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The only way to overcome the wall the Chicago Bears erected to stop the Carolina Panthers’ running game was to bulldoze it.
So, with less than 10 minutes remaining in the third period and the Bears leading by 14 points, Panthers coach John Fox sent rookie running back Jonathan Stewart into the game.
Carolina had only three first downs at the time and Stewart had just one rushing attempt for 1 yard.
But one of the reasons the Panthers drafted him 13th overall was because of his power, and he showed it off in his NFL home debut.
Stewart gained 24 yards on his second carry of the second half and then made a habit of running through or over Bears defenders, dragging them with him as he surged and spun forward.
His two touchdowns, combined with a spirited effort by the defense, helped Carolina beat Chicago 20-17 at Bank of America Stadium.
It was only the Panthers’ fourth win in 14 home openers, and marked their second straight come-from-behind victory without suspended wide receiver Steve Smith.
“I’ve said it all along: We need to win without Steve,” said quarterback Jake Delhomme.
Smith’s absence was precisely why the Bears got so obnoxiously funky on defense. Without a deep receiving threat to face, Chicago dared Carolina to pass by jamming eight, nine, and sometimes even 10 defenders on the line of scrimmage.
The tactic so taunted and distracted the Panthers in the first half that they managed just 47 total yards and were flagged five times for false starts and twice for illegal formations.
“I don’t think we could have been any worse on offense,” said Fox. “We had nowhere to go but up.”
The Bears led 10-3 at halftime and raised the margin to 17-3 early in the third quarter by capitalizing on Delhomme’s lone interception.
It was then, with 9:23 remaining in the third period, that Stewart entered the lineup. He came in for DeAngelo Williams, who had 10 carries for 28 yards in the first half.
Stewart gained 2 yards, then 24 to help the Panthers drive far enough to set up a 45-yard field goal by John Kasay.
The play before the field goal was one of the game’s major turning points.
Delhomme was unable to pass on third-and-12 and tried unsuccessfully to run for the first down. He slid to avoid defenders, but took a hard hit from Chicago linebacker Lance Briggs that seemed to knock him temporarily foggy.
Delhomme walked slowly off the field and was able to return to the game, but the play galvanized the Panthers.
“You don’t wake up a sleeping giant,” said Harris. “I was pretty upset and it became more of a game after that. We wanted to get back at them because we are not going to take that. We are going to protect our quarterback.”
Said fullback Brad Hoover: “We knew all game we were in a fight, but sometimes you get hit with a little jab that catches you a little bit, (and) it wakes your eyes up and you have to respond.”
Stewart’s bullish running epitomized the Panthers’ late-game mentality. He had runs of 12, 9 and 11 yards, and scored on gains of 4 and 1 yards.
The offense functioned much more efficiently with him in the lineup, opening up the passing attack.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt, we needed something and someone to make a play,” said Delhomme. “Jonathan running over a few guys, that was huge. That’s why the drafted him, so hopefully we can see more of that.”
Stewart’s first touchdown, which trimmed Chicago’s lead to 17-13, was set up by a turnover. Safety Chris Harris forced a fumble for the second consecutive week that was recovered by cornerback Chris Gamble and returned to the Bears’ 26.
The Panthers were unable to score on their next two possessions, then took over at their 45 with 6:46 remaining.
Delhomme was 3-for-3 passing on that drive, including a 23-yarder to tight end Jeff King to put the ball at the 1.
Stewart roared into the end zone from there to move the Panthers ahead 20-17.
The Bears tried to rally, but were unable to convert on fourth-and-1 from midfield with two minutes remaining. Defensive end Julius Peppers and linebacker Thomas Davis led a crowd of Carolina defenders who stopped Chicago fullback Jason McKie for no gain.
Now, the Panthers are 2-0 for the first time since their 2003 Super Bowl season.
Peppers didn’t want to make comparisons to that team, but there’s cause for optimism, especially with Smith returning this week.
“He’s going to give us a chance,” Delhomme said of Smith. “I’m excited to have our rocket back.”
Lift off, however, already has occurred.
Charles Chandler: (704) 358-5123.
