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Sleeper to Watch - Jake Delhomme
First of all, let’s look at last season. And it’s a bit odd because, let’s be honest, he played just two complete games and was injured in the third. But take a look at his numbers: he passed for 624 yards, 8 touchdowns, and just one interception. Span that across a season (I know it’s silly, but let’s do it for kicks) and he could have rivaled Tom Brady! That aside, Delhomme was still probably going to have a pretty darn good season last year. He might not have set any records, but it’s reasonable to suggest he could have thrown for 3,400 yards and 25 touchdowns.
And consider this: at the end of the season, Delhomme had just one touchdown pass less than Vince Young (and 16 fewer interceptions!).
But considering Delhomme over the past several seasons - his career even - it’s clear we expected too much from him, given his supporting cast. After all, the Panthers haven’t exactly been a team that could grind the ball out, so once defenses realized, hey, maybe if we stop the passing game we’ll shut down the offense, the Panthers struggled.
This season, the Panthers will be starting DeAngelo Williams, who averaged 5.0 yards per run and scored 4 touchdowns on 144 carries last season, and will be changing pace with bruising rookie runner Jonathan Stewart. Those two backs figure to give the Panthers a strong run support that will be able to keep defenses honsest.
The Panthers also added Muhsin Muhammad this season, the former Carolina wide receiver who has spent the past several seasons in Chicago. Both “Moosh” and former Seahawks receiver D.J. Hackett will be complementing Steve Smith, a wide receiver who has probably spent the past several season practically begging the Panthers front offense to add some depth to the position.
If Jake Delhomme is healthy when the season kicks off, and he can stay that way throughout the year, there’s no doubt in my mind he has the potential to have a season like he did in 2004 or 2005, when he was throwing for 3,400-3,800 yards and 24+ touchdowns. He just needs a little help from him teammates, and I think he’ll get it.
Tags: 2008, Carolina Panthers, Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football Analysis, Fantasy Football Predictions, NFL, Preview, QB