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If this guy isn't an MVP contender, he should be
Sporting News, The, Dec 2, 2005 by Dennis Dillon
As part of his game-day routine, Panthers receiver Steve Smith watches video of the defender he expects to cover him, looking for revealing information. Three and a half hours before Carolina played Minnesota at Bank of America Stadium on October 30, he noticed something about Vikings cornerback Fred Smoot. Some of Smoot's interceptions came on plays in which he undercut receivers' routes.
Smith relayed this information to quarterback Jake Delhomme before they went on the field to warm up. "If you're throwing me a deep route," said Smith, "overthrow me, and let me go get it."
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With 5 1/2 minutes left in the first half, the Panthers faced first down at their 30. Smith, lined up wide to the left, ran a go pattern down the sideline. He sprinted past Smoot after about 30 yards and caught Delhomme's long pass over his shoulder before stumbling and getting shoved out of bounds at the 1. The 69-yard reception was one of 11 catches, for 201 yards, Smith made in a game Carolina won, 38-13.
That was the fourth victory in a six-game winning streak that ended Sunday with a 13-3 loss to Chicago. But the Panthers are 7-3 and tied with Tampa Bay for first place in the NFC South, and the biggest role in Carolina's climb has been played by a guy who is several inches short of qualifying for a Tip Toppers Club card.
Smith is 5-9, 185 pounds, but he has put up some giant numbers. He leads the league's receivers in receptions (72), yards (1,106) and touchdowns (nine). Before Sunday's game, Smith was second in the league in big-play catches (25 or more yards) and second in receptions for first downs, according to STATS Inc.
A little more than 14 months after breaking his left fibula in the 2004 opener, Smith looks like the surefire comeback player of the year. I'll go further than that. I say he's a candidate for league MVP.
"He's gotten good. No, he's gotten great," Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson says. "He is, in my eyes, the most dangerous receiver right now as far as being able to touch the ball and go the distance."
Smith is good at getting to the ball. He's even better once it's in his hands. As Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin points out, Smith can take a 5-yard hitch and turn it into a 75-yard play because of his quickness, elusiveness and ability to run through tackles. More than 50 percent of Smith's receiving yards have come after his catches, and he led the NFL in YAC (yards after catch) through Week 10.
"He's basically a running back when he gets his hands on the ball," says Bucs cornerback Brian Kelly.
Smith, 26, has evolved into such a threat that his name usually is the first one mentioned by opposing defensive coordinators when they address their players before games against Carolina. An abridged scouting report on Smith:
* Has excellent quickness and speed. Rarely gets caught from behind.
* Has made a striking improvement in his route running since becoming a starter in 2002.
* Gets separation on defenders because he doesn't lose speed going into or coming out of his cuts.
* Has tremendous balance and body control. His 40-inch vertical leap allows him to outwrestle taller opponents for jump balls.
* Runs low to the ground. Changes directions quickly. Has a stout build, which makes him difficult to bring down.
The Panthers move Smith around to try to create the best matchups. He plays both flanker and split end. He lines up wide or in the slot or goes in motion.
Opponents counter with a variety of ploys, often doubling Smith with a cornerback-safety or a linebacker-defensive back combination. In Week 3, Miami put 6-3, 248-pound linebacker Junior Seau in Smith's face and had cornerback Sam Madison line up 5 yards behind Seau. "That matchup was a little bit out of my weight class," Smith admits.
When teams spend great effort trying to stop Smith, it gives Keary Colbert and Ricky Proehl--the Panthers' No. 2 and No. 3 wide receivers--opportunities to make plays. Or it opens up Carolina's two-headed running attack featuring Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster.
A third-round selection in the 2001 draft--10 wide receivers were picked ahead of him, including Cincinnati's Johnson--Smith made an instant impression in the NFL. He returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown in the Panthers' 2001 opener at Minnesota.
He's best known for his 69-yard touchdown reception on the first play of second overtime, giving the Panthers a playoff victory in St. Louis during their run to Super Bowl 38. Less than two years later, he has evolved into a top-tier player.
"Without question, he's one of the top four or five receivers in the game right now," says Kelly.
Smith has been noticing other players for quite a while. Now, the attention is being reciprocated.
Relieve the Immaculate Reception, The Drive, The Catch, The Tackle and many other golden moments in pro football history in NFL's Greatest Moments. Order this special commemorative edition by phone at 800-825-8508 or online at sportingnews.com/books/football.
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