"Running back DeAngelo Williams hit another milestone Sunday in the Carolina Panthers' 17-6 loss against the New York Jets.

Williams rushed for 40 yards, giving him 1,022 for the season. It's the second straight year Williams has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark - and there are five games remaining.

Williams, who became the Panthers' all-time leading rusher this season, is on pace to gain 1,487 yards, a bit under his career-high mark of 1,515 last season.

Williams, who hurt his ankle against the Jets, is the fourth-leading rusher in the league, behind Tennessee's Chris Johnson (1,396), St. Louis' Steven Jackson (1,120) and Minnesota's Adrian Peterson (1,084).

Panthers coach John Fox didn't say how serious Williams' ankle injury is, but that it probably happened in the second half.

Briefly

Aside from quarterback Jake Delhomme's broken finger and Williams' ankle, Fox said Monday that defensive tackle Tank Tyler (knee) and receiver Dwayne Jarrett (ankle) were also injured against the Jets.

Fullback Brad Hoover said his ankle wasn't as sore Monday morning as he thought it would be, after he reinjured it late in Sunday's game. Hoover, who played for the first time against the Jets after missing three games with an ankle injury, said he slightly hurt it again late in the game.

Sunday's upcoming game against Tampa Bay has the potential to be a special-teams mismatch. The Panthers are ranked 32nd (last) in the NFL in both kickoff (averaging 29.6 yards) and punt return (12.8) coverage; the Bucs are tops in the NFL in kickoff returns (28.7) and seventh in punt returns (10.0).

Tampa Bay's Sammie Stroughter returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown in the Panthers' 28-21 victory against the Bucs this season. The Bucs also blocked a John Kasay field-goal attempt in that game.

Although all three of Rhys Lloyd's kickoffs went into the end zone Sunday (he leads the league with a 73.9 end-zone percentage), the Jets brought each of them out for a 27.3-yard average, including one for 38 yards by Brad Smith.

Delhomme is the NFL's lowest-rated starting quarterback after throwing four interceptions against the Jets (for a 12.7 passer rating)."