Panthers' ground game a dancing delight

CHARLOTTE, N.C. --- Apparently, Carolina Panthers Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams have been dance partners for some time. This isn't some figuratively speaking deal, as they share the carries for the team, but it's something that goes back a while and has to do with when both players score touchdowns in the same game. On an afternoon that quarterback Cam Newton set some records and will get most of the post-game attention, the Carolina Panthers' ground attack shouldn't be lost in the 48-16 rout of visiting Tampa Bay, in particular the dancing duo. Stewart ran the ball seven times for 88 yards and Williams rambled for 66 yards on seven carries, as well. He scored twice on the ground, while Stewart hit pay dirt with an 11-yard scoring pass from Newton. Overall, Carolina ran for a season-high 270 yards. Panthers coach Ron Rivera said the learning process of Newton as a rookie under center took away from the ground attack early on, but the whole offensive package is beginning to mesh. "Now we're starting to see the balance that we want as far as a football team is concerned to be able to run the ball and run it effectively," Rivera said. "And because of that, it really helped with the play-action and it takes a lot of pressure off of the young man back there as your quarterback." Stewart got things going on the opening drive with runs of 13 and 9 yards, followed by DeAngelo Williams ran 14, 2 and 7 yards, the last run resulting in a touchdown. That possession triggered an afternoon of big runs, as four Panthers had dashes of at least 22 yards. Stewart's long run went for 32 yards while Williams' was 22 yards. Wide receiver Steve Smith had a 23-yard end-around run, and Newton exploded for a 49-yard touchdown. Carolina averaged 8.7 yards on 31 rushing attempts in the best effort of a season in which the ground attack has been consistently solid. As for the dancing, Stewart seemed more interested in that than anything else after the game. He was clearly enjoying this victory. "I think it's great," he said, as he put on a red Ralph Lauren polo shirt. "I love it when we both get touchdowns because we danced (three) times. I like it when we dance." Williams' locker is to the left of Stewart's, so he chimed in, telling his teammate not to say anything more about the dance. "You stop right there," he said, as both were smiling. But they still kept their secret. "You had to be here four years ago to understand what the dance was," Stewart said. "You're late, you have to ask everybody else "We're natural dancers. So Dancing With The Stars should be definitely looking at us So put the word out there for us for Dancing With The Stars, me and DeAngelo. The dance, for the record, is called the "Arab Money Dance," which comes from a song several years ago by Busta Rhymes. Carolina's most productive game on the ground before Saturday came in a win at Indianapolis, when the Panthers ran 35 times for 201 yards. And as is every other aspect of this team, the rushing attack is improving, and all signs point to an even more impressive future.