Jake Delhomme

Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme practiced again Thursday and was upgraded to a probable starter for the Panthers' final regular-season game at New Orleans. Delhomme has been sidelined since suffering ligament damage in his right thumb Dec. 4 against Philadelphia. The Panthers must win their game Sunday to have any chance to reach the playoffs. Yet they could be eliminated by the time they play if the New York Giants beat Washington Saturday night.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme started 66 consecutive games before a thumb injury ended his streak last week. Now he hopes he isn't starting another streak. Delhomme is unsure if he will be able to play Sunday against Pittsburgh. He didn't practice Wednesday and is listed as questionable. He has ligament damage in the thumb of his throwing hand, which caused him to miss his first game in four seasons when he was unable to play in last week's loss to the New York Giants.

Jake Delhomme last week called surgery on his strained right elbow "a last resort." After experiencing pain trying to throw Monday, the Carolina Panthers quarterback decided the worst-case scenario couldn't be avoided. Delhomme will have season-ending ligament-replacement surgery on his elbow next week, leaving the Panthers without their leader on offense and scrambling to find another quarterback.

The New Orleans Saints were so close to the playoffs -- just one victory away with three chances to get in. But as they have done so often, the Saints will watch the playoffs after blowing all three games -- two against last-place teams. Sunday's finale might have been the most disheartening, with Carolina cornerback Terry Cousin making two interceptions and recovering a fumble to preserve the Panthers' 10-6 victory. New Orleans (9-7) needed to win and for Atlanta to lose to reach the playoffs.

It's 5 a.m., about an hour before the Louisiana sun starts baking the tin roof over the Evangeline Downs stables, and Jake Delhomme is exercising his throwing arm. The Carolina Panthers quarterback is wielding a pitchfork, mucking out the stables for the five thoroughbreds he owns with his father and brother. "I think it's good for it," he said. "It builds up those muscles and the arm strength."

To suggest that Jake Delhomme has come from nowhere is to encourage Delhomme to begin a history lesson about nowhere. He comes from Breaux Bridge, La., which is the crawfish capital of the world. How can that be nowhere? "It's a capital of the world," Delhomme said. "C'mon." He played quarterback in college at Louisiana Lafayette when it was known as Southwestern Louisiana. The Ragin' Cajuns won two Big West Conference titles under Delhomme and that's something you can't have happening nowhere.

At the beginning, Carolina Panther quarterback Jake Delhomme was fighting nerves. At the end, he was fighting tears. At the beginning Delhomme seemed as skittish as a blindfolded colt in a barn on fire. At the end, he was in command of the biggest stage in sports.

Jake Delhomme did something no other New Orleans quarterback had been able to do this season by helping the Saints to a come-from-behind victory. And the Saint defense did something it hadn't been able to do in a 31-24 upset of the Dallas Cowboys Friday. Delhomme, playing in his first NFL game, passed for two touchdowns and ran for one while completing 16 of 27 passes for 278 yards.

Sam Farmer, pro football specialist for The Times, is spending some of his time this season swapping e-mail with NFL personnel. This week, Farmer was online with Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme, whose 4-0 Panthers play at 5-0 Indianapolis on Sunday. The game will be a reunion for Delhomme and Peyton Manning, who competed against each other as high school quarterbacks in Louisiana. Farmer: You and Peyton Manning have been friends for years; what do you give each other a hard time about?

Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Jake Delhomme sat out a second week of practice, and will probably sit out a second straight game. Delhomme, who sprained his right ankle in the season opener at Tampa Bay, did not practice again Friday, making it improbable he will play in Sunday's game at Baltimore. Delhomme was inactive last Sunday, when the Browns hosted Kansas City. Browns Coach Eric Mangini has not yet ruled Delhomme out, but it appears backup Seneca Wallace will face the Ravens and make his second start in a row. "I don't know," Mangini said Friday when asked if Delhomme will be inactive.