Steve Smith Can Either take the Panthers up with Him, or Bring Them down with Him
This year, the Carolina Panthers saw the end of an era in their organization. Gone was their franchise quarterback who led them to Super Bowl XXXVIII in Jake Delhomme. Delhomme was released and so was long time fullback Brad Hoover. Long-time wide receiver Mushin Muhammad retired and DE Julius Peppers signed with the Chicago Bears.
The Panthers are also seeing new beginnings though. They have the best two-back tandem in the NFL with Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart in the backfield. They drafted Notre Dame Quarterback Jimmy Clausen who appears to be their next franchise quarterback, although Matt Moore is still their starter for the time being.
The only major constant in all this has been WR Steve Smith. Smith has been the Panthers main threat at wide receiver ever since the team started competing. He has unbelievable playmaking ability and although he is one of the shorter receivers in the game, he is physical and has shown he can out-jump defenders.
Throughout his tenure in Carolina, Smith has gone a little up-and-down in terms of his production, but his presence always makes other teams take notice and he opens the door for teammates to produce.
Ever since the 2003 season, when the Panthers went all the way to the Super Bowl, they have also had alternating seasons from being good to mediocre to good.
In the years the Panthers have made the playoffs this decade, in 2003, 2005 and 2008 Smith had very productive seasons in all those years. In 2003, he had 88 receptions for 1,110 yards and 7 touchdowns. Even in the playoffs he played a major role, scoring the winning touchdown in an overtime game against the St. Louis Rams in the divisional round.
In 2004, the Panthers missed the playoffs in a year where Smith sat out nearly the whole season due to injuries.
In 2005, the Cats made it back to the postseason as Smith posted a career season with 103 receptions for 1,563 yards and 12 touchdowns. That year, the Panthers made it to the NFC Championship game before being outmatched by the Seattle Seahawks.
The next two seasons, Smith’s numbers dropped slightly but were still great for any NFL receiver. However some injuries saw him sit out some important games as Carolina missed the playoffs in both the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
The 2008 season saw the Panthers make it back to the playoffs, finishing 12-4 and entering the playoffs as the second seed in the NFC. That season, Smith had 78 receptions for 1,421 yards and six touchdowns. However the Panthers lost in their first playoff game 33-13 which included six Jake Delhomme turnovers.
Last season, Smith’s numbers dropped as the Panthers once again failed to follow up one playoff season with another. For the first time in eight seasons (excluding the 2004 season where he was injured) Smith failed to break the 1000 yard barrier. He still finished the year with a respectable 65 receptions for 982 yards though.
Now heading into the 2010 season, Smith will have a new quarterback, whether it’s Moore or Clausen. He will have to step up once again if the young Panthers are to challenge for a playoff spot. Smith is one of the veterans on the team and he will have to be one of their leaders if they are to bounce back from an inconsistent 2009 season.
If Steve Smith has a bad year this year, that would spell the end for the Panthers. Without him, the Panthers offense becomes one-dimensional and they need the best out of the emotional leader.
Steve Smith’s season may likely decide the fate of the Panthers season. For the past decade, it always has.
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