had a good run but it’ s time to clean house…..that team smells like stink butt

  2. I agree with the start for this WEEK but if tanks it up bad in the first half like last year’s playoff game they need to put in Matt Moore so we can at least see what this guy can do.

  3. I’m happy with this move. I’m among the contingent that wants to see Jake get at least one more chance to redeem himself against the Cardinals. If he goes out and costs us the game though, its time to see what Matt Moore can do.

  4. You have the best running game in football in 2008. Your QB was mediocre on his best day in 2008 and record-setting horrid on his worst.
    What do you do?
    Give the QB a raise, stop handing off the football to your RBs, and stick with the QB when he’s even worse than he was last year.
    Delhomme wasn’t even good last year, merely adequate. He’s always just been a guy.
    I don’t understand this loyalty.
    Is Fox salting the ground and poisoning the well, knowing he’s getting fired at the end of the year? Much as I hate interfering owners, sometimes (like in Nashville right now) the owner needs to make a move that the coach is reluctant to make.
    This team might not win another game if Jake remains the team’s QB.

  5. The stubborn “stay the course” mentality really blinds head coaches to how incredibly inept and pathetic their starting QB is.
    How else can you explain Chuck Noll and the mark Malone years?

  6. GEEZ, at least the Redskins would have benched him by now. Maybe that shows how insecure with the backups they have.

  7. this is completly rediculous fox and jake already ruined the season why in the hell dont you give matt moore or feely a chance whats the worse they can do throw interceptions???? our seasons over cause of jake cause hes just gonna keep throwing interceptions he already has smith wanting 2 leave this is rediculous by the end of the season the whole team will want out of carolina for sticking with that clown the fans dont deserve it and the team dont deserve it jake and fox gota go asap please bring in cowher gruden dungy somebody anybody just get rid of them 2 idiots

  8. YES!!! Who Dat? Not Carolina with Jake under center. Darren Sharper would pass Rod Woodson for most pick sixes all time with that game only. WHO DAT!!!

  9. Look at who their backups are. I cannot believe that a team who had such a big question mark at QB in the offseason did absolutely nothing to address it.

  10. If I had a way to corelate with how many passes are thrown by carolina and the losses they get I would almost guranee Carolina has a 75-85% chance to loose if they throw more than 25-30 passes a game.

  11. I think this shows what they think of their backup qb situation. They will stick with Jake and hope he shows something good.

  12. You know how the old saying goes:
    “If it’s broke, don’t fix it”

  13. When one of the best WR’s in the league (Steve Smith) says he wants out…you have to look inside the team. The coach is being blinded by his faith in Jake…Jake got him where he is and he wants Jake to get him out of it. Sorry, but that isn’t going to happen this year and both will be gone in the off season. It’s a shame too because Jake is a standup guy…just lost his mojo. It happens to a lot of athletes…

  14. Through 7 weeks we’ve had to hear after each game that “well we’ll just give him one more chance” and he hasnt done any better each week so when is enough, enough? This is ridiculous.

  15. you people really amaze me sometimes.
    last i checked the panther WON THE NFC SOUTH LAST YEAR. so now why in the hell are you wanting to run your long time coach and long time starting QB out of town because of a bad start?
    if you folks think that some guy like josh mcdaniels is going to bring in a QB like kyle orton and completely turn around your franchise, you are sadly, sadly mistaken. Franchise QB’s, are hard to get in this league, as are above average coaches. Fox needs to shake things up a bit, and maybe benching delholme for a game would be the right way to do it, but you crybabies need to realize that there is no magic wand thats going to fix everything. continuity is critical for a team, just ask the browns/lions/oakland

  16. Isn’t that the same situation that got Jake to Carolina in the first place. Jim Haslett’s unrelenting faith in Aaron Brooks. …and thats the rest of the story!

  17. Since the Niners own Carolina’s # 1 draft pick next year, they gotta love Delhomme staying as the starter.

  18. @ DocBG…a bad start??
    dude..obviously u dont watch football!!
    he has thrown 13 INTS in 6 games…thats 6 bad starts…not to mention the last game of last year against the Cards (home playoff game #2 seed) he threw 5 INTS and fumbled once…
    one bad start…yeah right..i live in Charlotte so I get the pleasure of seeing it all

  19. And Fox is officially done after this year, if not before. Not that Moore was going to step in and turn things around, but with Delhomme will go Fox and Hurney

  20. Big Brother Roger Goodell might make a phone call to Jerry Richardson to ask why coach Fox is trying to run the team into the ground.

  21. Just goes to show that the QB can bring down any organization more than any other position on the team. The fact that Delhomme is the so-called “golden boy” amongst the front office in Carolina is no reason to overpay him after his craptacular performance in the playoffs. Last year was all about the Williams-Stewart combo at RB. They still have a talented young O-line and relatively young talent at the skill positions. But without an error free QB, their chances are nil this season.

  22. Dude… A bad start?
    I mean come on… The start of the season (as I see it ends like like week 3 or 4, maybe). We are close to the half way point now.
    Besides the NFC South hasn’t had a repeat winner in a long time. If ever. I personally can’t remember one anyways.

  24. The Redskins will give you Jason Campbell and Carlos Rogers for Chris Gamble and a 3rd rounder.

  25. I’m sure Matt Moore loves to hear that he doesn’t give you a better chance to win than a guy who is averaging over 2 INTs a game. Great work John Fox.

  26. CAR only has 1 WR as Mohammed seems to have lost a step and Jarett hasn’t stepped up so its not all on the QB.
    Can’t figure this team out. LY they had no trouble putting up 20 ppg, took the NYG to OT in NY. If they just ran the ball they would have been in the SB. JD hasn’t been the same since that 5 int playoff game. There is no way they should lose to an injury depleted BUF at home.

  27. Good, keep him in there until Monday morning. Cards would like a shot at padding their ints and sacks. Or if they want they can try and run on the cards. Good luck there.

  28. This seriously blows my mind, almost to an infuriating point. Delhomme has been a mediocre QB form the get go. He has never won a title for the Panthers and doesn’t really bring any special traits to the table when it comes to being a QB. At this point, A.J. Feely is a better option.
    The most unfortunate part about this is how badly the Panthers have built for the future. We have old WRs and a busted up old QB. We have an awesome RB duo, but with no passing game, they become a decent RB duo because and opposing defense will stack the box against them which is what is the sadist part about Delhomme’s interceptions. And with no 1st round pick this year, our bad record wont even help us in the draft.
    I love living in Charlotte and watching this all unfold. I personally wont be attending any Panthers games until I see a change.

  29. scomibord says:
    October 28, 2009 3:14 PM
    Isn’t that the same situation that got Jake to Carolina in the first place. Jim Haslett’s unrelenting faith in Aaron Brooks. …and thats the rest of the story!
    —————-
    I will be very pissed if it Matt Moore who goes off to another team start after being a second stringer and leads a team to the Superbowl the next year. You are right though it is following the same format as Brooks and Haslett.

  30. Go find a way to get Jeff Garcia from the birds and get rid of washed up Jake Delhomme!!! He doesnt scare anybody but his fans and teammates when he drops back to throw…. He was a good game manager at 1 time but now when he has to come from behind he is a disaster. If Fox likes Jake so much he should do him a favor and take his ass out. He is embarassing himself with his temper tantrums after every mistake, which seem to happen once a quarter. ITS OVER FOR JAKE ON THIS TEAM. PULL THE PLUG!! What do they have to lose….the season is already a wash, stud WRs want out, before they know it D. Williams will be asking for a trade. Just go get an established vet and let him finish out the season. Give Matt Moore more snaps in practice and if he shows something put him in there.

  31. As a inagural season ticket holder it hurts to see the team struggle like this. There are no easy answers but unless turnovers are eliminated or at least minimized we’re in for a long season.
    Let’s see what our QB of the future (?) can do.
    Jake has seen better days and might see more of them elsewhere like Warner in AZ did after the Rams and Giants.
    Maybe Fox has lost a handle on this team and some new blood could be a good thing.
    All I can say is Go New Orleans!
    I wish we had Drew Brees…………

  32. Don’t they have Feely on the roster? I thought they signed him?
    Feely would give them the best chance to win now, IMHO… Fox should bench Delhomme but, then he’d be asked about the crazy contract they gave him. The fact that 17 mil. is tied up in 1 player. Peppers who has under-performed.
    Regime change is really the best option for Carolina..

  33. I’d love to know exactly when Smith said he wanted out. That’s damn newsworthy, right there, you would think Mr. Florio would have dedicated at least one post to that bit of news.
    So far I’ve seen a couple of opinion-based items in that regard, but I certainly haven’t heard Smith say he wanted out. Source?

  34. the day of the trade deadline when he called his agent and asked if anything was going on what does that tell you? he never did say i want 2 stay in carolina he said is anything going on. lets face it at the end of the season beason davis and williams will want out of carolina when the season is over oops it already is 4 fox sticking with jake we gona end up loosing way more than just this season

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