Wow, has anyone else seen this?

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031784713901&path=!sports!football!sub!article&s=1037645509262


Sunday, August 28, 2005
Foster is expecting to back up Davis again for Panthers


By Joe Menzer
JOURNAL REPORTER

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CLEVELAND

The preseason numbers don't lie. In three games, DeShaun Foster has carried the football 24 times for 108 yards.

That's a 4.5 average gain for every time he takes the handoff, more than acceptable by anyone's standards.

But Foster knows that there are things he could be doing better, and he also knows his place. When Stephen Davis returns to action, which is likely to be in this Thursday's preseason finale against Pittsburgh at Bank of America Stadium, Foster realizes he will be headed to the bench.

He already has resigned himself to it, even after gaining 56 yards on nine carries in just one half in last Friday's 23-20 preseason win over the Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

"We all know Stephen's the starter. That's just how it is," Foster said. "And we've got a good player right there, so it's going to help the team out and we're glad to have him back. Now we're just trying to get him ready for the season."

Davis hasn't played in a game since last Oct. 17 at Philadelphia, when he tested a right knee that had required arthroscopic surgery only a few weeks earlier. When soreness and swelling in the knee persisted after that outing in Philly, Davis eventually underwent microfracture surgery on the knee.

Davis returned to practices only last week, just before the Panthers broke training camp at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. He appears to be getting closer to returning to the lineup every day, having dressed in full uniform to join the team in warm-up drills at Cleveland.

Foster said he was glad to see Davis back on the field, and can't wait to see him running with the football again.

"Any time you get a guy back like that, it makes the team more complete and everything," Foster said.

"So next week we're looking forward to him getting back out there, and then we'll have some fun with it."

Foster is the first to admit that his close friendship with Davis has helped ease what may otherwise have developed into an awkward situation.

"Absolutely. He's a good guy, so we enjoy each other. We enjoy our time together," Foster said.

None of which means that Foster, drafted in the second round out of UCLA in 2002 with the general idea that by now he would be the Panthers' featured back, has lost his desire to become the team's top runner.

"You're always going to come in and say you want to compete for the position. But they've declared that if he's healthy, Stephen's the starter - and I can't argue with that," Foster said. "All I can do is prepare myself to play and be ready to go when they call my name, so I can help the team out when I can. It's not a big deal. It's just the way it is."

There is another factor in play. The Panthers' coaching staff still doesn't seem quite convinced that Foster can hang onto the football or gain tough yards up the middle as well as Davis can. He didn't help that perception when he fumbled the ball away to set up a Browns field goal in last Friday's game.

"The fumble kind of took away from everything else I did," Foster admitted. "(The defender) got an arm in there, and I was carrying it with the wrong arm. That's what happened on that one."

Foster denied that he still has to prove to the coaching staff that he can consistently make the tough runs through the heart of a defense without losing the football.

"When Stephen's in there, I kind of get the opposite plays. It's not like I can't do that," Foster said. "I just need to take it upon myself to hang onto the football when I take it up in there."

• Joe Menzer can be reached at [email protected]

First Quarter

Car - FG Kasay 22, 6:26.

Car - FG Kasay 45, :10.

Second Quarter

Car - FG Kasay 34, 11:43.

Cle - FG Dawson 26, 4:25.

Cle - Green 4 run (Dawson kick), :36.

Car - S.Smith 30 pass from Delhomme (Kasay kick), :08.

Fourth Quarter

Cle - FG Dawson 47, 11:41.

Cle - McCullough 2 run (T.Jones kick), 5:48.

Car - Hill 21 pass from Weinke (Kasay kick), :45.

A - 69,512.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING - Carolina, Foster 9-56, Robertson 8-47, Goings 3-11, S.Smith 1-8, Shelton 4-7, Cramer 2-5, Weinke 2-5, Delhomme 2-4. Cleveland, Green 7-30, Droughns 10-28, Frye 2-22, McCullough 5-6, Dilfer 1-(minus 1).

PASSING - Carolina, Weinke 9-19-0-94, Delhomme 9-13-0-122. Cleveland, Dilfer 15-23-1-168, Frye 3-8-0-26, D.Johnson 2-5-0-17.

RECEIVING - Carolina, Hoover 5-60, Gaines 4-31, S.Smith 3-59, Hill 1-21, Carter 1-17, Cramer 1-12, Robertson 1-9, Tolver 1-4, Mangum 1-3. Cleveland, Northcutt 4-58, F.Jackson 4-39, Edwards 4-10, Shea 3-32, Green 2-5, Droughns 1-34, Irons 1-23, McIntyre 1-10.

MISSED FIELD GOALS - Carolina, Kasay 47 (BK), 53 (WR). Cleveland, Dawson 35 (WR).

 

Are you saying I'm fat?

 

I had Foster slated to start for one of my FFL teams so I picked up Stephen Davis today just in case. I doubt that it really happens that way though. Davis will have to prove it for me to believe he can still do it.

 

Sorry, I guess I highlighted the advertisement when I copied the story.

 

Actually, it says your fat AND random. Wow.

 

I still think in the interest of bringing Davis back slowly they should start Foster and bring Davis off the bench.

 

One begats the other. It's a curse.

Then again, I don't have a house payment and my oldest son is in 1st grade.

 

That cant be right.

 

It is if you sold your house and you're renting a condo and your son passed kindergarten earlier in the year.

 

I was talking about Davis starting, but sure lol.