The Panthers will not be affected in 2010 if coach John Fox returns for the final year of his deal, without a contract extension. At least that's what the players say. Several Panthers, speaking from the locker room Wednesday afternoon, said playing for a coach in the final year of his deal would not impact how they perform.

The situation with Fox, whom management has asked to return in 2010 without an extension, was one of many offseason issues players discussed. The Panthers have proven that they can compete with good NFC teams in the last two weeks, rendering Sunday's game against the visiting Saints a secondary issue. Instead the impending offseason was the topic du jour:

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In Carolina's stunning blowout of the Giants Sunday, the Panthers did the things that good teams do: Force and avoid turnovers (4-0), score touchdowns and not field goals (5 of 7 Panthers drives inside the New York 30 ended in the end zone) and avoid penalties (4, for just 20 yards).

The Panthers also dominated on third down, on both sides of the ball. Carolina converted 10 of 15 third-down attempts on offense, including 8 of its first 9. On defense the Panthers stuffed 8 of 13 New York third-down plays, including three in a row in the second quarter. That second quarter stretch, mixed in with four straight Panthers third-down conversions, allowed Carolina to push a 3-0 advantage to 24-0 at the half and essentially bury the Giants.

Here is a look at how the Panthers made those key plays:

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By snaring a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Matt Moore in Carolina's win over Minnesota last Sunday, Steve Smith tied Muhsin Muhammad in the Panthers' record book with 49 career touchdowns as a Panther.

It was a seminal moment for the Smith-Muhammad tandem, perhaps the last great one for a twosome that could be broken up for good next season (The 36-year-old Muhammad is a candidate to be released). That makes this week a good time to put the tandem's scoring production in perspective.

For much of the last decade they have been one of the NFL's most consistent, clutch wide receiver twosomes. Although Carolina in eight seasons under John Fox has relied a lot on the running game to finish drives, Muhammad and Smith have combined to score 50 touchdowns in their 6 seasons together. Where does that rank among modern wide receiver tandems? Let's examine:

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Coming into Sunday night's game the Panthers had one of the NFL's worst defenses against the rush, while Minnesota had been a top-10 NFL running team. The Vikings were averaging 125 yards rushing per game and 4.2 yards per carry this season. The Panthers were allowing 137.3 yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry.

Minnesota's gameplan on offense early was to establish the run. Surely the Vikings figured they would have success and open up their passing game against one of the NFL's top five pass defenses.

That did not happen. The Panthers held Minnesota to 41 yards on the ground for the game. Minnesota ran the ball only 14 times (for 2.9 yards a carry), all but abandoning its running game after failing to score a point in its first four drives of the game.

The Panthers' ability to shut down Minnesota's running game, primarily standout tailback Adrian Peterson, was a major reason why the Panthers shocked Minnesota 26-7. Carolina dominated the game, holding the ball for 38 minutes and posting a 397-237 edge in total yards. Carolina also held the Vikings to 10 first downs and stuffed 9 of 10 Minnesota third-down attempts.

That dominance started early, when the Panthers bottled up Peterson on four key runs. Here is a look at those plays, plus another key stuff of a Peterson run in the fourth quarter:

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Matt Moore, preparing to make his third consecutive start on Sunday, has avoided turnovers and kept the Panthers in games in his five career starts. But Moore rarely helps the Panthers put points on the board (they average 13 in the 4 games he started against opponent's starters) and, according to some analysts, lacks leadership skills (he has been blamed for the plethora of shifting and motion penalties last Sunday against New England).

In short, Moore has been about what you would expect from a player who was not drafted into the NFL, if not a bit better. Only three NFL teams began this season starting an undrafted free agent at quarterback - the Cardinals (Kurt Warner), Cowboys (Tony Romo) and Panthers (Jake Delhomme). That's because quarterback is considered to be the most important position in football, and it's a poor strategy to build a team around a player who was not deemed good enough to be among the 200-plus players selected in an NFL Draft.

Most modern NFL teams build through the draft and the Panthers under general manager Marty Hurney and coach John Fox have been no exception. Yet Carolina has largely ignored the quarterback position in their eight drafts together. As a result, Carolina could use two undrafted free agents to start its 16 games at quarterback this season, including the final five by a player who -- unlike Delhomme -- has never been a bona fide NFL player. In addition, the Panthers' opening day starter for 2010 is a major question mark heading into the offseason.

How did the Panthers get themselves into this situation? Let's examine:

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In the 2008 NFL Draft the Panthers selected three offensive linemen among their nine picks. The plan was for Jeff Otah, a first-round pick, to start immediately at tackle. Seventh-round selections Geoff Schwartz and Mackenzy Bernadeau were viewed as projects who could add to the Panthers' depth eventually.

Less than two full seasons later Bernadeau and Schwartz are preparing to start for Carolina, and Otah is out. Otah is the second Panthers tackle to succumb to a season-ending injury this year, after injuring his knee in last Sunday's loss at New England. Jordan Gross broke his ankle Nov. 15 against Atlanta. Travelle Wharton slid over from guard to replace Gross, with Bernadeau replacing Wharton.

Now it is Schwartz's turn to fill in. The 6-foot-6, 331-pound 23-year-old is expected to make his first career start Sunday night against visiting Minnesota. It's a heck of a way to launch an NFL career. He will line up against the NFL's No. 4-ranked run defense (and 6th overall), anchored by standouts in defensive tackles Pat Williams and Kevin Williams, and end Jared Allen.

Schwartz spoke about the challenges he faces Sunday, and about relishing the chance to start:

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A Panthers team that had been one of the worst in the NFL in turnover differential (and the worst in giveaways) forced three Patriots turnovers without giving one back Sunday. Carolina also averaged 5.3 yards per rush and shut down Patriots star receiver Randy Moss.

Yet the Panthers lost, by 10, at New England. The main culprits, besides a stout New England running game: Nine Carolina penalties, including several at crucial times, and a couple key plays. Here is an inside look at the swing penalties and plays that cost the Panthers the game, and a chance to inch back into the NFC playoff race:

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By making three field goals and an extra point in last Sunday's win over Tampa Bay, Panthers kicker John Kasay moved to 10th on the NFL's all-time scoring list with 1,703 points. Kasay, who passed Jan Stenerud (1,699 points) Sunday, is in his 18th NFL season. He played from 1991-1994 with the Seahawks, and from 1995-1999 and 2001-this season with the Panthers.

Kasay is only fifth among active kickers on this all-time scoring list, which features kickers only. He trails John Carney (now the Saints' backup), Matt Stover (Colts), Jason Elam (cut by the Falcons last week) and Jason Hanson (Lions). Of course this is a Panthers blog, so you readers don't care about those other active kickers (probably many of you don't care about Kasay either. At this point I should inform you this entire post is about the team's kicker).

As for Kasay, he is obviously the 15-year-old Panthers' statistical leader in every field goal and extra point category. So where does he rank all-time in kicking categories besides scoring (and of course kickoffs)?

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After he was selected in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft, linebacker James Anderson started a total of just three games during his first three seasons with the Panthers. Anderson has already started three games in this, his fourth season, including the last two on the weak side. The Panthers split those games, with Anderson making 10 tackles against the Jets Nov. 29 and 3 against Tampa Bay Sunday.

Anderson, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound Virginia Tech graduate, is starting because both veterans Thomas Davis and Landon Johnson suffered season-ending injuries. He is listed as the No. 1 weakside linebacker on the Panthers' depth chart and figures to start the final four games as well. He sees the final quarter of this season as an opportunity to prove he can be a regular NFL starter. And while he regrets getting this chance because of injuries to teammates, he says, he is relishing it.

Here is more from a conversation with Anderson Wednesday afternoon:

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Tampa Bay moved the ball seemingly at will for much of Sunday's game at Carolina. The Bucs rolled up 469 yards of offense, including 315 passing, 22 first downs and 13 plays of 15 yards or more.

Yet Tampa scored only 6 points. That's because Carolina's defense was clutch and opportunistic. The Panthers picked off five Josh Freeman passes and stuffed 10 of 14 third-down attempts, as well as 1 of 2 fourth-down attempts. The Bucs had the ball at the Panthers 20 or closer six times. but the Panthers prevented Tampa touchdowns each time.

Here is an inside look at the key play that stalled each of those six drives, and allowed the Panthers to win despite scoring just 16 points:

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The Panthers' struggles throwing the ball (they are 28th in the NFL in passing yards), stopping the run (26th) and committing turnovers (the NFL's worst) this season have been well-documented. Those deficiencies have been big factors in Carolina's descent from division winner last season to 4-7 team this year.

But another trend startled me: The Panthers are the NFL's worst in both kickoff and punt return average yards allowed. Carolina has permitted opposing kick returners to gain 12.8 yards per punt return and 29.6 yards per kickoff return. Only three NFL teams, meanwhile, get fewer yards per kickoff return than the Panthers' 20.2 yards.

A closer look at the numbers reveals that the Panthers coverage and return units are not quite as bad as the aforementioned figures would indicate. But they have certainly harmed a team that has little margin for error on special teams because of its pedestrian offense (20th in the NFL):

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Panthers coach John Fox and ailing No. 1 quarterback Jake Delhomme again proved to be capable foes in the chess game with the media Wednesday afternoon, refusing to divulge who will start at quarterback Sunday against visiting Tampa Bay. Both even went as far as to avoid answering questions about which finger Delhomme had injured on his throwing hand in the loss to the Jets last Sunday.

That said, all signs point toward Matt Moore starting against the Bucs, and perhaps for the rest of the season. Moore, in his third season out of Oregon State, said he is a better quarterback than he was when he made the only three previous starts of his career in 2007. Teammates agree. This is precisely what they had to say Wednesday:

Moore practiced earlier Wednesday but Delhomme did not. Delhomme is "day-to-day," Fox said, and the injured finger is still broken. Fox declined to name a starter for Sunday's game and said he has not considered placing Delhomme on injured reserve.

Delhomme would be "hard-pressed" to grip a football right now, he said. He also said his pinky is not the injured finger. When asked if he expects the injury to heal soon enough for him to play Sunday, he replied: "I don't know."

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Despite four more Jake Delhomme interceptions, Panthers coach John Fox blamed the entire offense for Sunday's loss to the Jets in his press conference Monday. The four turnovers obviously hurt, but the Panthers defense forced three New York turnovers.

Fox watched the tape of the loss, and what he likely saw in the running game was just as bad as a few of Delhomme's passes: An offensive line that failed to pick up blitzes against a defense that does not disguise its desire to blitz (just like it failed in the season opener against the Eagles) and did not finish blocks in the running game. In addition, running backs who did not run as hard and well as they usually do.

The result was the Panthers, a team that relies heavily on its running game, mustered only 75 yards rushing on 25 carries (three yards per attempt). That was their worst output since they ran for just 73 yards in a loss to Dallas eight games ago, and their second-worst output in 21 regular season games dating back to last season.

Unsuccessful running plays stalled Panthers drives and left them in several second- and third-and-long situations. They had to call more pass plays than they probably wanted to, and that put too much burden on the immobile Delhomme and the undermanned passing game -- especially against a blitzing defense. A few poor runing plays stand out as emblematic of the Panthers' struggles. Here is a look at what happened and how they failed:

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With Nail Diggs injured and questionable to play, it's possible the Panthers could start a trio of Job Beason, James Anderson and Dan Connor at linebacker Sunday against the Jets. That would be one regular starter -- Beason in the middle -- and two players who have made a combined two starts on the outside when the Panthers face the NFL's No. 2 rushing offense.

Carolina is in this predicament in large part because of injuries to Thomas Davis and Landon Johnson, who are both out for the season. But the Panthers could also blame a history of not building depth at linebacker.

The club's strategy in eight years under general manager Marty Hurney and coach John Fox has been to build through the draft, re-sign its own players and patch holes through free agency. But while the Panthers have used numerous high- and mid-round picks on defensive backs, and have used two first-round picks on linebackers, they have neglected to build good linebacker depth.

First-year defensive coordinator Ron Meeks employs a scheme that asks linebackers to be playmakers. It's no surprise then that Carolina has been run over since Davis suffered a season-ending injury in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Saints Nov. 8. Carolina has given up 330 yards on 60 carries (5.5 yards per carry) in two full games without Davis. Johnson stepped in but was then injured for the season himself in a loss to Miami Nov. 19.

Two injuries to the same position is unlucky, but it happens all the time in the NFL. As the adage goes, injuries are not an excuse -- they are part of the NFL game. The best teams are prepared with genuine depth. Connor and Anderson could prove me wrong, but it appears the Panthers were not well-prepared for this rash of linebacker injuries. Here's how:

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Thursday night's game against Miami was similar to Sunday's game against Atlanta. It was an even game, and it was decided on about a dozen key plays: Turnovers and third-down plays, especially in the red zone.

On Sunday the Panthers made the clutch plays, while their opponent did not. Thursday night, however, the reverse was true. Miami scored touchdowns on two of three jaunts inside the 20, while Carolina went 0-for-2. The Panthers committed the game's lone turnover -- a Delhomme interception -- and it occurred in the red zone. Miami, meanwhile, fumbled twice but recovered both fumbles.

The story of this game, though, was the third downs. Carolina converted only 3 of 13, failing on six consecutive third-down attempts stretching from early in the second quarter until early in the fourth. Miami converted 7 of 15, including four in a row in the second quarter. Those four conversions, along with consecutive stops on Carolina third downs, allowed Miami to turn a 3-0 deficit midway through the second quarter into a 14-3 lead at halftime. The Dolphins did not trail again.

Here is a look at those six key third-down plays:

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Who is Mackenzy Bernadeau? Well, barring another injury, he figures to be the Panthers' starting left guard for the rest of the season. Other than that nugget, I'm not sure even his teammates know much about him.

If they do, they were not saying too much in their locker room Tuesday. Because of the short week -- the Panthers face Miami Thursday -- the media invaded on the usual players' day off this week. But few players were there to talk and Bernadeau was not among them.

The second-year lineman could prove essential in helping Carolina continue its solid play of late. The Panthers have won four of six since an 0-3 start, relying a lot on a potent running game. Carolina is 3rd in the NFL in rushing, but only 25th in passing. With few weapons in the passing game besides No. 1 receiver Steve Smith, Carolina likely won't change its approach on offense despite losing All-Pro left tackle Jordan Gross to injury Sunday.

"I don't think plugging a guy in is going to change what we're doing," says center Ryan Kalil.

That means Bernadeau must play well filling in for Travelle Wharton, who slides over to left tackle to replace Gross, who is out for the season. That said, here is what we know about Bernadeau:

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In Sunday's game the Falcons and Panthers posted similar totals in yards of offense (400-380), first downs (22-19) and time of possession (32 minutes-28 minutes). Yet the Panthers won 28-19. Why? Because, unlike they have most of this season, the Panthers made the big plays when they had to. Their opponent did not.

Carolina forced two turnovers, to none for Atlanta. And while the Panthers scored touchdowns all three times they drove into the red zone, the Falcons went just two-for-five in red zone opportunities. On one of those trips inside the 20, they did not score at all. In fact Carolina converted a second-and-15, and a third-down play in the red zone.  Atlanta, meanwhile, twice failed to convert third-down plays inside the 20.

Here then is a breakdown of the game's key red zone plays, and the second turnover -- which crushed Atlanta's comeback hopes:

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For the better part of six quarters the Panthers played solid, smart football. They did not turn the ball over, ran it seemingly at will and forced turnovers. As a result, a team that had started 2-4 and struggled at home against Buffalo and Washington soundly defeated a division leader (Arizona) and built a 17-3 lead on the road over an unbeaten team (New Orleans). For nearly 90 minutes, essentially, the 2009 Panthers again looked like the 2008 Panthers.

Then the Panthers suddenly reverted back to 2009 form. It started Sunday with a fumbled snap late in the second quarter, and ended with consecutive turnovers in the final three minutes of what became a 30-20 loss to the Saints. In between they dropped passes, lost a potential touchdown pass in the lights and committed costly penalties.

The sudden breakdown of the Carolina offense cost the team a game it needed to hang in the NFC South race. A win would have drawn the Panthers within three games of New Orleans with a 2-1 division record and their final three divisional games at home. Instead Carolina is five games out and will need a huge surge just to snatch a wild card berth.

The defense was not great; New Orleans rolled up 414 yards of offense. But the unit held the Saints to 23 points and forced two turnovers. It gave the Panthers a chance to win. But the offense, after a good start, could not capitalize.

Here is a breakdown of the offensive miscues that cost Carolina a game it was controlling:

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The Panthers own the longest winning streak in one place over one team in the seven-year history of the NFC South division, and have three of the six longest such streaks.

According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, Carolina has defeated the Saints in Louisiana seven straight times dating to the 2002 season, the first for the NFC South (That's the year the NFL expanded from three to four divisions in each conference). The Panthers of course try to extend that streak Sunday afternoon in New Orleans against the undefeated Saints.

The Panthers also own two more similar winning streaks over division rivals...

Carolina won in Tampa Bay five consecutive seasons, from 2003-2007. The Bucs beat the Panthers at home last season, before falling to visiting Carolina again in October.

The third-longest such streak in NFC South history belongs to the Saints, who have beaten the Falcons at home four straight years, from 2006-2009. Their most recent victory in that stretch came Monday night.

Three NFC South teams own matching three-game win streaks: The Panthers, who won in Atlanta in 2005, 2006 and 2007; the Saints, who won in Tampa Bay 2002, 2003 and 2004; and the Bucs, who beat the Saints on the road in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Only the Falcons do not own such a winning streak of at least three games in this nascent division's history. Atlanta has defeated teams two years in a row in the same place.

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With starting free safety Charles Godfrey injured against one of the NFL's most potent passing attacks, the Panthers defense figured to struggle Sunday at Arizona. Instead the unit forced six turnovers, keying a 34-21 victory over the heavily favored Cardinals.

Rookie Sherrod Martin accounted for two of those turnovers filling in for Godfrey. Making his first NFL start, Martin cleanly picked off a Kurt Warner overthrow in the second quarter to stop one drive. He intercepted another Warner again in the fourth quarter when he caught a deflected pass caused by a Chris Gamble hit.

CSR spoke to Martin after practice Wednesday about his solid first start and how his rookie season is unfolding...

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Last week we documented that the Panthers were the NFL's worst this season in forcing turnovers and giving the ball away. In Sunday's win at Arizona, however, Carolina completely bucked that trend.

The Panthers forced six turnovers, including five interceptions of Kurt Warner, and did not turn it over at all. It was a staggering performance. The defense forced almost as many turnovers in one game as it had in the previous six games of the season (seven). The offense ended a string of seven consecutive games with at least one turnover, including the devastating playoff loss to Arizona in January. Quarterback Jake Delhomme, who entered the game with an NFL-worst 7.3 interception percentage, did not come close to tossing another pick.

The Panthers in the process wilted their turnover differential from an NFL-worst minus-14 to minus-8, good enough for a three-way tie for 28th in the league pending Monday night's game.

This was a team win. The defense forced five of the turnovers -- only one was a true gift from the Cardinals -- and the offense was more than error-free. In fact the offense scored three touchdowns to build a 21-7 lead in the second quarter before the defense had forced a single turnover.

But the six turnovers were the biggest keys to the win. They helped the Panthers keep Arizona and its high-powered offense from ever making a serious rally. One turnover resulted directly in a Panthers touchdown. Another set up a field goal. Another killed an Arizona drive in field-goal range. Still another squashed a late Arizona comeback attempt. Here is an inside look at all six...

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You can criticize the defense for being out of position early in the season, the offense for failing to generate a downfield passing game and the coaching staff for dubious play calls. But the primary reason for the Panthers' slow start (2-4 against a slate including Washington, Buffalo and Tampa Bay) is turnovers.

Carolina has committed an NFL-high 21 turnovers and forced only seven, tied for the fewest in the league. The Panthers naturally lead the NFL in worst turnover margin, minus-14.

Turnover differential is often a strong indicator of how a team is doing. This explains why the Panthers defense is No. 4 in the NFL in yards allowed and the offense is in the middle of the pack (No. 20) in total yards per game, but the team is 25th in point differential (minus-51) and below .500.

The Panthers have been so careless with the ball and so inept at forcing turnovers, in fact, that they are on pace to challenge modern NFL records for turnover futility...

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After coach John Fox announced that Jake Delhomme would remain the Panthers' starting quarterback for Sunday's game at Arizona, CSR spoke to several offensive players in the locker room Wednesday afternoon.

This is pretty much a non-story. Delhomme has started every game when he's been healthy since he became the regular starter early in the 2003 season.

So Delhomme's teammates reacted as you would expect. They praised the move. They gave bland answers to reporters' questions, saying one of three things: They still supported Delhomme because he produced before, they are not too concerned because it's not their job to decide who plays quarterback, and teammates need to play better too. None of them stood out and advocated for a switch to backup Matt Moore, not even Moore himself.

It's always tough to gauge how the players really feel about a sensitive topic like this. Pro athletes rarely open up when outsiders are shoving digital recorders and cameras in their face.

That said, we can make some inferences from what a few veterans said Wednesday...

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The Panthers dominated play on offense and defense Sunday, outgaining Buffalo 425-167 and posting 20 first downs, to just 9 for the Bills. Yet the Panthers lost 20-9, stopping a two-game winning streak with a home loss to a mediocre team.

How did they lose, then? If you have been following the Panthers for a while and you missed the game, you could probably answer that question. That's right, more turnovers -- mostly by Jake Delhomme. The quarterback threw three more picks Sunday, giving him 13 on the season. The Panthers also muffed a punt and failed to convert a fourth-and-short play. Essentially they turned the ball over to Buffalo five times; the Bills did not turn it over at all.

Make no mistake. This was not all Delhomme's fault. The entire team self-destructed. John Kasay, who has made more than 80 percent of his field goal attempts dating to the start of the 2006 season, missed 43- and 39-yard attempts in perfect conditions when the Panthers trailed only 7-2. And while the Buffalo defense stuffed the Panthers on their first red-zone trip, the Carolina defense allowed Buffalo to score touchdowns on its first two red-zone opportunities. That put Carolina behind 14-2 in the fourth quarter.

But the biggest difference were the change-of-possession plays. Here's a look at the four turnovers and fourth-down failure:

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A friend of mine was busy texting when one of the key plays of Sunday's 28-21 Carolina victory over Tampa Bay unfolded. As Buccaneer safety Tanard Jackson picked off a short Jake Delhomme pass and began his 26-yard return for the touchdown that ultimately tied the game midway through the fourth quarter, I tapped my buddy on the shoulder. I pointed at the T.V. a few feet in front of us and he lifted his head to watch.

"I hate Jake Delhomme," he said. He shook his head and could barely suppress a smile.

It has become comical, hasn't it? Even for Panthers fans. Five games into a season that began on the heels of a six-turnover performance in a shocking home playoff loss to the Arizona Cardinals, we are seeing a pattern emerge: Delhomme is a turnover machine. He has thrown 10 interceptions and fumbled three times, although the Panthers recovered two of those fumbles.

Here's the kicker: Delhomme is the NFL co-leader in interceptions thrown this season, even though he has only tossed 133 passes. That gives him a 7.5 percent interception rate (This means for every 40 passes Delhomme throws, three are picked off. Co-NFL interceptions leader Mark Sanchez of the Jets, by comparison, throws three picks every 50 passes).

That's not just bad, that is historically one of the worst five-game starts to a season in modern NFL history...

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The Panthers on Monday made a third move since the start of training camp to address problems at defensive tackle, trading for Tank Tyler. Carolina dealt a 2010 fifth-round draft pick to the Chiefs for the 24-year-old Tyler, in his third year out of N.C. State. Carolina on Tuesday released defensive tackle Antwon Burton to make room for Tyler, who is expected to split snaps with Hollis Thomas (signed as a free agent Oct. 1), Damione Lewis and Nick Hayden.

The 6-foot-2, 306-pound Tyler, a Fayetteville native, is excited about retunring to his home state and playing again in a 4-3 defense. He lined up in a 4-3 for his first two seasons in Kansas City, but moved to nose tackle when the Chiefs switched to a 3-4 this season.

CSR spoke to Tyler, whose real name is DeMarcus, Wednesday afternoon at his locker. The 2002 Shrine Bowl starter and aspiring music manager was in good spirits...

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Both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart exceeded 100 yards rushing in the Panthers' win Sunday over Tampa Bay, helping Carolina run for 267 yards overall. The Panthers took advantage of Williams' shiftiness and speed, Stewart's strength and vision, and solid blocking by teammates, including wide receivers.

That team effort helped them score all four touchdowns. Five straight runs yielded 46 yards on their first scoring drive, which ended in Williams' 20-yard run. Four consecutive runs following a Thomas Davis interception netted 11 yards and set up the next score, Delhomme's 1-yard pass to Jeff King. Four runs in six plays yielded 47 yards for another touchdown, this one a Stewart 26-yard run.

That run gave Carolina a 21-7 edge in the third quarter. It also was a harbinger for the Panthers' decisive final drive, which broke a 21-21 tie late in the game. The Panthers lined up selling run and the Bucs stacked the box, but the offensive line blew them off the ball. This would be a common theme on that final march, a 16-play, 80-yard drive that ate up 8:04 of the final 8:33 on the clock with 15 basic running plays.

On that drive Carolina converted three third downs, and a key second down that forced Tampa to burn all its timeouts on defense. Here is a look at those four key plays, plus the touchdown that put Carolina ahead with 29 seconds to play: 

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The Panthers and observers have blamed a lot of factors for the team's stagnant offense this season: The line is not playing well, Jake Delhomme is declining, Jonathan Stewart was injured. But another reason for the unit's struggles has been the lack of productivity from Carolina's starting wide receivers, Mushin Muhammad and Steve Smith.

In fact, when you look at how much the Panthers' passing game has depended on Smith and Muhammad, and how much they have produced, they rate as one of the least efficient wide receiver tandems in the NFL.

CSR examined the top two wide receivers on each NFL team -- studying how often they were targeted for passes, how many balls they caught, and for how many yards and scores. Adjustments were made to averages in some cases to account for the Panthers' bye week because not every NFL team had had its bye yet. Here is how Smith and Muhammad stack up:

Smith and Muhammad have been the targets of a combined 77 passes from Panthers quarterbacks, and have caught only 39 of those passes. That's roughly one-half. Neither has scored a touchdown in four games and they have accounted for a combined 433 yards, or 108.3 yards per game, even though they have been the targets for a staggering 57.9 percent of all Carolina passes. Here are their individual numbers:

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A pair of young, lesser-known players made key plays to help the Panthers earn their first win of the season Sunday over Washington: Safety Quinton Teal and receiver/kick returner Kenny Moore. CSR caught up with both Wednesday afternoon...

Quinton Teal

Teal made one of the biggest plays of the game Sunday, forcing a Washington fumble on a rare special teams play midway through the fourth quarter. Teal's move gave the Panthers the ball at the Washington 13, trailing 17-12. Jonathan Stewart scored two plays later on an 8-yard run to give Carolina its first fourth-quarter lead this season. Washington would not score again.

Here's what happened: The Panthers punted from near midfield. It was a short kick, and Washington return man Antwaan Randle El scooted up and called for a fair catch outside his own 20. Teal lined up as the Panthers' gunner and got locked up with Washington special teamer Byron Westbrook. The pair moved near Randle El as he signaled for the fair catch and Teal shoved Westbrook into Randle El. Both Redskins fell to the ground and the ball struck Westbrook's foot.

Panthers corner Dante Wesley recovered the loose ball at the Washington 13 and officials, after deliberating for a while, awarded the ball to the Panthers.

Teal's move was within NFL rules. Because he and Westbrook were engaged blocking each other, he was allowed to push Westbrook into Randle El. If Westbrook had stopped blocking him and stood idly, Teal would have been whistled for a penalty by knocking Westbrook into Randle El. Washington would have been awarded the ball, close to its own 40.

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This was ugly. The Panthers' first win of the 2009 season was so unsightly that ESPN did not air a single highlight from the game for the first THREE hours of SportsCenter Sunday night.

(Even the Browns-Bills game got a little ESPN love, although that may have been because that game was not just ugly but historically inept).

Sunday's win over Washington was a test of the Panthers' character, however, and probably one of their most fulfilling victories in the John Fox era. While the Redskins were self-destructing, Carolina's special teams and its beleaguered defense made a handful of big plays to secure the victory -- including four that spurred the second-half rally from a 15-point deficit. Here is an in-depth look at those key plays:

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