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Fullback Tony Fiammetta made his regular-season debut last Sunday. With Brad Hoover doubtful for Monday night, the rookie could find himself receiving plenty of work Monday night against Dallas. (PHOTO: ANDREW MASON / PANTHERS.COM)

CHARLOTTE -- There are must-wins, there are absolute-wins, and there are the scenarios in which only a win keeps your season from dying.

The Panthers aren't at the third juncture yet, but they're clearly at the first, and might well be at the second when it comes to team morale heading into a bye week. It's not all-or-nothing, but a win Monday is vital if the Panthers are to get back on course for a goal they've repeated when breaking some pregame huddles this year -- "Super Bowl champs."

"Vital is an understatement," linebacker Jon Beason said. "Oh-and-three is just not a possibility. This is a must-win."

So were the two games that preceded it, noted running back Jonathan Stewart, although the urgency is more palpable given the results of the last fortnight.

"Every game is a defining moment," Stewart said. "Everyone only remembers the last game, so the last game we lost, and that's what people remember. We can put up a 'W.'"

Added quarterback Jake Delhomme: "Being 0-2, you've got to do anything and everything in your power to try to get yourself a win. That's the ultimate goal, and it's what we're trying to do."

The Panthers' situation forces a narrow focus; any talk of long-term goals has vanished, because none are likely to happen without first erasing the round number in the win column.

"You try to be 1-2. That's what we're focused on -- doing whatever we can to try and be 1-2 when we're sitting here next week," Delhomme said. "And Dallas is sitting there saying they're going to try and be 2-1. That's what it is.

"If you worry about what happens down the line, you're cheating yourself. Do anything and everything possible to get yourself ready to play and play well on Monday."

That means focusing on the short-term task, and not panicking over its implications.

"The sky is not falling. I promise it's not," safety Chris Harris said. "It's 0-2. Did we want to start 0-2? Absolutely not. But we have, so ...

"We haven't even completed the first quarter (of the season); we've only played two games and we're 0-2. That's not where we want to be, but it's not the end of the world, either. Just because you're 0-2, you still have 14 more games to play.

"So there's no panic button around here. Sense of urgency, yes, but no panic. We need to play a little better, get things right and get the ball rolling."

BUT THE PANTHERS MIGHT HAVE TO DO WITHOUT HARRIS for a third consecutive week, as he was one of three players listed as doubtful for Monday night's game, joining fullback Brad Hoover and defensive end Everette Brown. None of them practiced Saturday.

"Chris is kind of that quarterback of the defense on the back end," head coach John Fox said. "Anytime you have a starter out of his mental and football character, (it hurts)."

IF HOOVER SITS OUT, the fullback duties fall upon rookie Tony Fiammetta, who played throughout the second half last Sunday after being inactive in Week 1.

"Thank goodness we did (activate him in Atlanta)," Fox said. "He's coming on, and we feel good about him, both in the kicking game and on offense."

THE ONLY PLAYER RULED OUT for Monday is linebacker Na'il Diggs, who suffered a bruised rib in Atlanta and has not practiced since. James Anderson took his place in the lineup last week; if he starts against the Cowboys, it will be his first starting assignment in nearly 10 years, since a Sept. 30, 2007 game against Tampa Bay.