Among the players the team drafted that offseason was WR Dwayne Jarrett, picked in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Jarrett would become a major draft bust. The Panthers began the season as playoff contenders, and won their opener against the St. Louis Rams for the first time since 2003. The following week at home against the Houston Texans, the Panthers jumped ahead 14–0 but lost 34–21, unable to fend off a relentless passing attack by the Texans. In week three against the Atlanta Falcons, Delhomme was lost for the season with an injured elbow, which resulted in Tommy John surgery. After a close loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week 4, the Panthers got back on the winning track behind the passing arm of former Houston Texans QB David Carr, who drew from the playbook of his 2006 defeat of the Indianapolis Colts by engineering two 4th-quarter drives; the first for a TD, and the last to set up the game-winning field goal by John Kasay to defeat the New Orleans Saints. Unfortunately for the Panthers, the unpopular Carr suffered the first major injury of his career, badly injuring his back against the Saints. After returning to the game in the second half to get the win, Carr would play sparingly for the rest of the year, forcing the Panthers to rely on a combination of 44-year-old Vinny Testaverde and rookie Matt Moore for the remainder of the season. The Panthers finished 7–9, and missed the playoffs again. 2008 season The Panthers picked up several talented players in the 2008 NFL Draft, including running back Jonathan Stewart, and offensive tackle Jeff Otah. With the help of a much improved rushing offense, the Panthers rebounded, finishing the season with a 12–4 record. This included an 8–0 home record. After defeating the New Orleans Saints 33–31 in the season finale, the Panthers claimed their second NFC South title and a first round bye in the playoffs. However, on January 10 the Panthers' season came to a disappointing end, as they lost to the Arizona Cardinals 33–13 at home in the Divisional round. The Panthers' offense was plagued by Delhomme's 6 turnovers (5 interceptions and a fumble) and the Cardinals 27 first-half points. 2009 season Carolina hoped to make another playoff run in 2009. The 2009 season opener witnessed Carolina lose at the hands of the Eagles (including Delhomme's