News

Fullback Tyrell Sutton was valiant in making his first NFL start -- and doing so out of position. (PHOTO: ANDREW MASON / PANTHERS.COM)

NEW ORLEANS -- With Brad Hoover watching in Charlotte and Tony Fiammetta consigned to the sideline because of a concussion, the Panthers did what they could, with what they had -- which didn't include previous experience at fullback.

That meant giving running back Tyrell Sutton his first career start -- and first NFL regular-season action of any kind -- and utilizing guard Mackenzy Bernadeau in short-yardage situations.

"Those guys gave it everything they had," head coach John Fox said.

Neither was of ideal fullback size. The 213-pound Sutton was about 30 pounds too light; the 308-pound Bernadeau was around 65 pounds too heavy. But Sutton carries his weight on a 5-foot-8 frame, while Bernadeau has fairly deft footwork for a man at his position.

"I thought our guys that stepped in did a good job," left tackle Jordan Gross said. "We need some fullbacks, obviously. We did okay without them."

The results were mixed. Sutton showed some spark with the football and provided the Panthers with another ballcarrying option, picking up nine yards on the game's first play and averaging 5.0 yards on three carries. But the Panthers had to adjust to Sutton's skill set and experience. With no experience on blitz pickup as a pro, the team would occasionally use its running back to handle the incoming linebacker, leaving Sutton to run a short route into the flat.

"I thought Tyrell did a pretty good job considering he's a running back and hadn't even been in camp with us," Fox said.

While Sutton and Bernadeau fared as well as could be expected, there were bumps -- most notably the collision between Bernadeau and quarterback Jake Delhomme after a bobbled snap in first-and-goal from the New Orleans 1 in the third quarter. The play lost six yards and Carolina couldn't recover, ultimately settling for a 25-yard John Kasay field goal.

"I thought in the second half some things came back to haunt us, like not having any fullbacks," Fox acknowledged.

"I might have hit the quarterback," Bernadeau added. "It's something that I've got to adjust to."

But the fact that Bernadeau and Sutton were able to play -- and help running back DeAngelo Williams to a 149-yard, two-touchdown day -- gave the Panthers a chance they might not have had without their steps forward to play out of position.

Hoover and Fiammetta were helpful in easing the transition.

"I talked to Hoover and Tony beforehand," Bernadeau said. "They said, just get a feel for it. The first time can be tough because it's full speed, game situation, but after that, just get a feel for it ... and you'll be set."

"Hoov and Tony, they get all the credit," Sutton said.

DAVIS HURT: The Panthers might have lost more than just a game Sunday, as they await further updates on the status of weakside linebacker Thomas Davis, who left in the fourth quarter with a knee injury.

"Any time you don't know what's wrong with the knee, it's definitely scary," linebacker Jon Beason said. "It's just unfortunate. He's having a great season. Pro Bowl numbers. I can't think of any outside linebacker in the NFL who's playing better than him right now."

Landon Johnson filled in for Davis, who also missed time in the preseason with a knee injury and was sidelined for the Week 7 game against Buffalo due to a hamstring strain suffered in practice.

"We've just got to keep the faith," Beason said. "Hopefully everything works out and (Davis) will be back."

SPLIT SECONDS: Rookie offensive lineman Garry Williams was active for the first time in his career, but did not play ... The Panthers completed the road half of their division schedule 1-2. This is the first time since 1999 that the team played all of its divisional road games before playing any in Charlotte ... Through eight games, the Panthers have four more first downs and 170 more yards than their opponents, but have scored 48 fewer points ... Carolina had as many first-quarter touchdowns Sunday (two) as they did in their previous seven first quarters.