More on that right after Vinny Testaverde. He still doesn’t know what he’ll be able to do this Sunday. Vinny explains that the Achilles injury is something new to him, and after 21 years in the NFL that’s saying something. Vinny was able to practice today, splitting time with rookie Matt Moore.

More on David Carr and his attitude. Fans rarely understand that so much depends on how a team and its players feel about themselves and about each other. It’s a long grind in the NFL, and even after covering that league for 15 years, it’s still hard for me to grasp the toll that the season takes on players.

Today, some of the Panthers lineman talked about Justin Hartwig’s broken thumb. He suffered it early in the game against the Titans and played through it like nothing happened. What’s that feel like? Go slam your thumb in the front door, and I mean HARD! Then have your buddy jump behind the wheel of your car. Stand about 4 feet from the car and have your buddy gun the gas just enough that you have to “catch” the car with that thumb. Then do it about 60 more times. That’s about what it’s like to snap the ball and try to block a 350 pound defensive tackle for 60 offensive snaps like Hartwig did Sunday. The Panthers lineman laughed when I asked if Hartwig got that mangled thumb X-rayed during the game. “You can’t get your thumb X rayed during a game. We’re LINEMEN! You’d never recover from the hazing you’d get from the other linemen!”

Nobody’s been hit harder and more than David Carr. Still, he keeps coming back for more with what looks like a great attitude. I know his teammates appreciate that, and when combined with Carr’s capacity to deal with pain, the Panthers really do have a chance to make improvements. I know it’s hard to imagine sometimes, and Carolina did look awful at times against Tennessee, but today Carolina talked like a team that just wants another chance. It’s a little different that most fans imagine 3 days after a lousy performance and another tough loss.