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Smith's absence a challenge for Panthers
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Published: September 7, 2008
Steve Smith will be back in Charlotte watching when the Carolina Panthers play at San Diego this afternoon, serving the first part of a two-game suspension for punching teammate Ken Lucas during training camp.
So how will the Panthers make do without their leading receiver and most explosive player? And how effective can they be against one of the NFL's best defenses?
Those are the key questions as the Panthers draw one of the toughest opening-day assignments in the league.
If the Panthers can establish a passing game without Smith, it would help open up a running attack with DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart that has been impressive in the preseason. And if the Panthers can establish the running game, they can chew up time and help the defense by keeping the Chargers' high-octane offense off the field.
"Hopefully we can run the ball well, but we'll see," quarterback Jake Delhomme said before the team flew to San Diego. "It's such a great task for us, such a great test. I don't know any other way to say it. They're good. They're a good football team. So hopefully we can do some things in the passing game and run the ball effectively."
The Panthers have often struggled without Smith since he established himself as a Pro Bowl receiver. They are 7-13 in the 20 games that Smith has missed over his first seven seasons, including 15 games because of a broken leg in 2004.
When Smith missed the first two games of the 2006 season with a hamstring injury, the Panthers lost to Atlanta and at Minnesota. They combined to score just 19 points in those games, with one touchdown and four field goals.
That doesn't discourage Coach John Fox or Delhomme, though.
"I think hopefully we're a better team now," Fox said.
"Oh, we're light years ahead," Delhomme said. "Now, we could go lay an egg on Sunday, and you will laugh at me, but it's not even close. Not even close. The receivers, the backs, I'm not trying to knock anybody, but it's just different. It's just different than two years ago."
The receiver corps has been banged up much of the preseason. But D.J. Hackett returned to practice last week after missing all four preseason games because of a toe injury. He'll join Muhsin Muhammad and Dwayne Jarrett, who played little as a rookie last season but was one of the pleasant surprises of training camp. Delhomme could also end up throwing more to tight ends Jeff King and Dante Rosario in Smith's absence.
Delhomme said that the Panthers would not change their game plan or play-calling much, but he expects the Chargers to load up against the run and force the Panthers to establish the pass.
"It will change some for us, but not a lot," Delhomme said. "We have to do what we do. I don't think we'll change a whole lot. I think defenses may change how they attack us, though. I don't think there's any doubt when they stand up in their meetings on Monday or whenever they started on us, they know Steve wasn't playing. And they may try to take a different approach. Most teams, it's, ‘OK, who's the No. 1? That's 89, we have to find a way to control him.' So who knows what wrinkle we'll see? It's week one, and you never know what kind of wrinkles some team might come up with."
The Panthers know they have their work cut out. They are 9½-point underdogs, and they would likely be underdogs even with Smith.
"He's a big part of this," fullback Brad Hoover said. "He's a play-maker. He's a big part of our offense. For him to be out, I don't want to say hurt, but it does affect some of the things we do sometimes, because he is such a big part of things. He can change games in the snap of a finger.
"But at the same time, we have to go on without him, have to be able to win without him. That's the bottom line."
■ John Delong can be reached at jdelong@wsjournal.com.
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