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Some Chemistry Experiments Failing

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 7, 2007

Kris Jenkins had seen quite enough at Bank of America Stadium last Sunday, so Carolina's burly defensive tackle decided to throw his weight around.

Following a 20-7 loss to the Bucs, Jenkins blasted the Panthers for having 'no heart, no energy and no pride.'

In NFL circles, that's known as the holy trilogy for losers.

We'll see how the Panthers respond today in New Orleans, where the winless Saints have been both lethargic and sloppy in defense of their NFC South title.

The members of the Bengals and Chargers undoubtedly have heard about Jenkins' remarks, which could just as easily been directed toward them.

At 1-3, Cincinnati and San Diego face an early season crossroads, and both underachievers are crawling through the wreckage, looking for leaders.

When the Chargers allowed 34-year-old linebacker Donnie Edwards to depart as a free agent, they figured they could replace him on and off the field.

Guess again.

While San Diego ranks 25th defensively, Edwards has helped Kansas City's defense soar to No. 3. More importantly, the Chargers miss his authoritative voice.

Instead of working with Shawne Merriman, Edwards is tutoring Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson, a former first-round pick who is starting to make an impact.

The Chargers have exhibited little heart, energy or pride on either side of the ball since Norv Turner came to town. San Diego is averaging 17 points, and LaDainian Tomlinson has found himself thrust into an uneasy role as team spokesman.

That's not a natural fit for the league MVP, who prefers to do his talking while cradling a football.

Meanwhile, the Panthers offer proof that leaders are born, not made.

Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers hasn't been the same since owner Jerry Richardson challenged him to step up in the locker room following the retirement of safety Mike Minter in August.

When the local media looked for Peppers that day to gauge his response, he declined to make himself available.

Oops.

Two months have passed and Peppers is still seeking his first sack, his first forced fumble and his first meaningful statement as a supposed team leader.

The Bengals are off this weekend, giving them additional time to decide whether they intend to play hard for embattled coach Marvin Lewis.

With 11 losses in their past 17 games, the Bengals have turned into a whining, dysfunctional family, just two years removed from their only winning season since 1990.

'It's fun at the top, and down at the bottom it's not as fun,' said Lewis, now 36-33 since arriving in 2003. 'The worst part about it is we have to wait a while before we get a chance to get back at it.'

No, Marvin, the worst part is you have no clue how to fix a defense that has yielded an NFL-high 129 points.

In 2000, Lewis was the overseer of a championship defense in Baltimore that ranked with the best of the modern era. Now, he's watching a sieve that yields 5.3 yards per rush and is on pace to allow 44 TD passes.

Injuries have hurt, but off-field issues have hurt more. Suspended middle linebacker Odell Thurman set the aggressive defensive tone as a rookie in 2005, but he doesn't look nearly as menacing in street clothes.

While the Bucs have carefully stockpiled leaders, the Bengals and Chargers are flunking Chemistry 101.

They are not alone in their quest for the healing vibe.

Carolina guard Mike Wahle called for a players-only gathering this week in response to the emotional postgame outburst by Jenkins.

'The game is played by players,' Coach John Fox said, offering up a slice of irrefutable logic. 'Occasionally, they deserve a meeting.'

So 53 Panthers sat in a room to discuss what has gone awry. No report yet whether pride, energy and heart were in attendance.

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