Panthers defense stout

Retooled unit shows mettle

Darwin Walker might feel a bit let down when he watches film today of the Carolina Panthers' 34-0 whipping of the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.

As Walker sat at his locker afterward, he hoped a play late in the game -- in which he chased Chiefs quarterback Tyler Thigpen out of bounds -- had gone for a loss of yardage.

That would have meant a sack for Walker, a backup defensive tackle who said he was closest to Thigpen when he went out of bounds.

The film, however, will reveal a 3-yard gain for Thigpen. That will be one of the few disappointments for Walker or any other Panthers defender on a day when Carolina turned in one of the stronger defensive efforts in franchise history.

The Panthers defense completely dominated the Chiefs on several fronts:

* It was Carolina's first shutout since 2006, when the Panthers beat the St. Louis Rams 15-0. The Panthers haven't allowed a touchdown since the third quarter of their 20-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 21 -- nine quarters ago.

* The Panthers held Chiefs running back Larry Johnson to 2 yards on seven carries, a week after he ran for 198 yards and two touchdowns against the Denver Broncos.

* They limited Kansas City to 127 total yards, including zero in the first quarter.

* They sacked Chiefs quarterbacks Damon Huard twice and Thigpen once and intercepted them twice.

"It's starting to be the norm," Panthers end Julius Peppers said of the defense.

It was a dreary day for the Chiefs (1-4) -- who had snapped a 12-game losing streak over two seasons last week with a 33-19 win against the Denver Broncos -- because they were facing a retooled and refocused Panthers defense.

With defensive end Mike Rucker retired and tackle Kris Jenkins traded to the New York Jets, Carolina changed its defensive philosophy in the offseason, simplifying things so that the remaining players could focus mainly on chasing the ball carrier.

The Panthers moved Peppers to right end and replaced him on the left side with free-agent Tyler Brayton. Damione Lewis, a one-time starter in St. Louis, moved into Jenkins' spot.

"We're playing well together," Peppers said of the line. "We've got a close bond with each other. Coming into the season, we knew people were looking at us as the weak link on the team. It motivated us to stick tight and hang together and play for each other."

Peppers said there is a closeness on the line that might not have been there in 2007, when the Panthers went 7-9.