CHARLOTTE— Funny things happen to teams in the midst of a 13-game losing streak.
The Panthers weren’t in much of a laughing mood after a huge blunder cost them Sunday’s game against the Rams, though.
St. Louis turned a Carolina field-goal attempt into seven points the other way and got 202 yards rushing from Marshall Faulk to earn a 38-32 win over the Panthers.
“Again, we did some great things out there, but we weren’t able to close the deal,”said Carolina quarterback Chris
Weinke, who threw for a career-high 312 yards in the loss.
The offense looked fine for much of the day, putting up its highest point total of the season. But the four points the Panthers (1-13) didn’t get haunted them.
With 53 seconds to play in the first half, one of Carolina’s best players this season —punter ToddSauerbrun —was holding for a John Kasay field-goal attempt. The ball skirted through his hands, St. Louis’ Dré Bly picked it up past midfield and tossed a lateral to Dexter McCleon for the final 29 yards to the end zone.
The 10-point swing gave the Rams a 21-10 lead the Panthers couldn’t overcome.
“It seems like every game it’s a different phase. It just happened to be the special teams today,”Panthers safety Mike Minter said. “We hung up in there, were playing hard, but they made plays. That’s why they’re the best team.”
Carolina took advantage of a slow start by Rams quarterback Kurt Warner, who threw an interception
onSt. Louis’ first series. Weinke answered with a 27-yard strike to Isaac Byrd for a quick 7-0 lead.
Warner didn’t look good on the Rams’ second series, either, which is why Faulk got nine carries the next time around. That set up a Warner to Ricky Proehl connection from 6 yards out to tie the game.
“Kurt started off kind of slow and they did a smart thing —start handing the ball off to Marshall,”Minter said. “Once Marshall got them rolling, Kurt got back in the rhythm of the game and made some big plays for them.
“That’s how their offense runs,”Minter added. “One MVP ain’t doing well, give it to the other guy. That’s the type of weapons they have.”
Both stars were just getting warmed up. Following a Kasay field goal that put the Panthers ahead 10-7, Warner hit N.C. State grad Torry Holt on a 46-yard strike to set up Faulk’s 4-yard run.
After the pre-halftime entertainment, Carolina pulled within 21-16 on a Kasay boot of 30 yards early in the third quarter. But Faulk answered with a 70-yard burst in which he stiff-armed Dan Morgan at the line and out-ran Minter to the end zone.
The 70-yard dash made it 31-16 with 3:21 left in the third quarter. It was Faulk’s second-longest run of the season — his 71-yarder on Nov. 11 helped St. Louis whitewash the Panthers 48-14 in the Gateway City.
“They can take that a little personal,” Faulk said. “I’m glad they’re moving to a different division (next year) and I don’t have to play them again.”
St. Louis (12-2) couldn’t pull away like in the first meeting, thanks in part to Az-Zahir Hakim’s fumbled punt return that led to a Richard Huntley touchdown run and a 31-23 Panther deficit.
Carolina got back within nine points again with 4:56 left in the game, but it stayed a two-possession contest when Sauerbrun had the extra-point snap fly right through his hands.
Instead of going for a touchdown and two-point conversion on the final drive, the Panthers settled for a field goal, then didn’t get the onsides kick with 22 seconds remaining.
“It’s frustrating, big time,”Sauerbrun said. “There’s no reason for it. These things happen. Why?I don’t know.”
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Contact Steve Hanf at 704-797-4256 or shanf@salisburypost.com
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