NFL Team Report: Panthers LB Davis’ Knee Injury Believed To Be Serious

Carolina Panthers WLB Thomas Davis(notes) injured his right knee in the loss at New Orleans, and teammates feared it could be serious. Davis, one of the team’s top players, missed a month of preseason with an MCL sprain in the same knee. "We’re hoping that it’s better than he expects it is," SLB Na’il Diggs(notes) said. "Right now, all we can do is stay optimistic. Maybe it’s just a couple of weeks with an MCL or whatever." Losing Davis would be a huge blow. Even though Landon Johnson(notes) is a capable backup, he doesn’t make the kind of explosive plays that Davis can make, and the Panthers’ defense would change dramatically without him. …

RE Julius Peppers(notes) suffered an injury to his right hand and had a large wrap on it after the game. Peppers said he simply "fell on it" and shrugged off questions. He was held without a sack for the first time in a month and was credited with one tackle and one quarterback pressure. … The Panthers also had to juggle their offense because they didn’t have a fullback available and had only two tight ends. Consequently, they had backup G Mackenzy Bernadeau(notes) at fullback on a first-and-goal play from the Saints’ 1 in the third quarter. He ran into QB Jake Delhomme(notes), resulting in a 6-yard loss, and the Panthers had to settle for a field goal.

— Darin Gantt

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