The Steve Smith factor

By Jeff Lykes  |   Friday, October 06, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

Carolina Panthers
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The prognosticators and talking heads of the sports world were in full force after the second week of the NFL season, as quick to write off Steve Smith and the 0-2 Panthers as they were in making them their Super Bowl pick.

"They've dug too big a hole. That division is too competitive," they lamented, over and over again.

"Two bad hamstrings," they hypothesized. "Steve Smith might be finished for the season."

Well, two weeks later, the Carolina Panthers have evened the score, and with a home game looming against a team that spotted the awful Oakland Raiders a 21-3 lead, it seems inevitable they'll be 3-2 by week's end. So much for throwing out the year and playing for a draft pick, I guess.

However, this week is a must win. They can't afford a home letdown against the Cleveland Browns, not with two tough road games around the bend (Baltimore and Cincinnati). And the fact remains that Carolina is 2-0 with the league's most dangerous offensive weapon, Steve Smith, in the lineup.

Smith has let his play on the field dispel all the rumors about the severity of his hamstring problems. In two games thus far, he's caught 17 balls for 199 yards and a touchdown, and, perhaps more importantly, his presence has finally opened the door for their big offseason acquisition, Keyshawn Johnson.

Johnson is too old and slow to be any team's No. 1 receiver, but he's a darn good second fiddle when a guy like Smith's lined up on the opposite side. With Smith in the starting lineup, Johnson's snagged more receptions and even scored on a reverse play. The 2006 incarnation of Keyshawn Johnson does not score on an end-around if Smith isn't on the field. This is science, people.

Smith's injuries have prevented him from returning kicks and punts, but that's a small price to pay if you're a Panthers fan. Having him on the football field is invaluable. His presence alone makes every skill guy on the offense that much better. Jake Delhomme looked lost without him.

In two games without Smith, Delhomme failed to complete 55% of his passes and his quarterback rating topped out at 67.9. Since the All-Pro's return, though, Delhomme's passer rating has been one of the best in the NFL (98.9). But these stats pale in comparison to what Smith's return has meant for the running game.

No Panther has been aided more by Smith's return than running back DeShaun Foster. The numbers speak for themselves. In two pre-Smith games, Foster ran it 28 times for 80 yards and no scores. Since his return: 36 carries for 187 and a touchdown.

You could talk about the numbers all day long, but there's really one statistic that matters... The Carolina Panthers are 2-0 with Steve Smith and 0-2 without him.
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