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Smith, Panthers seek fifth straight win

Oct 18, 2006 - 12:23 AM Carolina (4-2) at Cincinnati (3-2) Sunday 1:00 pm EDT

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Terrell Owens gets all the publicity, but Steve Smith has stated his case as the best wide receiver in the NFL.

Smith and the Carolina Panthers visit the Cincinnati Bengals, who have a Pro Bowl wide receiver of their own, on Sunday in an interconference game.

Smith led the NFL with 1,563 receiving yards and tied for first with 103 receptions and 12 touchdown catches last season. Then in the playoffs, he added 27 more receptions for 335 yards and three touchdowns.

Smith's value was never more apparent than this season when he missed the first two games with a hamstring injury and the Panthers scored a total of 19 points in losses to Atlanta and Minnesota.

Since his return, the Panthers have won four in a row and scored a total of 90 points in those games. Smith has been largely responsible for that with 31 catches for 450 yards and two touchdowns.

Owens of the Cowboys has nine less catches for 173 fewer yards.

Chad Johnson of the Bengals led the AFC in receiving yards each of the last three seasons. In 2005, he set career highs with 97 catches for 1,432 yards.

Johnson is not quite at the same pace this season. In five games, he has 24 receptions for 300 yards and one touchdown. T.J. Houshmandzadeh has just one less catch for nine fewer yards and two more touchdowns than Johnson and he missed two games with a heel injury.

Carson Palmer hit Houshmandzadeh with a 33-yard touchdown and Shayne Graham kicked two field goals in the Bengals' 14-13 loss at Tampa Bay last week.

After scoring 85 points in their first three wins, the Bengals managed just 26 in losses to New England and the Buccaneers.

On Sunday, Carolina cornerbacks Ken Lucas and Chris Gamble and rookie nickel back Richard Marshall will match up against Johnson and Houshmandzadeh.

Johnson is the cousin of Panthers receiver Keyshawn Johnson, who signed with Carolina to serve as a complement to Smith. Keyshawn Johnson has 32 catches for 419 yards and two touchdowns in six games.

Smith and Keyshawn Johnson will match up against Cincinnati corners Deltha O'Neal and Tory James and rookie nickel back Johnathan Joseph.

Last week, Jake Delhomme threw for a career-high 365 yards and two touchdowns in the Panthers' 23-21 win at Baltimore. Smith caught eight passes for 189 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown.

Defensive end Julius Peppers added two more sacks in the win over Baltimore, raising his season total to a league-leading eight. He will match up against right tackle Willie Anderson on Sunday.

The Bengals will be without left tackle Levi Jones, who will need arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Rookie Andrew Whitworth, a second-round pick out of LSU, is expected to replace Jones in the lineup and will line up against right end Mike Rucker, who has yet to record a sack after compiling 7 1/2 last season.

Cincinnati already has been without starting center Rich Braham, who suffered a knee injury in Week Two.

The Panthers are playing their third straight game against an AFC North opponent. They beat Cleveland, 20-12, on October 8 before winning at Baltimore last week.

The two previous meetings between the Panthers and Bengals were held in Carolina. Smith returned two punts for touchdowns in the Panthers' 52-31 win over the Bengals on December 8, 2001.