"Jordan Gross was happy enough with any role he had in helping spring rookie Jonathan Stewart for a 50-yard touchdown run in the Carolina Panthers' 47-3 pounding of the Washington Redskins in an NFL exhibition Saturday at Bank of America Stadium.

"I knew he had that in him," Gross, the Panthers' left offensive tackle, said of Stewart, a first-round draft choice brought in to reinvigorate Carolina's running game.

But when DeAngelo Williams did Stewart one better - busting loose for a 60-yard scoring run - just a few minutes later, Gross started to really enjoy himself.

"The thing I liked most was the next series, DeAngelo came back and hit one of his own," said Gross. "It was fun to be a part of."

The performances of Stewart and Williams - with plenty of assistance from players like Gross and fullback Brad Hoover - came at a crucial time in the Panthers' preseason. It was Carolina's third exhibition, a game that can often provide a glimpse of what a team's personality might be for the regular season. Starters and other key contributors usually play well into the second half, easily the most action they see in the preseason.

And the Redskins probably saw more than what they wanted of a punishing and flat-out dazzling running game of the Panthers (2-1), who wrap up their preseason schedule Thursday in Pittsburgh. The regular season opens Sept.7 in San Diego.

With Williams (101 yards on nine carries and one touchdown) and Stewart (100 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown), Carolina served up coach John Fox's run-first philosophy with brutal effectiveness against the Redskins.

It recalled the Panthers of 2003, when the running tandem of Stephen Davis (1,444 yards) and DeShaun Foster (429) led Carolina to that season's Super Bowl.

"All you've got to do is (help) get them through a hole and make a guy miss," said Hoover, the Panthers' fullback whose block helped spring Williams on his long scoring run. "They've both got the speed, the power. That was evident tonight. They're ready to have success.

"I think their style fits our offense. Jonathan is more physical. But DeAngelo, as small as he might seem, he's a very physical runner in the open field.

"It's nice, I'll tell you.""