Quarterbacks coach wants Jake to be Jake

CHARLOTTE -- As Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme's slump has deepened, his position coach is trying something new with him this week.

"When a player is struggling, you look at yourself as a coach," said first-year quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer. "What am I doing? What am I not doing?"

Scherer's answer: Allow Delhomme to be himself.

"I thought, 'Maybe I'll just try and pull back a little and let him be Jake a little more,' " Scherer said. "Jake has a style that's unique to him. Maybe I had been giving him too much (to think about).

"We've been trying to do that the past few weeks, but we're making more of a conscientious effort this week."

Scherer, who came to the Panthers in January after four seasons with the Cleveland Browns, said he has never tried to tinker with Delhomme's throwing mechanics.

"The things I've worked with him is more balance and body-lean, trying to help him with his feet," Scherer said. "But I have never tried to fool around with his delivery.

"I always talk about fundamentals with him, that won't change. But, if anything, I've (talked less) a little bit about those kinds of things so he doesn't have to filter them, and he can just go out and play."

But something has gone very wrong with how Delhomme has played this season.

His 13 interceptions lead the NFL, and his 56.5 passer rating ranks 33rd in the league. Despite those numbers, Delhomme has retained his starting job.

"Jake wants to be coached," Scherer said. "He's got that kind of attitude. As a coach, you've got to adjust to your players and situation. But it's not like we're doing any major overhaul, by any means."

Delhomme's coach for his first six seasons with the Panthers -- Mike McCoy -- is now the Denver Broncos offensive coordinator. Although not spectacular, Delhomme's career passer rating was 85.7 under McCoy, with whom he had an extremely close relationship.

"He wants to do it the way that you coach him, and he wants to do it right," Scherer said. "But he's also been wired a certain way for a long period of time."

Said Delhomme: "Things went one way the last several years. But Rip's done a great job. I'm not looking to blame somebody; the blame goes all on me. I'm not looking to pass judgment on somebody else."

Scherer, 57, started his coaching career at Penn State in 1974 and spent 10 seasons as a head coach (James Madison 1991-94) and Memphis (1995-2000) before landing in the NFL in 2005.

As the Cleveland Browns' quarterback coach, he had spotty success with quarterbacks Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. In 2007, Scherer helped Anderson to a Pro Bowl season, when he threw for 3,787 yards and 29 touchdowns.

Three of Delhomme's interceptions this season came against the Buffalo Bills last week, when he also threw for 325 yards. The first two led to Bills touchdowns.

"The ironic thing is he threw two bad passes on Sunday," Scherer said. "If not, he'd have thrown for over 400 yards and we wouldn't be having this conversation."