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If Jake Delhomme goes down in 2009, what comes next for the Carolina Panthers?
You can guarantee this much. It will be a quarterback who is at least 6-3, went to at least two colleges and throws well on the run.
That description fits both No. 2 quarterback Josh McCown and No. 3 Matt Moore. Both were almost invisible in 2008 but could be called upon at any time to salvage the 2009 season.
“There are still some unknowns about both those guys,” Panther coach John Fox said. “They are two gifted players – they've got all the tools. But the preseason will be real important to both of them. Right now Josh is No.2 and Matt is No.3, but our whole football team is an open competition.”
Make no mistake, Delhomme will be the No.1 Carolina quarterback again in 2009. Given the Panthers' deep devotion to Delhomme, it's very unlikely he would be pulled due to performance issues this season. Delhomme didn't even get yanked in the six-turnover monstrosity that was the home playoff game against Arizona.
However, an injury could always strike. Delhomme started all 17 Panther games in 2008, but he made only three of a possible 16 starts in 2007 because of a severe elbow injury.
And after that injury, the Panthers came apart at the seams.
The Panthers went 2-1 with Delhomme as a starter in '07 and 5-8 without him. Even though Delhomme missed 13 of Carolina's 16 games, he still led the team in touchdown passes. Easily.
The Panthers hope that the 2009 season wouldn't crumble under similar circumstances. The most positive part about Carolina's quarterback quandary in 2007 was the emergence of Moore in the final month of the season. He went 2-1 as a starter, beating two division champions (Seattle and Tampa Bay) and showcasing a strong arm and a knack for throwing from a moving pocket.
Moore looked like the sure No.2 at that point. Vinny Testaverde would re-retire and David Carr was mostly a gloved disaster, leaving Moore as Delhomme's likely backup and the apparent QB of the future.
But late in the 2008 preseason – following four rocky exhibitions in which he didn't lead the team on a single TD drive – Moore broke his left fibula while getting sacked against Pittsburgh. That necessitated Carolina trading a seventh-round pick for McCown, who had started 31NFL games in Arizona and Oakland but was expendable in Miami.
McCown, 29, has since become the Panthers' No.2 quarterback. He didn't throw a single pass last season – Delhomme threw every one – but he has a fair amount of respect from his teammates.
Said Pro Bowl left tackle Jordan Gross: “Josh has a good grasp at what's going on. He's a really good leader too, like Jake. He's definitely somebody that if he gets in the game, I'll feel comfortable with…. If he messes up, he'll own up to it.”
As for Moore, Gross offers a more qualified assessment.
“Fans got to see Matt a little bit his rookie year,” Gross said, “and he obviously did some really good things. … He's still as raw as they come, though. Last year he was injured for a lot of it, missed a ton of time and didn't really get any good reps. He's rough around the edges still. He's confident in the huddle and makes some good reads, but he still has got a lot of football to learn.”
Moore doesn't dispute this. “I can work on everything, including command,” Moore said. “And if you stay in Jake's back pocket, you're going to learn a lot. That's what I'm trying to do. I understand I'm not going to get time in the regular season, although if it were to come up, I'd be ready. But the preseason will be fun.”
McCown, who is five years older than Moore, also admires Delhomme's work. He compares his own style to Delhomme's, in fact, saying: “The reason I like Jake so much is I identify with him and the way he plays the game – with his heart.”
McCown has started regularly for both Arizona and Oakland at different points in his career. The Panthers are his fifth NFL team in eight seasons (counting last year's preseason time with Miami). McCown said this is the first year since high school in which he will have the same offensive coordinator (Jeff Davidson) for two years in a row.
“I'm enjoying it,” McCown said. “I know the offense now. I can actually go out and get better as a quarterback without worrying about what we're calling a post route or a comeback route this year.”
McCown was known in his previous stops for good athleticism. He actually played receiver in a pinch once in Detroit, and caught two passes against New England. He also was known for his scrambling – and for not sliding, either, when he was about to get hit.
“For whatever reason, it usually doesn't enter my head to slide,” McCown said. “I focus so much on moving the chains.”
McCown will readily admit that, like Delhomme (or Moore, for that matter), he is not a picture-perfect quarterback.
“I think that's a misconception about quarterbacks, that if you don't come out and look just like Peyton Mannning, you're not very good,” McCown said. “Peyton is a great player. Tom Brady is exceptional. But there are guys who have not been as pretty as that who have led teams for a long time.”
In fact, Delhomme, McCown and Moore all have a number of similarities. When Moore was draft-eligible out of college, at least one prominent draft guide compared his abilities to – wait for it – Josh McCown.
Is it a good or bad thing to have three quarterbacks with similar skill sets? That's a whole debate in itself.
But for the 2009 season, there's no doubt about this: If Delhomme gets hurt, the two guys behind him will strive to play the position in a similar way to No.17. And whoever can accomplish that task best in the preseason will undoubtedly serve as Carolina's top backup in September.
