Panthers...27 Falcons...20
ATLANTA -- The Carolina Panthers overcame a 361-yard, two-touchdown performance by Joey Harrington and an injury to Jake Delhomme, taking control after cornerback DeAngelo Hall lost his cool, to beat the Atlanta Falcons, 27-20, Sunday.
DeShaun Foster rushed 122 yards and scored two touchdowns for Carolina (2-1).
Atlanta (0-3) went ahead, 17-10, on Harrington’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Alge Crumpler early in the third quarter.
On the first play from scrimmage after the Falcons’ touchdown, Delhomme threw deep to Steve Smith and a beaten Hall dragged down the receiver for a 37-yard interference penalty.
Hall gave Smith a shove to the upper chest on the next play, drawing a 15-yard penalty. Hall then drew an unsportsmanlike penalty during a field-goal attempt that gave the Panthers an automatic first down, and they quickly scored on Delhomme’s five-yard pass to Jeff King.
Delhomme left soon after.
Quoteworthy: “It was just kind of bothering me a little bit. I didn’t want to be macho.” -- Jake Delhomme, Panthers quarterback, on his elbow injury
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