There’s Panther Celebration Without Collins in the Mix

CHARLOTTE, N.C. —  Not long ago Kerry Collins and victory cigars were staples at Ericsson Stadium. Both were treated like curious oddities Sunday.

With many in the crowd unsuccessfully pleading for an appearance by Collins, now an outcast playing for the opposition, the Carolina Panthers used two touchdown passes by his successor, Steve Beuerlein, to win their first game of the season, 31-17, over the New Orleans Saints.

“It’s been too long since I had one of these,” Beuerlein said as he inspected a cigar he was given to mark the end of a nine-game winless streak over two seasons. The Panthers (1-7) also won at home for the first time in eight games.

“We know we can play a lot better than we did today, and that’s the encouraging thing,” said Beuerlein, who completed 13 of 17 passes for 132 yards with one interception. “We haven’t accomplished very much, but it’s a start.”

The pent-up frustration generated by Carolina’s losing ways was vented Sunday at Collins, their former No. 1 draft choice who was cut last month after reportedly saying he no longer had the heart to play. The Saints picked him up the next day, but Coach Mike Ditka has not played him.

New Orleans starting quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver, who has been told by Ditka that he will be replaced by Collins in a Nov. 15 home game against the St. Louis Rams, completed 24 of 48 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted twice.

The Saints (4-4) were penalized nine times and had three turnovers that the Panthers converted into 14 points on the way to their highest scoring output of the season. Eric Davis led Carolina’s defensive effort with a 56-yard interception return for a touchdown.

“We know we haven’t dug ourselves out of this hole,” Davis said, “but I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was a relief.”

Beuerlein, making his fourth start in place of Collins, threw touchdown passes of 31 yards to Raghib Ismail and one yard to Mushin Muhammad.

Beuerlein set the tone by directing a 17-play, 73-yard drive to open the game. He completed all seven passes for 62 yards and ended the drive by rolling out to the right, finding everybody covered and going back to his left, where he threw to Muhammad in the corner of the end zone for the touchdown.

Davis gave the Panthers their biggest lead of the season at 14-0 when he stepped in front of an underthrown pass intended for Sean Dawkins, and raced down the left sideline to the end zone.

Up 17-3 at halftime, the Panthers knocked the ball away from the Saints’ Qadry Ismail as he was returning the second-half kickoff. Juran Bolden recovered the ball, setting up a five-yard touchdown run by Fred Lane.