For the record, Morgan recorded three tackles, all solo hits, or one more than he had for the entire 2006 season, before exiting the game late in the first quarter. In a Super Bowl XXXVIII loss to the Patriots that concluded the 2002 season, Morgan had a mind-boggling 25 tackles, according to the videotape-review grading system of the Carolina coaching staff. The three tackles on Friday night, though, may have been more significant.
His first contact of the evening came on the opening snap, when he was sealed off by Pats' right guard Stephen Neal on a two-yard run by Laurence Maroney off the right side. His initial misstep arrived only a snap later, when he penetrated quickly into the New England backfield, but overran the play, as Carolina end Mike Rucker stopped Maroney for no gain.
On a third-and-eight play that closed out Morgan's first series, he halted Maroney four yards shy of the first-down marker.
One other tackle in the running game was recorded when Maroney slipped on an off-tackle play to the left side, and Morgan simply tagged him down. His biggest hit of the evening came on a pass play, when he dropped into the right hash area, read the play, then came up and leveled tailback Sammy Morris after a 10-yard reception.
Somewhat unwittingly, the Patriots served as gracious partners in preparing a game plan that tested Morgan's willingness to throw his body into the fray. Seeking to provide new starting tailback Maroney with enough carries to get him ready for the Sept. 9 opener, New England ran the ball on its first nine snaps.
There was one play on which center Dan Koppen got out quickly and into Morgan's legs. Another when lead-blocking fullback Heath Evans knocked the middle linebacker on his heels. And on two occasions during the second possession, Morgan either allowed a poor first step to take him out of a play or took a bad angle to the ball and got caught up on the interior trash that accompanies most running plays.
Never, though, did Morgan look like a guy with one foot out the door and headed into retirement.
"I didn't hesitate tonight," Morgan said. "And I'm not going to. That's not me."
