PHILADELPHIA - Carolina Panthers wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad said he was "still buzzing a little bit" after Thursday's 24-13 exhibition loss to the Philadelphia Eagles due to a blow to his head in the first half.

Muhammad sustained a helmet-to-helmet hit by Eagles safety Brian Dawkins in the back of the end zone while trying to catch a 10-yard pass by quarterback Jake Delhomme.

Officials initially ruled the play a touchdown, but determined after replay reviews that he had not maintained possession of the ball.

Muhammad got up slowly after getting hit by Dawkins, then returned to the ground and appeared to be wobbling as he tried to walk to the sidelines.

"My bell has been rung," he said in the locker room after the game.

Coach John Fox said he didn't think Muhammad sustained a concussion. Muhammad was sent back into the game after the hit.

Muhammad also said his ribs were sore. If either condition causes him to miss practice time, Carolina's already-thin receiving corps would take another blow.

The Panthers played Thursday with four receivers recovering from injuries that are to be healed in time for the regular season -- Steve Smith (concussion), D.J. Hackett (toe), Ryne Robinson (knee) and Dwayne Jarrett (leg bruise).

Already, Carolina must play without Smith for the first two regular-season games while he serves a team-imposed suspension for punching teammate Ken Lucas on the sidelines at a training camp practice.

'ANOTHER STEP' FOR DELHOMME: Quarterback Jake Delhomme got his most extended playing time Thursday since undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery last October.

"It was another step," he said. "We faced a pretty salty defense out there with a ton of veterans all over the place. It felt good to be out there. It felt like practice."

Delhomme completed 9 of 14 passes for 54 yards and an interception.

For the first time in his 12-year NFL career, Delhomme played in a game interrupted by weather. With 5:01 remaining in the first quarter, a 58-minute lightning delay ensued. Delhomme said it's the longest he recalls being in a locker room during a game since the Panthers played in the Super Bowl on Feb. 1, 2004.

"The Super Bowl had an extended halftime," he said. "But nothing like this."

DELAY SLOWS PROGRESS: The lightning delay slowed down what the Panthers hoped would be an uncomplicated game against the Eagles.

"[In the] preseason, you just try to get [it over] as quickly as possible so you can get to the regular season," Delhomme said.

But lightning strikes very near Lincoln Financial Field got his attention.

"I'm not usually one of the guys who wants to go in, but a couple of times I got scared," he said.

Jon Beason and the Panthers weren't fond of the long delay.

"It was so tough, especially with it being a preseason game," he said.

"It was almost like a practice. I mean, guys take it seriously, but we had to take a flight home and we just broke camp, so we had a lot on our minds."

The Panthers closed training camp late Wednesday morning, but hadn't been able to enjoy it yet. They only had two or three hours in Charlotte after driving back from Spartanburg, S.C., before having to fly to Philadelphia.

NOTE: The Panthers are back on their practice fields adjacent to Bank of America Stadium today. Unlike training camp, the Charlotte practices are not open to the public.

(Staff writer David Scott contributed to this article.)

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