by Sports Xchange

Several other players have missed games due to injuries, part of the reason coach John Fox's Carolina Panthers are 4-6 heading into Sunday's game against the New York Jets at the Meadowlands.

"That's the story of our life this year as far as the Carolina Panthers are concerned," said linebacker Jon Beason. "A lot of injuries, but guys are still stepping up and doing fairly well."

Johnson becomes the third player in as many weeks to go on IR, joining a pair of marquee players in Jordan Gross and Thomas Davis.

"It more or less just (stinks) that we're losing guys weekly it seems like," said linebacker Na'il Diggs. "At any position you'd like to keep your chemistry for the whole season, but injuries happen in this league. You just hope that they're not season-ending. We're just going to keep playing and you have to keep yourself healthy and out of the training room."

The Panthers sounded very much like a team resigned to the fact that they're not going to make the playoffs after a 24-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins last Thursday night.

Only seven percent of NFL teams since the league went to a 12-team playoff format have started the season 4-6 and went on to make the playoffs.

The odds are even longer considering the Panthers will close the season against the New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and New Orleans Saints.

Quarterback Jake Delhomme said the Panthers aren't using injuries as an excuse.

"I don't think there's any doubt you can use that (as an excuse) especially if guys aren't playing very well," Delhomme said. "That can be a crutch to say, 'We don't have the same team.' But that don't matter. That happens. Other guys are stepping in and fighting their tail off. If you look around the league at teams that have been struggling there is a whole lot more finger-pointing than there is here, which is pretty much none.

"Guys are busting their tail, but for some reason we're not getting it done. It's a crutch, but not one we'll use."

Coach John Fox said it's all about guys stepping up and making the most of their opportunities.

"Sherrod Martin, nobody had heard of until Charles Godfrey got hurt," Fox said. "Guys have got to step in, whether it's a (Shonn) Greene when their (running) back got hurt or the defensive tackle that's playing for (Kris) Jenkins or Travelle Wharton playing left tackle. Guys have got to step up and guys around them have got to step up. You fight through it. You've got to overcome injuries."

SERIES HISTORY: 5th regular season meeting. Series tied 2-2. In the last meeting Carolina clobbered a Herm Edwards-coached team 30-3 at Bank of America Stadium prompting then cornerback Ken Lucas to say the Jets "stopped trying."