Panthers back off on tinkering with Delhomme's mechanics

By Darin Gantt - daringantt@carolina.rr.com

CHARLOTTE -- Not only did Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme get a chance to keep his job Wednesday, he might be getting a chance to be himself again.

Along with retaining the starting position, the coaching staff has agreed to back off some of the micro-managing of Delhomme's mechanics — which some feel has held him back this year.

Two sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Herald on Wednesday that quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer had agreed to pull back some of his technical suggestions, and let Delhomme again play the more spontaneous style he's accustomed to.

Scherer was brought in this offseason, after long-time Delhomme mentor Mike McCoy left to become Denver's offensive coordinator. Known as a coach who valued precision, Scherer has put a heavy emphasis on footwork, release points and the other specific aspects of the game. But Delhomme's never been a technical quarterback and would often sidearm passes out of trouble when need be. Such things have been discouraged lately, and there's a sense among the sources that allowing Delhomme some freedom could help him this week as he attempts to bounce back from a wretched start.

Team officials downplayed any shift, saying that coaching is a job that evolves daily, with coaches taking new approaches to players regularly.

Earlier this week, Delhomme downplayed Scherer's new ways as they connected to his struggles, saying: “I'm not looking to blame somebody. The blame goes all on me. That's not something I'm looking to pass judgment on somebody else. It's all on me; I'm the one pulling the trigger.”

“Maybe there are some new things we're doing,” he said Monday. “That comes with every season, with every week, new schemes you put in, certain plays you run well one year, for some reason they're not as good the following year.

“I'm not going to blame anything on that.”

However, it's worth noting that Delhomme's always been his best in two-minute situations, when the game becomes more improvisational.

Delhomme wouldn't elaborate on any conversations he had with coach John Fox or anyone else, saying he valued the privacy.

“Him and I talked a lot in the last couple of days,” Delhomme said of Fox. “We talked a good bit, let me just leave it at that.”