Maake Kemoeatu News

Both teams are in interesting emotional and mental places. The Panthers, with nothing to play for, have been playing their best football, beating one playoff team and knocking another out of the postseason over the past two weeks.

Injuries have played a key role for the Panthers this season. Here are the numbers: -- Fourteen starters have missed at least one game .

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. Julius Peppers still isn't ready to commit to the Carolina Panthers.

It's been a weekly routine this season for Carolina running back Jonathan Stewart to sit out Wednesday practices.

Officials say an 86-year-old South Carolina man bled to death in his home after stepping into a glass vase and cutting his leg.

CHARLOTTE It sounds simple perhaps, but right tackle Geoff Schwartz said the biggest problem he had adjusting from college to the NFL was learning to line up in a three-point stance.

Playing for the Carolina Panthers is a job and no longer an adventure. And as anyone in this distressed workforce knows, it's not a bad time to polish up your resume.

Injured Carolina defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu was talking to reporters with his right leg bent on a scooter in the middle of the Panthers locker room on Wednesday when a team official said Geoff Schwartz was available.

Players are used to having their names on the backs of their jerseys. For the Carolina Panthers, nametags on the front would be more helpful.

The first player went down less than 30 minutes into the opening practice of training camp.

Matt Moore's backup at quarterback today will be A.J. Feeley. After Feeley, there's....well, nobody.

The Panthers' injury woes at defensive tackle, which startedwhen Maake Kemoeatu was lost for the seasonduring the first practice of training camp, continued Friday.

The easy thing to say, and the thing you most often hear from football players, is that injuries aren't and can't be an excuse.

It's not Julius Peppers' fault he broke his right hand in New Orleans, and it's certainly not his fault Thomas Davis went down the same day or Jordan Gross the next week.

CHARLOTTE The Carolina Panthers season is over. You can hold out a faint hope that they're mathematically alive at 4-6, but the reality is this team has thrown in the towel.

Two months ago, the Carolina Panthers' defensive line was approaching being a weakness.

Thomas Davis simply was dropping back into pass coverage. Then in one split second, the former Georgia linebacker's season was over.

South Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas Power Rankings: Preseason: 14. This week: 21.

Originally published November 9, 2009 at 1:30 p.m., updated November 9, 2009 at 2:12 p.m. CHARLOTTE, N.C. a ' The Carolina Panthers lost perhaps their most productive defensive player Monday when tests showed weakside linebacker Thomas Davis has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

JEFF SINER - jsiner@charlotteobserver.com http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2009/11/07/20/B82196365Z.1_20091107200008_000+GINTCOTH.3.embedded.prod_affiliate.138.jpg 244 12/28/08 Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu watches his teammates run through drills prior to action vs the New Orleans Saints Sunday at the Louisiana ...