Panthers Back in 1st Place

A quarterback who got away ruined the Saints’ last chance to win a game in front of Louisiana’s disaster-weary fans.

Former New Orleans backup Jake Delhomme led Carolina back into first place in the NFC South on Sunday, throwing for a touchdown and running for another as the Panthers defeated New Orleans, 27-10.

“Jake’s been excellent for us,” Carolina Coach John Fox said. “He’s got us to where we’re now 10-4. Jake’s had a whole lot to do with that.”

Delhomme’s fourth victory against his former team came in the same week that the Saints benched quarterback Aaron Brooks after 82 straight starts. His replacement, seldom-used Todd Bouman, threw four interceptions and lost a fumble.

Throwing only as much as he needed to, Delhomme was 13 of 22 for 176 yards. With the Panthers never trailing, he relied on a solid running game to control the clock. Carolina rushed for 161 yards, with DeShaun Foster running for a team-leading 75 yards.

With Tampa Bay losing a day earlier at New England, the Panthers regained the division lead by one game with the help of receiver Steve Smith, who ran for a 20-yard score on an end-around in the first quarter and caught Delhomme’s 15-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.

The Saints (3-11), who will play their final home game in San Antonio, finished 0-4 in LSU’s Tiger Stadium.

Delhomme, who starred at Louisiana Lafayette and left the Saints as a free agent after the 2002 season, was unusually popular for a backup when he played for New Orleans. With Baton Rouge only an hour’s drive east of his hometown of Breaux Bridge, Delhomme had a sizable cheering section of fans wearing his No. 17 in Carolina blue.

He needed only a few plays to bring them to their feet, converting a third down by dropping a 40-yard pass into Drew Carter’s outstretched arms along the sideline.

Smith scored the first rushing touchdown of his career two plays later, launching himself over the goal line as he was hit hard along the sideline.