Just when you figured it was safe to seal the envelope and mail the 2009 season into the books, the Panthers came screaming back to life.  For the first time this season all three phases of the game were solid for Carolina, leading to a victory over a certain NFC contender on the road.  The game against the Cardinals not only provided Panthers fans and pundits alike with a healthy dose of hope, but solidified their reasons for expressing such a high level of displeasure and downright anger through the majority of the team's first six games.

That might seem a touch confusing, but Sunday's performance is exactly how we all know this team can play.  We tilted the scale in our favor by doing what we do best - running the football.  There was no panic in the playcalling, no sense of desperation coming in with a 2-4 record, and no head-scratching game plan that gave the opposing team a leg up before they even took the field.  Jake Delhomme looked calm and collected more so on Sunday than at any other point in the season and did exactly what he had to do to bring home a win - hand the ball off and not turn it over when he threw it.  He hit Steve Smith on a beautifully executed pump-n-go to break the Pro Bowl-caliber receiver out of his season-long funk, but he didn't force the ball at all.

The defense was rock solid for most of the game, not only holding Kurt Warner and his FitzBoldin combo of top-notch receivers in check, but the D picked off five passes and forced a fumble.  Julius Peppers continued his mean streak by dabbling in nearly every defensive stat category with a sack, a forced fumble, an interception, and a touchdown.  Rookie Sherrod Martin picked off two passes in his first NFL start and might have done enough already to usurp the starting free safety position away from Charles Godfrey.

The list could go on and on about the positives from Sunday's game, but the Panthers have already moved on to bigger and better things.  They will be visiting the 7-0 Saints this Sunday, a game that has suddenly morphed into a huge contest for Carolina.  The Panthers will carry their No. 1-ranked pass defense into the Superdome to take on Drew Brees and his high-octane passing offense.  The general consensus was that Warner and company would dismantle the Panthers defense, who earned the top pass defense ranking during a stretch of games against teams with below-average quarterbacks.  That was clearly not the case, and if the Panthers can hold Brees in check and continue to play with the complete quality they did Sunday, the possibilities are endless for this team.

It is only one game, but after such a long period of distress, it is a more than welcome sight.

--AUSTIN PENNY