Healthy Panthers get off to good start
This much is clear from Carolina’s preseason opener: Steve Smith hasn’t lost his speed, Kris Jenkins hasn’t lost his edge and the Panthers can be a very good team if they stay healthy.
With the bulk of their lineup back on the field for the first time in almost a year, the Panthers got touchdowns from their first, second, third and fourth teams in a 28-10 preseason victory over the Washington Redskins on Saturday night.
It was Carolina’s 10th consecutive preseason win, and gave the Panthers early hope of returning to the level they were playing at when they won the 2003 NFC championship. They never got the chance to defend that title, losing more than a dozen players to season-ending injuries while starting the year 1-7.
“I thought we were pretty special last year, then the injury bug hit,” said Smith, who missed 15 games after breaking his leg in the season opener. “I think we could do some nice things (this year) and this game showed we’re trying to work hard and build off where we left off last year.”
Eagles face Steelers tonight
After two weeks of no-shows and sideshows, distractions and departures and wide receivers who don’t show up or don’t shut up, the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers finally play a game tonight that Pennsylvania preferred to see in February.
Just don’t expect anything resembling playoff-style football from the Eagles, who play for the first time since losing to the Patriots in the Super Bowl, or the Steelers, whose fourth loss in the AFC title game in a decade’s time prevented an all-Keystone State Super Bowl.
The starters for teams that were a combined 28-4 last season will play about a quarter apiece – that is, those regulars that are around. Plenty of marquee names are missing on both sides, from the chatty Terrell Owens and absentee defensive tackle Corey Simon of the Eagles to holdout Hines Ward and the injured Duce Staley and Joey Porter of the Steelers.
Philadelphia’s starting receivers will be Greg Lewis and rookie Reggie Brown, rather than Owens (tossed out of camp) or Todd Pinkston (season-ending injury), and Pittsburgh will start Antwaan Randle El and Cedrick Wilson rather than 2004 starters Ward (holdout) and Plaxico Burress (signed with Giants).
Around the league
Jets quarterback Chad Pennington, recovering from a torn rotator cuff, was scheduled to throw in both practice sessions – the first time since camp began that Pennington will participate in more than one practice. … The Bears agreed to a one-year deal with veteran QB Jeff Blake, two days after expected starter Rex Grossman broke his left ankle.