Look, I love Steve Smith. Probably one of my favorite football players of all-time. Just does not quit — ever. Unless you break his leg. It which case he comes back the next year better than ever.
But.
Number 89 is destined to play out his career in Carolina without a championship unless the Panthers come up with a running game. No two ways about it. It is simply too hard to consistently get the ball to a WR if — and tell me if this describes the Panthers of 06, starting with the NFC title game in Seattle — the defense knows that 89 is the only guy they have to fear.
Maybe DeAngelo Williams and Deshaun Foster can provide that kind of quick-strike ground attack that’ll have every safety in the league worried about the run. Maybe the OL is due for some luck and what looks like a wealth of depth and talent up front will actually provide a running game that will carry a team into January so Smith can put the Panthers over the top. If so, watch out world.
