"It's not about him, it's about the team, Joey Porter insisted this week. On Thursday night, at key points in the game, it was about Porter and Randy Starks because what they did was about the Dolphins stuffing Carolina's offense.

Porter, who came into the game with 2.5 sacks in seven games this season, yanked Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme to the ground to end two drives, including the game-opening drive that reached the Dolphins' 7. Porter finished with a team-high eight tackles and three other quarterback hurries.

Starks had five tackles, a sack that killed a drive that had reached the Dolphins' 8 and two other quarterback hurries.

Those sacks held Carolina to field goals when touchdowns seemed imminent and at pivotal points.

Instead of a 7-0 Carolina lead after the opening march, on which Porter had three other tackles besides the sack, the Panthers settled for a 3-0 lead, and Bank of America Stadium sounded as if it were filled with unhappy Citibank customers.

Instead of Carolina cutting the Dolphins' lead to 14-10 with almost the entire fourth quarter remaining, Starks' sack on third-and-goal from the Dolphins' 8 brought on another field goal."