After contrasting victories in the last two weeks, the Julius Peppers and the Carolina Panthers play NFC South rival Atlanta Sunday at the Georgia Dome in a pivotal divisional matchup.  The Panthers have been involved in shootouts and  standoffs recently, the last a 31-22 shootout against the Detroit Lions.  In their previous game, the Panthers scored a victory in a 17-6 defensive struggle at Oakland that saw 20 punts.   

“ You never know what to expect, but we do know that all NFC South games 

are tough, physical games and there is no reason to think this will be any 

different,” says Carolina head coach John Fox. 

The Panthers have relied on their running game and defense in the last two 

weeks and both will be tested by Atlanta, which comes into Sunday’s contest 

ranked seventh in the NFL in total offense. 

While Carolina counters with the League’s eighth rated defense, the Panthers 

are 18th versus the run and will be facing an Atlanta running game that is 

second in the NFL.  The last two weeks the Panthers started slow against the 

run before settling down in the second half.  That was the case against the 

Lions when Detroit rushed for 100 yards in the first half before finishing with 

130 yards on the ground. 

If the Panthers have been unsteady at times against the run, there has been 

nothing inconsistent about the play of defensive end Julius Peppers, who has 

recorded five sacks, 14 tackles, six tackles for losses, and three forced 

fumbles in the last two games. 

Two of those sacks and one forced fumble came last week against the Lions 

as Peppers increased his team career records in both departments to 65 sacks 

and 24 forced fumbles.  

H o w e v e r, he was not the only one coming up with big plays for a defense 

ranked in the League’s top ten in seven different categories.  Rookie safety 

Charles Godfrey had a fumble recovery to set up a touchdown and an 

interception to seal the victory with 4:50 remaining in the game.  For Godfrey, 

who has started every game, those were the first takeaways of his career. 

Another rookie, defensive end Hilee Ta y l o r, also recorded his first take-away 

with a recovery of a Peppers-forced fumble, while linebacker Na’il Diggs 

recorded his first interception as a Panther in the first quarter. 

The Panthers still needed linebacker Jon Beason to come up with the biggest 

play of the day when he stopped Daunte Culpepper inches short of the goal 

line on a two-point conversion try late in the game with the Panthers clinging 

to a 24-22 lead. 

Carolina was protecting a lead thanks to a record setting rushing day that saw 

the Panthers run for a franchise record 264 yards and DeAngelo Williams and 

rookie Jonathan Stewart become the first tandem in team history to rush for 

100 yards each in a single game.  Stewart had 130 yards and one touchdown 

on 15 attempts while Williams gained 120 yards and two touchdowns on 14 

t r i e s . 

For Williams it was the third consecutive game in which he has rushed for 100 

yards and he has moved to eighth in the NFL with 782 rushing yards and a 5.1 

yards per carry average.  The third-year back had touchdown runs of 56 and 

four yards and his 120 yards tied the team record for career 100-yard games 

at seven.   

It was Stewart’s first 100-yard rushing performance and raised his season total 

to 513 yards.  His 22-yard touchdown run was his sixth of the season, tying 

him with Williams and moving him to within one of Fred Lane’s team rookie 

record of seven rushing touchdowns.  Stewart’s 513 yards are already the 

second most ever by a Panthers rookie, trailing Lane’s 809 yards in 1998. 

The performances would not have come without strong play from an offensive 

line that has been rejuvenated with the return of rookie right tackle Jeff Otah. 

In the two games since Otah’s return after missing four games with a sprained 

ankle, Carolina has rushed for 426 yards, including 260 yards by Williams. 

The line has also continued to protect quarterback Jake Delhomme, allowing 

just four sacks in the last seven games, but that will be tested by NFC sack 

leader John Abraham.  Delhomme threw for 98 yards and a touchdown against 

the Lions as the Panthers moved primarily on the ground. 

Receivers Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad have provided balance to the 

Carolina passing attack with Smith leading in yardage with 681 on 40 catches 

while Muhammad leads in receptions with 41.  However, it was tight end Jeff 

King who caught the Panthers’ only touchdown reception versus Detroit with 

a 15-yard grab. 

Special teams has also continued to play a vital role in Carolina’s eight wins 

as the Panthers ranked second in kickoff coverage on the strength of Rhys 

L l o y d ’s league high 19 touchbacks and third in punt coverage.  

“ We know we are going to have to play well in every phase against a very 

good football team,” says Fox. 

UP NEXT 

C a r o l i n a-  at Green Bay, November 30, 1:00 p.m. ET 

A t l a n t a- at San Diego, November 30, 4:05 p.m. ET 

-Courtesy Carolina Panthers