CHARLOTTE -- "Stats are for losers," as head coach John Fox is wont to say. But Matt Moore's numbers through three starts are those of a winner.
Against the Vikings, Moore completed 21 of his 33 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, and was at his best in the game's decisive moments: in the fourth quarter, when his quarterback rating was 153.3 (5-of-7 for 160 yards and two touchdowns), and on third downs, when his rating was 132.4 (8-of-14 for 145 yards and two scores).
"He did a great job last week," said fellow quarterback
With a 4-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio since stepping into the starting lineup Dec. 6, Moore now has a 107.7 rating as a starter -- which, if sustained over a season, would place him in elite company. But numbers don't tell everything, something Moore understands, which keeps him grounded even after he spent the better part of Sunday night and Monday getting pats on the back and high-fives from fans, friends and teammates alike.
"You just try and be the same guy," Moore said. "The outside praise is always good, and you appreciate that, but you know you've got a good team waiting for you on Sunday, so you can't get too high or too low. You've just got to keep going. That's kind of the way the league works."
That ties in with the most significant part of Moore's game that has improved since his first starting assignments in 2007.
"The cerebral part. You've got to truly understand the whole concept of being a quarterback in the National Football League, not just the X's and O's. I think that's the biggest thing about it," Delhomme said. "Taking care of your body, putting in the preparation, things of that nature. That's something that you learn, and he's grown a lot in that the last few years."
This month has offered the first chance for him to apply the lessons -- and now, to do so with the knowledge that the job is his for the balance of the season with Delhomme on injured reserve.
"Everything's repetitive now," Moore said. "We know what to expect every day and how to prepare day by day throughout the week. Those things are just going to help everybody on Sunday."
BUT HE MIGHT HAVE TO DO WITHOUT running backs
Three other Panthers are listed as questionable: Moore, with a right shoulder injury, cornerback
FORECAST: Given the range of potential conditions for Sunday, the Panthers will likely be pleased with the expected weather conditions: mostly sunny skies and high temperatures hitting the upper 40s, which would be approximately 10 degrees warmer than the temperature in Charlotte for last Sunday's win over the Minnesota Vikings.
