The one big negative today: Steve Smith has officially lost a step

[Doyle]

As Smith gets older and slower he will also continue to get smarter. Not worried about having an older Smith on the team.

[PantherDude]

This is a fact.

He looked so slow

Never judge a book by it cover.

[Brokenbad]

If you didn't have Sam Mills as part of your username I would have neg repped you to oblivion like 1,000 years ago dumbass. You suck.

[grateflday]

Trading Smith this season or down the line would be dumb. The Panthers would not get anything more than a fourth round pick, if that, and even a slower/older Smith would most likely be better than a player picked in that kind of round.

Smith can still play and produce. If the Panthers can find and develope the younge guys they have, or other - having a WR like Smith on the team can still be a plus. I can see him developing into one of those older WR's who still produces and make plays. He just wont be the #1 guy any more.

Also... who knows, maybe he can help the younge guys. He was the first one to go hug Gettis after that TD in the 4th qtr.

[Sam Mills Fan]

Steve Smith never fumbles. That was the worst part of his performance today. He had a couple of good PR's and 1 real bad one which would have looked bad if it was Hester out there. On the other returns he was blanketed. It looked to me like he was looking for a hole, that's why he accelerated so slowly. Plus he had to the leave the game so who knows if he would have caught more passes.

You guys are acting like he's f**kin Hines Ward or Santana Moss(not necessarily you SMF). The dude is still a top 10 WR anyway you slice it. He is one of the reasons LaFell and Gettis had success today. He will get his. He was putting up consistent numbers before Moore was taken out.

Besides, whether if Smith is among the best WR in football or not he has needed a compliment for the past 5 years and seems that we have found one.

I think it's very arguable as to whether he's Top 10. I would argue he's probably not, but that would require me to come up with my own Top 10 which I'm too lazy to do.

[mav1234]

Smith lost a step?? What?

Smith has always had dropped balls. Today, Moore didn't need to force the ball to him because our other receivers stepped the hell up.

If teams stop covering him, he'll start scoring again.

[Sam Mills Fan]

How can anyone claim he has NOT lost a step? Are you still saying he's the receiver from 2005 that was the best receiver in the league? That's lunacy. He's CLEARLY not as good as he was back then. So even if you still think he's great (which I can see the argument for), you at least have to agree he's lost a step.

[DickolausJ]

Guy came back from a high ankel sprain in 2 weeks. When I saw that injury I thought he was done for the season.

Was he full speed out there today: No

Is he as fast as he was his rookie year: No

Did he drop some balls and fumble: Yes

Will Sam Mills Fan find something to cry about even if we won the Super Bowl: Yes

[Sam Mills Fan]

If he wasn't at full speed and was bothered by the ankle in any way, then why did he practice this week and why was he returning punts of all things?

[ItsNotGonnaBeAlright]

Smith has outlasted about 90% of the players from his draft class. Out of those remaining, most are very obviously on the down side of their career. To say he has lost a step at this point is not a knock against the guy, its just a fact of nature.

And anyone who brings up Drew Brees to argue what I said will be hunted down and forcibly raped by coyotes.

[Brooklyn Bully]

How can anyone claim he has NOT lost a step? Are you still saying he's the receiver from 2005 that was the best receiver in the league? That's lunacy. He's CLEARLY not as good as he was back then. So even if you still think he's great (which I can see the argument for), you at least have to agree he's lost a step.

I think what we're saying is that STEVE SMITH losing a step still give you an A+ talent. He went from being a Ferrari to being a Porsche. I think we need to come up with a better way to describe his "decline". Losing a step would mean he went from being Smitty to being T.O. and that's not the case. He's simply no longer a young pup. "Lost a step" just doesn't classify what has happened to him.

[ItsNotGonnaBeAlright]

I think what we're saying is that STEVE SMITH losing a step still give you an A+ talent. He went from being a Ferrari to being a Porsche. I think we need to come up with a better way to describe his "decline". Losing a step would mean he went from being Smitty to being T.O. and that's not the case. He's simply no longer a young pup. "Lost a step" just doesn't classify what has happened to him.

His decline has been simultaneous with the decline of the talent around him. How would you turn that into that into a catchphrase?

[mav1234]

Ok, no, he's not the same as he was 5 years ago, that I'd agree with. However, I don't think he's any different from what he has been this year or last year... well, other than the injury ofc.

Smith played through the pain I'm sure but he is the kinda guy who wants to compete even if he isn't 100%.