Published: Monday, Nov. 02, 2009 / Updated: Monday, Nov. 02, 2009 07:26 AM

A measure of revenge for Panthers

Delhomme helps spark Carolina to win over Cardinals in playoff rematch

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- All the folks who wanted to see Matt Moore on Sunday got their wish.

Then again, all the people who were praying for Jake Delhomme to bounce back got theirs as well.

Delhomme finally played a clean game, and the Carolina Panthers were able to erase some of the problems of the past with a 34-21 win at Arizona.

That was only the beginning of the relief for the Panthers, who had to wait for Delhomme to return from a nearby hospital before they could fly home.

He suffered a chest contusion from a third-quarter shot by Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, but the concern was that it was something greater.

Delhomme tried to return, coming back on the next series, but felt a sharp pain when he tried to throw a pass to Steve Smith. Then when he told teammates he felt cold, doctors quickly got him to a nearby hospital for a CT scan.

“My adrenaline was going,” Delhomme said. “My breath came back and everything was fine. ... I was sitting on the sidelines and got a little chilly and felt weak for a second. They were cautious, and I went to the hospital after that.”

Delhomme admitted much of the concern stemmed from the ruptured spleen former Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms suffered in a 2006 game against the Panthers, and that team internist Dr. Robert Heyer kept imploring him to “be honest with me.”

But the simple fact he tried to come back was a boost for a team that built a huge lead but never seemed to secure the win until after Delhomme's Willis Reed act.

“That sent a message to the whole team right there,” said injured backup quarterback Josh McCown, who sat with Delhomme on the sidelines after the hit. “A lot of people would have given up, but he wasn't going to.”

Once they knew Delhomme was physically fine, the simple matter that he might have saved his career settled in.

When Moore ran off the field, he was carrying the ball with him, and laid it in Delhomme's vacant locker as a trophy.

“I'm giving that one to 17,” Moore said with a grin. “He deserved it.”

Not bad, as many wanted this to be the start of Moore's run as starter.

The last week was tumultuous for Delhomme, who for the first time had his job security called into question. Panthers coach John Fox admitted last week he wasn't sure if starting Delhomme against the Cardinals was the right thing to do, but announced the decision Wednesday to clear things up.

That led to what Delhomme called “a great week of practice,” and for once, it showed up in the game.

“I know a lot was made this week, but Jake is without a doubt our quarterback,” Fox said. “He might have sharpened our team up a little bit, and I think it definitely helped our offense.”

Delhomme completed 7 of 14 passes for 90 yards. That might not look like much, but considering he went without a turnover for the first time since the 2008 regular-season finale, and actually threw a touchdown to a wide receiver — a 50-yard beauty to Steve Smith — it was all anyone could ask for.

That's because in addition to Delhomme's clean sheet, the Panthers took a huge step toward correcting their turnover margin.

They entered the game a league-worst minus-14 in turnover ratio — “Truth be told, we were fortunate to win two games,” Fox said — but forced six Cardinals turnovers Sunday. The defense picked off Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner five times and forced a fumble, returning the favor for the identical day by Delhomme in January's playoff game that started Delhomme's nightmare run.

That game was on many minds Sunday night, as the horror of that 33-13 playoff loss at home haunted the Panthers throughout the offseason. Though no one would say it out loud last week, it clearly cast a pall over the entire organization, and a number of players said in the aftermath that getting this kind of win could springboard them to more.

“It wasn't just the last six weeks,” running back DeAngelo Williams said. “It started back in the divisional playoff game last year, when they came in and just handed it to us. The guys who were here last year that were a part of that game, we took it real serious, and went out today and it showed.