by JJ Cooper
Every week we look at some aspect of line play around the league with our Between The Lines feature.
As the playoffs get closer and closer, the Panthers may supplant the Plaxico Burress-less Giants as the NFC's No. 1 seed. If they do, a lot of the credit will go to an offense that can run (with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart) and pass.
But an even bigger reason the Panthers are 6-1 over the past seven games is because they have finally gotten their starting offensive line playing together.
Early in the season, injuries wrecked the Panthers' line. First guard Travelle Wharton missed two games with a knee injury. Tackle Jordan Gross missed a game with a concussion. Then ankle injuries sidelined tackle Jeff Otah (four games) and center Ryan Kalil (four games). Because of all the injuries, right guard Keydrick Vincent is the only lineman to start all 14 games this season, and three different Panthers' substitutes have started a total of 11 games this year.
Between The Lines: Carolina's Line Keeps Jake Delhomme Clean originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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