NFL- Panthers take revenge, beat the Cardinals 34-21

The Carolina Panthers were the big surprise in Week 8 of the NFL. The team beat the Arizona Cardinals 34-21 on Sunday, taking revenge for a humiliating loss in the 2008 playoffs. During the rematch, the Panthers were a changed team: Jake Delhomme recovered from a slew of interceptions last week for a mistake-free game, while Carolina’s defense was on the ball. The key to the Panthers’ victory was the five interceptions suffered by Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner. The Panthers are now situated in third place of the NFC South with a 3-4 record, while the Cardinals, despite the loss, are still in first place of the NFC West with a 4-3 record. Both teams came into the first quarter aggressive and determined. Regardless, however, the Cardinals’ strength of mind didn’t stop Jonathon Stewart from running a 6-yard touchdown for the Panthers to open the score at 7-0. Minutes later, Arizona responded with a 14-yard pass from Warner to LaRod Stephens-Howling, who carried the ball for a touchdown and drew the score to a tie. The second quarter saw a dramatic shift. Arizona lost any semblance of control in the game while Carolina made three touchdowns to add 21 points to the score. Stewart made the first of the quarter with a 10-yard run; then Delhomme sent a 50-yard pass to Steven Smith for the second. The third came when Julius Peppers intercepted Warner, and the Panthers players took the ball to the end zone and launched the score to 28-7. The Cardinals didn’t score during the quarter. In the third, Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner threw his second touchdown pass in one yard to Ben Patrick, bringing the Cardinals up to 14. However, entering the fourth quarter, Arizona’s options were limited. The team managed a 1-yard touchdown by Tim Hightower, but the Panthers’ John Kasay kicked two field goals – 35 and 31 yards, respectively – to end the Cardinals’ chances and the game as well. The final score was 34-21, for the Panthers. The game is just another example of the difficulty Arizona has had playing at home this season; in just week 8, the Cardinals have lost more games in their stadium than they did in all of 2008. "It's very disappointing that we aren't playing better at home right now," stated Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt. "We have the same record that we were at this time last year. I still feel like we're a better football team. We just didn't play that way today." Warner’s 5 interceptions and 2 touchdowns were among the 27 passes he completed of 46; he also threw for 242 yards. Panthers quarterback Delhomme, on the other hand, completed 7 of 14 passes for 90 yards with one touchdown before he was forced to leave the game due to a chest slam. Peppers also had a great performance for the Panthers, with one tackle, one assist, one sack of a quarterback, an interception returned for scoring and a forced fumble. The Cardinals’ next game will be against the Chicago Bears on Sunday November 8th, whereas the Carolina Panthers will face the New Orleans Saints on the same day.