Carolina Panther Politics

Vinny Testaverde or David Carr? Who should start the next game for the Carolina Panthers?

Vinny keeps them guessing:

The Carolina Panthers kept everybody guessing as to who they would start at quarterback as long as possible. Then 43-year old Vinny Testaverde took the field and led the visiting Panthers to a 25-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Testaverde completed 20-of-33 passes for 206 yards, including a 65-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith. Guess he played pretty well.

“I thought you saw some of Vinny’s (abilities) out there, particularly on that go route to Steve and some of the deeper routes that he threw,” said head coach John Fox, whose team improved to 4-2 heading into its bye week. “We eased into (the offense) and Vinny had his nuggets that he wanted, and I thought he did a tremendous job.”

Testaverde showed the veteran savvy the Panthers were seeking this week when it became obvious that starter David Carr might not be able to go. The oldest quarterback to win a start in NFL history, he did it by managing the game and not turning the ball over. The Cardinals, meanwhile, had five turnovers and a season-low 10 points.

Carolina heads into its bye with its first two-game winning streak of the season. It gets two weeks to prepare for the defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts on October 28 at Bank of America Stadium.

Who should be the starting quarterback Vinny Testaverde or David Carr?

*****portions of today’s workout came from www.panthers.com*****

12 thoughts on “Carolina Panther Politics

  1. Testaverde in a walk. He’s proven that he can play consitently at the professional level (21 years!), which is something that David Carr has yet to demonstrate. Let’s ride the old man to the playoffs!

  2. I remember that Vinny T back when he was just a kid. My guys used to beat up on him say 22 years ago. How can we trust a former Army Fatigue unifrom wearing freak from Miami. Let’s Keep Carr, but seriously Vinny is the man. You have to go with the hot hand. If Vinny is healthy he is your man. Vinny led the Panthers to victory. If he doesn’t have nothing broke, don’t try and fix it. Stick with Vinny and the Panthers have a shot at the Colts as long as the Carolina defense is ready to put pressure on Manning like they did Warner.

    Peppers has to be ready to break through that Colt line and get to Manning. The secondary must get help from the D line, they have to get a hit or pop on the Colt receivers as they are coming off the line headed into the routes. Heavy contact from the Panthers D and they are in the game. Steve Smith will take care of the offense.

    Vinny was getting Smith invloved from the get-go. You have to use those little underneath routes and some crossing patterns to get Smith set for the catch and run.

    It’s like Carl said, Vinny has proven he is capable and he is the man. Anybody that says Carr should start is a freakin’ moron.

    Joe Pate Jr.

  3. I agree with pretty much everything that is being said here about Vinny. I watched him in the game on Sunday and I have no reason to doubt that he can take this team to the playoffs. The Panthers should ride this man’s coattails into the post-season. I have a feeling that Carolina can still go 11-5 or 10-6 and make it deep into the playoffs. The Panthers seem to play better when they don’t have time to sit around and think about what their next move is going to be. I hope they have signed Vinny for the rest of the year. Does anyone out there know if that’s the case or is he around until they can find somebody else to back up Carr and Moore. The Panthers need to keep Testaverde and he needs to be the starter.

    Is Testaverde signed on for the rest of the year and how do the rest of you think the team will come out in the regular season? I’m sticking with 11-5 or 10-6 at the worst. The two week break will do the team good.

  4. How do they not let Vinny start the next game?

    P.S. I heard he’s one of the two active players from the old Nintendo Tecmo Bowl game (circa 1989) still active.
    Who’s the other one?

  5. Mike, thats a pretty funny fact about Vinny bein on an ’89 NIntendo game, but hey keep goin to the wheels fall off. I’m just glad we got the bye coming up . IT couln’ t have come a a better time(with Indy cominup). Vinny needs to get in the hyperberic chamber so he’ll be ful strength. Vinny should start, but I wouuldn’t be surprised if Fox starts Carr and puts Vinny in when needed. But hey at least Peppers is starting to show some life again. I still have faith. GO Panthers!

  6. P.S. lookin for tix to any Panther game. have gone last two seasons don’t wnat to break the streak. Any help would be appreciated.

  7. Hyperbaric chamber and a time machine if they got it. 😉

    Dang Vinny also supposedly has more career passes than the Panthers franchise has had.

    Yeah it looked like Peppers finally got around to doing something on Sunday.
    A bye week will hopefully help all of ’em!

  8. According to some research I did on Tecmo Bowl, Sean Landeta, a kicker was the last active player on the game until he retired (or was cut) in 2006. I still play Tecmo Super Bowl (the 1991 follow-up to Tecmo Bowl) every Thanksgiving at a get together I attend. There is nothing like a 100 in the air TD pass.

  9. The choice ain’t easy. The Cardinals didn’t have a chance to prepare for Vinnie. The World Champion Colts would. The Cardinals ain’t the Colts. On the Panthers side, Vinnie will have two weeks to get ready for Indy.

    David Carr is younger, and the Panthers brought him in in case jake got hurt. BUT, he came from the AFC South, The Colts know all about him, and have never had a problem with him.

    Tough tough choice. But the way John Fox likes to play, ultra conservative, I’d go with Vinnie. Better chance of playing mistake free football, and giving the team a chance to win.

  10. I agree with Stephanie. Vinny comes in and gets one win and everyone starts going crazy, acting like he is the answer. David Carr has not been here very long and no one wants to give him a chance. It takes time to learn a new offense. Maybe it is easier for me to see because I’m not a panthers fan so I can kind of look in from the outside. To say that Vinny gives you a better chance to win than Carr is insanity. The man is almost 44years old. One big hit and he will probably never play again. Do panther fans have no patience or what? Everyone gives Delhomme hell while he was one of the better qbs in the league, then he goes out and they give Carr hell before he has a chance to adapt to the offense. I wonder what could lie in Vinny’s future? Qb is only one of 22…

  11. With the Colts coming up, the focus should be on our Def. Secondary. We need Lucas, Gamble, and Marshall to step up, as well as the safetys. The Def. front four also needs to get up, and stay in Peyton’s face all game. To me, whoever starts at QB doesn’t matter, it will take a team effort to beat the Colts. And maybe a few big plays by #89. Go Panthers! (still lookin for tickets)

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