Things to watch for Panthers in the second half

By Darin Gantt - daringantt@carolina.rr.com

CHARLOTTE -- Eight down, eight to go.

Here are eight things that either bug or puzzle us as the Carolina Panthers head down the stretch. They're 6-2 with two patsies coming up and everything looks good, but there are enough moving parts that make the back half of the season much more exciting than the front:

• It's hard to argue that the Panthers aren't one of the top three teams in the NFC. But at the same time, it's hard to pick the six that are making the playoffs this year without running the risk of being very, very wrong.

The field's stronger than any year in recent memory, much better than it was supposed to be this year.

So as good as they've been in the first half, they might need to match it in the second half for it to matter. An 8-8 record's not getting you in the NFC tournament this year, and 10-6 might leave you with a long road to Tampa -- as in no home games in January.

• If there's a team in the division the Panthers need to really worry about, it's Atlanta. Yes, Atlanta.

That win over the Falcons on Sept. 28 might be the signature victory of the first half, if you look at it with a clinical eye and not preconceived notions of who's good and who's bad.

The Falcons are young enough that they don't know they're not supposed to be in this thing. But much like the 2003 Panthers, they are smack dab in the middle of it.

They run well and often, they've got a smart young quarterback, a hotshot young receiver and a defense that can get after quarterbacks. Sound familiar?

• Of all the things worth worrying about in the second half, Julius Peppers doesn't even crack the top ten. He's fine and will make plays. If the other three-fourths of the defensive line pulls its weight, the team will also be OK.

However, if we're wondering in three months who the starting ends in 2009 will be, they've got problems. That means Peppers' contract situation and the development of Charles Johnson still are unsettled. They need to have a good idea about at least one or else they've got issues of the long-term kind.

• I remember thinking during training camp the Panthers' linebacker position was deep. Funny how a third-round rookie's knee injury changes things.

If the Panthers had to go to Landon Johnson, James Anderson or Adam Seward in a real-live game, they'd be nervous, or should be. Not sure Dan Connor would have made them any more confident, but he had an upside I'm not sure the other three do.

• They took care of John Kasay last week, but that's probably it for future deals over the course of 2008. But as much ink as will be spilled over the contract status of Peppers, Jordan Gross and Chris Gamble (you know, the $200 million or so worth of deals which are looming), there are actually two others the Panthers need to be mindful of.

Quarterback Jake Delhomme's contract is up after 2009. They're lucky he doesn't want to go anywhere else and that he's amenable. This still needs to be addressed, because if you ever wondered about his value, you should stop now.

But the next big one will be linebacker Jon Beason. Technically speaking, he's under contract through 2012. But keep an eye on what happens with emerging young MLBs such as Houston's DeMeco Ryans, up after 2009. Whenever Ryans cashes in, that's going to set the floor for Beason, who's quickly becoming the signature player of this defense.

• D.J. Hackett, meet Rod Gardner. You guys know Kevin Dyson, right? Hey, where's Ike Byrd? He was supposed to bring the dip.

There's short-time, and there's short-time. It's looking more and more like the Hackett experiment is going to last a year and that's it. Dwayne Jarrett's coming along well enough it's easy to imagine him moving into Hackett's role next year and eventually Muhsin Muhammad's the year after that. But don't forget about Ryne Robinson, who was having a very good camp before a knee injury.

• Jeremy Bridges and Geoff Hangartner have been as important to the first-half success as anyone. But they really need to get their starting line together for a minute.

The projected starting five has played 39 of 489 snaps this season. That's not enough, and it's a compound problem. When they do come back, they will not have played together. And since you're talking about a second-year center (Ryan Kalil) and a rookie right tackle (Jeff Otah) on either side of a veteran who hasn't played 16 games since 2004 (guard Keydrick Vincent), the strong side might not be looking as strong as it once did.

• I can't decide if Jonathan Stewart has hit a bit of a wall or whether he's one of those guys who needs most of the carries to look his best. If the latter is true, he's going to look this way all year, because DeAngelo Williams is running well enough to keep his share.

After taking a few weeks to trust his big toe, Stewart looked good. Then he didn't, and it's either because he's playing rookie catch-up or he's not quite ready for the physical demands of a 16-game season quite yet. They have to strike the right balance of keeping him in enough work and getting Williams the carries he's earned.