8-2, I'm excited about where the team currently stands, but the last two weeks give me pause about what's going to happen down the stretch. The remaining schedule is definitely no cake walk. We face Atlanta and then Green Bay on the road, before returning home to Charlotte for a rematch against Tampa Bay. We stay at home one more week to face Denver then hit the road for the final two games against the Giants and finally the Saints. The Charlotte Observer expands on our remaining schedule.

The Carolina Panthers have played six games at home, four on the road. Opponents have included Kansas City, Oakland and Detroit. Every other week looks like homecoming in Pantherland.

...

There's not a team with a losing record among them. The teams Carolina has played have a record of 42-58. The teams they will play are 38-22.

We all know how Jake and the passing offense has fared the last two weeks. However, the rushing game, lead by DeAngelo Williams, has been impressive, albeit against the 30th and 32nd ranked rush defense.

Looking back at the last two games there are several things that caused them to be close, among them Delhomme's four interceptions and drops in the end zone or on third down. But to me the biggest surprise was our rush defense. I know we are ranked in the middle of the pack in rushing defense, but both weeks we had trouble stopping the opposition's running game. With Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood running toward us next week our DL and LB better pull it together.

Matt Ryan has proven he's not an ordinary rookie so the theory of just stop the run and Atlanta will fold doesn't hold the same value. Sure it helps to defeat a team to make them one dimensional but Ryan can complete his passes. On a positive note, unlike our rush defense, our pass rush and secondary have been playing well. Julius Peppers in the last two games have stepped up big time and is now ranked 6th in sacks for the season with 9 and first in forced fumbles with five. While those two games were against Oakland and Detroit let see if he can build of that momentum.

The Panthers will have to be on top of their game this week and down the stretch. This Sunday the team that wants it more will win. Let's hope the Panthers just want it more. I know I sure do.

The Panthers logged a solid victory over the Falcons for their 100^th franchise victory on Sunday. The game featured WR's Musin Muhammad and Steve Smith getting their first TD's of the season as the Panthers shut down the Falcons NFL leading rushing attack. Panther QB Jake Delhomme easily had his best game of the young season completing 20 of 29 passes for 294 yards and 2 TD's (a 124 passer rating).

Game notes:

• After scoring his first TD of the season, Steve Smith was shown tracking down the ball after he spiked it. Turns out he wanted to give it to Ken Lucas:

Smith publicly apologized.  Lucas publicly forgave him and spoke in the weeks that followed about a newfound communication between the two intense players.  But no words said more about the healing between themselves and the team at large than Smith's simple gesture after his touchdown reception -- to place the football in Lucas' hands on the Carolina sideline.

"I was shocked at the time," Lucas admitted.

"I was going to congratulate him on the touchdown and he said, ‘This is for you.'  He took the high road and that shows a lot about him as a person.  No one is perfect.  I'm just surprised that he did that."

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