When Delhomme was sacked in the first quarter by linebacker Keith Brooking, the Panthers' quarterback got a taste of what entertainer Janet Jackson must have felt like when she had what was termed "a wardrobe malfunction" at halftime of Super Bowl XXXVIII.

Only this time, it was Delhomme's posterior that was briefly exposed after he suffered a large rip in his pants. It was bad enough that the Panthers were forced to use their first timeout early in an important game - long before it turned into the 44-11 Panthers' victory it was to become.

"The first thing I did was look at (backup quarterback Chris) Weinke and say, 'You've got to go in. I've got to put some pants on,' " Delhomme said.

Meanwhile, equipment manager Jackie Miles already was springing into action. He dispatched assistant Don Toner to the locker room to find Delhomme another pair of pants.

Miles later explained that he always brings three full sets of uniforms for quarterbacks and place-kickers, who tend to get their clothes torn up the most. But he rarely has to dip into the backup threads, and never had seen a case this bad.

"I've had to change a jersey or two before, but pants? That was a new experience," Miles said.

While Toner was in the locker room, Delhomme decided that the game must go on. Miles stuffed a towel down the quarterback's pants and used athletic tape to bind the torn area as best he could. Shortly thereafter, Delhomme threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ricky Proehl that gave the Panthers a 7-0 lead.