Huddle Flashback: FOSTER’S RUN SYMBOLIZED CATS’ HEART (N.Y. Times)

[Nomad82]

Quote

PHILADELPHIA – So, what about that one-yard touchdown run, DeShaun Foster?

“It was a toss to the right,” he said before breaking into a laugh.

It was so much more than that. Foster’s run sealed last night’s NFC Championship Game victory, giving the Panthers a 14-3 lead over the Eagles with 4:11 remaining. The way Foster got that one yard shows just how tough he and his unheralded teammates are.

On the pitchout, Foster was met immediately by safety Brian Dawkins and had to bounce outside. Foster broke a tackle attempt by linebacker Mark Simoneau, then shed linebacker Nate Wayne, then safety Michael Lewis and finally Simoneau again, lunging with the ball to break the goal line.

“Just determination to get in the end zone,” Foster said of his first NFL rushing touchdown.

“Let me tell you what that run was,” running back Stephen Davis said. “That was desire, heart and want. A lot of guys don’t have that. You have a lot of guys on this team that have that. That’s what he showed.”

Foster finished with 14 carries and 64 yards.

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Amid much speculation regarding his health, Davis started and was effective, gaining 76 yards on 19 carries. He missed most of last week’s practices with a strained left quad muscle.

“Nothing was going to keep me out of this game and nothing’s going to keep me out of the [Super Bowl] in two weeks,” Davis said.

 

The Eagles were devastated after losing their third consecutive NFC title game. The last team to lose three straight NFC title games was the Cowboys (1980-82). Asked how long he’ll think about this game, Eagles WR James Thrash said, “Probably forever. You’ll always look back and know you had three opportunities to go to the big dance and ended up coming up short.”

Panthers LB Greg Favors was the one to injure Donovan McNabb’s ribs with what looked to be a late hit in the second quarter.

“I was hoping he got up and hoping he didn’t hurt himself,” Favors said, “because that’s not the type of football I play.”

Carolina won a key replay challenge when the ruling on the field was a fumble by WR Steve Smith early in the fourth quarter.

*

The Panthers played the game exactly the way they wanted to. QB Jake Delhomme attempted only 14 passes and the Panthers ran the ball 40 times . . . Eagles QBs were intercepted four times, McNabb throwing three and Koy Detmer tossing one.

The Panthers pulled a first-quarter surprise when John Kasay lined up for a 50-yard field goal on their first possession.

Kasay took a direct snap and sent a pooch punt sailing over the line of scrimmage, dropping it on the Eagles’ 11-yard line.

Delhomme was quietly solid in the first half, completing 7 of 11 for 82 yards and a TD . . . Panthers LB Dan Morgan, playing in his hometown, had 10 tackles by halftime and finished with 13.

http://nypost.com/2004/01/19/fosters-run-symbolized-cats-heart/

[Wyank]

Watching that run with my Eagles fan roommate was great.  So many tears around here that night.  Loved it.

[Raskle]

I remember feeling that was the single best rushing attempt we had ever made as a team. Foster made their staunch and lauded defense look like a peewee club.

 

Foster going Beastmode before there ever was a Beastmode. Incredible run and determination for sure.

[Chaos]

Super Bowl 38 was on NFLN yesterday, and watching Foster's TD run in that game was a thing of beauty. 

He's in Panther lore because of those big time runs in the biggest of games.