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Funny how a team that opened the season with five straight wins and now is riding a six-game streak is getting so little respect. That's the situation in which the Panthers find themselves, which is understandable when you consider their opponent has won its last 14 games.
If the Patriots had faltered even once since September, the Panthers might be getting some love from more of the pundits. Carolina is a very good football team, one with no real weaknesses. And it's capable of winning this game.
The Panthers can run the ball with Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster, and Jake Delhomme can pass it to Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad, who are averaging 23.1 and 19.3 yards per catch, respectively, in the playoffs. Delhomme has emerged as more than just a caretaker quarterback; he can win games.
Carolina's defensive line gets all the publicity, but the secondary, once a weakness, has been playing very well. Cornerback Ricky Manning's game-turning interception against St. Louis and three picks against Philadelphia are proof of that.
With Bill Belichick and John Fox at the controls, this figures to be a defensive contest. Both ...