The Falcons were expected to win this game but found themselves in a bad position when Michael Turner left the game in the first half. In the end, the Panthers put the game away with a 45-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Stewart.

Michael Turner Suffers High Ankle Sprain

This game was very promising for Turner as the Panthers have struggled to stop the run this season. Turner started the game off with a bang with nine carries for 111 yards on the ground.

Unfortunately, in the process of Turner’s dominant first half he had his ankle rolled up on and suffered a game ending injury. This was clearly a game changer for both teams as the Falcons had to play on without their stud.

From a fantasy football perspective, this was a killer blow for fantasy owners this week. Beyond losing a potential dominant performance Turner may be out for a few week’s with the injury.

We will know more about the ankle come Monday so stay tuned for updates on our weekly Starter Help column on Monday.

Jonathan Stewart Scores Twice

Both Stewart and Steve Smith scored twice for the Panthers to help them win the game. Stewart’s final touchdown put the team up for good as they had a 28 to 19 lead with little time left.

This was a big win for the Panthers as it keeps them in the playoff hunt for at least a few more weeks.

Next week they will play an early game on Thursday night against the Dolphins. Ronnie Brown was injured this week against the Buccaneers, and we will see if he can play on short rest.

NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com

Early this week it looked like the Panthers might bench quarterback Jake Delhomme in favor of backup Matt Moore. In the end, head coach John Fox decided to stick with his veteran quarterback for another game and Delhomme rewarded him with a victory.

Delhomme and Smith Hook Up

This season hasn’t bee a good one for fantasy football owners with Steve Smith on their rosters. Smith didn’t have a touchdown coming into this game but by the end of this contest, he did get a 50-yard touchdown catch.

Smith has now put together a couple of nice games since his horrible game against the Buccaneers in week six.

Next week the Panthers play against the Saints and I’m sure Smith with have plenty of opportunities to produce in that game.

Panthers Running Games Goes Wild

The Panthers running game was supposed to struggle against the Cardinals’ league leading defense against the run. Instead DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart dominated the Cardinals and shredded their defense all day.

Williams had over 150 yards and Stewart had two rushing touchdowns.

If the Panthers can continue to run the football this way they may pull out a decent season after all.

Kurt Warner Turns the Ball Over Six Times

Many expected the Cardinals to have a strong game against the Panthers and run away with a victory. Instead Kurt Warner and the Cardinals struggled all day long and had a very bad loss.

Arizona had a golden opportunity to advance their lead over the 49ers with a victory but they failed to get the job done.

NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com

This week the Carolina Panthers announced they plan to stick with their struggling veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme. This news came as a surprise to some but not to me. I say that not because I believe it’s the right move but because head coach John Fox is too loyal to his veterans.

This is not the first time we have seen coach Fox be overly loyal to veterans as just a few years ago he continued to start DeShaun Foster over DeAngelo Williams. Foster wasn’t cutting it and Williams was the more explosive player.

In the end, it really wasn’t until the next season in 2008 that Williams was given a chance to start. This was also funny given the fact that the Panthers drafted a relatively high first round pick on running back Jonathan Stewart.

The reason Fox makes these moves is because he believes in playing his veteran over a younger player.

Sometimes that works for Fox and other times like this situation between quarterbacks (and Foster over Williams) it really hurts the team.

How Long Will it Last?

Although Fox is overly loyal to his veteran players, I don’t believe Delhomme will play much longer if he doesn’t improve. This weekend the Panthers travel to Arizona to take on the Cardinals.

Remember, last year in the playoffs Delhomme was intercepted five times by this same secondary. One could easily build a case that Delhomme has never been the same since that very game.

If Delhomme should struggle early on than I believe you will see coach Fox turn to Matt Moore in the middle of the game.

What Happens After That?

Once Moore takes over as quarterback we will probably see him play for a few weeks. In that time if the Panthers offense should continue to struggle I would expect to see quarterback A.J. Feeley get the nod.

Feeley had success with the Philadelphia Eagles in the past and is a more proven player than Moore. If Feeley is in, he should be able to at least move the offense with better efficiency than Delhomme.

If either Feeley or Moore get on a hot streak they could help bring back the fantasy values of the key players in the offense.

Right now, Delhomme is killing the fantasy values of Williams, Stewart and highly talented receiver Steve Smith.

Hopefully, change will come and it will be very soon. Fantasy football owners are being killed by Delhomme.

NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com

Laurence Maroney carrier has been one of disappointment to fantasy football owners over his career. Since Maroney was selected as a first round pick from Minnesota, he was thought to of been the next feature runner in New England.

Unfortunately, Maroney has had a troubling shoulder injury that has plagued his career up to this season.

Another problem that Maroney has dealt with is that the Patriots love to use multiple running backs. With the use of multiple runners, Maroney has never had the chance to be the player he could have been.

A Change for Better

So far, this season Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris have suffered injuries and this has given Maroney a new opportunity. Last week Maroney got the start and shredded the Titans’ defense for over 100 yards on 16 carries.

Not only did he hit the century mark, but he also flashed a burst of speed in the open field with a first quarter 60 plus yard touchdown run.

This was the type of performance that fantasy football owners hope he would produce over the years.

No doubt many fantasy football players are resentful of Maroney’s past as he has busted more than one year. Not only was Maroney a bust, but in many fantasy football drafts, he was selected as a top 30 pick player.

Believing at a Cheep Price

Maybe the biggest reason I’m on board with Maroney being a decent producer (at least this coming week) is the fact that he is a cheep pickup. You won’t have to waste a high draft pick on this guy, and he could help your team during the bye weeks.

This coming Sunday, Maroney will start against the sorry Buccaneers defense. The Buccaneers have been horrible on defense this season and Maroney should get at least 15 touches against them.

As we found out with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart last week, it doesn’t take many carries to produce big.

Fantasy Football Ranking for Laurence Maroney

If you can get Maroney on the waiver wire still I suggest you pick him up and at least stash him away. This young running back is still talented, and if he stays healthy and gets a decent workload he should produce.

At this time, I would keep Maroney on your team at least until we see if Sammy Morris can return and play effectively.

NFL Fantasy Football Information writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com

The Carolina Panthers needed a win to get their season on the right track. Fantasy football owners that have Panther players wanted to see this team win just so they stay competitive.

Jake Delhomme Leads Come Back

This game started bad for the Panthers offense but Jake Delhomme was up for the challenge of leading the team back. Late in the 2nd half the Panthers were down by 15 points but came back and took the lead over the Redskins.

This comeback was helped by steady running by DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Stewart put the team up for good with a 4-yard touchdown run in the four quarter.

This was a big win for the Panthers, and hopefully they can build on this going into next week against the Buccaneers.

Clinton Portis Scores Twice

Much has been made this week about Clinton Portis’s fantasy football value. This week he showed that he still has fantasy football life as he had two touchdowns.

Hopefully, Portis can continue this good play and continue to help fantasy football owners.

NFL Fantasy Football Information writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com

This was a crucial game for both teams as the Cowboys and Panthers faced off on Monday Night Football. The game started out slow as both teams failed to score in the first quarter. As the game moved on the Cowboys flexed their muscle and beat the Panthers 21 to 7.

Felix Jones Impressive Before Injury

Second year running back Felix Jones got the start for Dallas as Marion Barber was out with a quad injury. When Jones got his hands on the football he was explosive with 94 rushing yards on only eight carries. He also add a 20 yards through the air on only one catch.

Unfortunately, for the Cowboys (and fantasy owners) Jones went out of the game in the third quarter with a knee injury and didn’t come back.

Tashard Choice then ran the football as the feature back and had 18 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown.

If Jones and Barber can’t go next week, Choice will make for a fabulous play next week against the Broncos.

Panthers Passing Game Struggles

The Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme struggled in different spots of the game. Both of his interceptions could have been avoided if his receivers would have fought for the football. While Delhomme continue to struggle he did find tight end Dante Rosario for a nice 25 yards touchdown to make things interesting in the middle of the game. Rosario helped his team say in the game for awhile with three receptions for 58 yards and the touchdown

DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart were effective in the running game when they got opportunities.

For a game that was close most of the time, this team needed to keep the Cowboys offense off of the field. If they ran the football they would have accomplished that goal.

Hopefully, Carolina will correct there mistakes and come off of their bye week with strong play in week 5.

NFL Fantasy Football Information writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com