Briggs headhunts Delhomme; fans get angry

The fans are finally into the game, courtesy of the Panthers' latest drive in the third quarter.

First, Carolina apparently scored on the march on a 32-yard pass from Jake Delhomme to Muhsin Muhammad. Moose did his whole "through-the-legs" routine in the end zone -- the extended-play version. Then it turned out rookie Jeff Otah was called for holding on the play. And it was very obvious. Otah mugged Chicago's Adewale Ogunleye.

Then, on the same drive, on third-and-12 from the Chicago 34, Delhomme went scrambling up the middle to try and make a first down. Delhomme slid late and Chicago linebacker Lance Briggs absolutely leveled him. It knocked Delhomme's chinstrap off. In the press box, as soon as I saw the hit, I said out loud, "That's a concussion."

And it may have been. We don't know yet. But Delhomme got up -- without his helmet -- and started pounding his chest. The Panthers kicked a field goal to trim Chicago's lead to 17-6.

There was no flag on Briggs' hit. The fans were incensed by that and have been angry ever since.