Charlotte, NC (Sportsbooks) - Jake Delhomme threw for a pair of scores, notching his 100th touchdown as a Panther, and Muhsin Muhammad set a franchise record with his 45th TD reception as Carolina routed Atlanta, 24-9.
Delhomme finished with 294 yards on 20-of-29 passing for the Panthers (3-1), who recorded their 100th franchise win. Muhammad had eight grabs for 147 yards to go with his score. Jonathan Stewart had 14 carries for 52 yards and a score, which marked his third straight game with a rushing TD. Steve Smith also had a score on six catches and 96 yards.
"Moose was a productive player while he was here," Carolina head coach John Fox said. "Obviously, he wasn't productive for us while he wasn't here. I think he's kind of stepped back up where he left off. He's been the same guy which is a good thing."
Carolina was bitten by the injury bug during the triumph, as tackles Jeff Otah (right ankle) and Jordan Gross (concussion) both went down during the game.
Matt Ryan was less than spectacular, going 21-of-41 for 158 yards for the Falcons (2-2). Michael Turner had 18 touches and gained 56 yards in defeat. Roddy White had seven catches for 90 yards. Jason Elam accounted for all the Atlanta offense by kicking three field goals.
After stopping the Falcons on the opening drive of the game, the Panthers took a 7-0 lead on their first possession after travelling 80 yards in 11 plays.
Stewart tried to go up the middle, but bounced outside to his left and scampered across the goal line for an eight-yard touchdown run with 7:13 left in the opening frame.
"Games in this league don't get easier," Atlanta head coach Mike Smith said. "The things that went on out there are all things we can fix."
Elam nailed a 33-yard field goal late in the first which sent the game into the second quarter with Carolina on top, 7-3.
Carolina was forced to punt early in the second stanza, and when Jason Baker bobbled the snap, it gave John Abraham time to make his way through the line and block the kick. The Falcons took over at the Panthers' 25-yard line but were unable to advance the ball and settled for a 44-yard field goal from Elam, making it 7-6.
The Panthers started a drive from their own 20 with 4:31 to play before the intermission, and it took the team four plays to find paydirt. The drive was capped by a 56-yard scoring strike from Delhomme to Smith down the middle of the field to make it 14-6.
Elam added a 44-yarder with under a minute left in the half to send the game into the break at 14-9 in favor of Carolina.
John Kasay drained a 44-yard field goal with 1:39 left in the third stanza to give the Panthers a 17-9 lead, which would hold up through the quarter. With the field goal, Kasay remained perfect on the year at 8-for-8.
The Panthers embarked on a drive from their own 44 with 14:51 left in the game. After four meager plays, Delhomme hit Muhammad on a 36-yard TD strike deep down the right side of the field to balloon the lead to 24-9.
"I thought Jake did well," said Fox. "He put some balls in some spots. Guys made some good catches. We didn't turn it over. We didn't throw interceptions. Overall, I think we did pretty well."
Game Notes
For the Panthers, kick returner Ryne Robinson, knee, was inactive for a fourth straight game despite returning to practice last week. Also, left guard Travelle Wharton was in the starting lineup after missing two games with a sprained right knee. In addition, Carolina receiver Dwayne Jarrett, a second- round pick last year, was a healthy scratch for a second straight week...Referee Ed Hochuli was at the center of another questionable call Sunday, flagging Julius Peppers for a roughing-the-passer penalty that wiped out Carolina's interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter. After Ryan's pass was intercepted by Richard Marshall, Hochuli threw a flag and announced Peppers made a helmet-to-helmet hit on Ryan. It erased the touchdown and gave the Falcons a first down on a drive that ended with a punt. Replays showed Peppers made contact as Ryan released the ball, and appeared to hit him first with his shoulder. The blunder was the second for Hochuli this season, as he also was criticized for blowing his whistle late in a Denver-San Diego game earlier this campaign.
