NFL: TO, Smith meet in matchup of underused star WRs

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Steve Smith and Terrell Owens on the same field. A short, speedy, dominant and sometimes volatile receiver facing off against a tall, speedy, dominant and sometimes volatile receiver.

In the past it would be billed as a matchup of big stars and bigger egos. This year, though, maybe the slogan should be: “Remember these guys?”

When Owens’ Buffalo Bills visit Smith’s Carolina Panthers on Sunday, it’ll feature receivers ranked 49th and 92nd in the NFL in receptions. They’ve combined for only 474 yards receiving, one touchdown, four wins — and surprisingly only one blowup. That would be Smith’s outburst after catching just one pass last week against Tampa Bay and declaring that “I’m no longer an asset to this team.”

“I feel his frustration,” said Owens, who was also held to one catch last week. “I know where he’s coming from.”

Neutralized by constant double teams, poor quarterback play, stagnant offenses and the basic frustrations of playing for losing teams have left both players in uncharted territory. Smith is off to his slowest start since becoming a starter in 2002. Owens recently had his 185-game reception streak, third longest in NFL history, snapped.

And consider the game plan for Carolina (2-3) as it seeks its third straight win and prevent Buffalo (2-4) from winning road games in consecutive weeks for the first time since 2004.

“We want to make them a one-dimensional team,” Panthers safety Chris Harris said, who clarified that meant making Buffalo throw the ball.

The Bills will likely have Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback with Trent Edwards recovering from his second concussion in a little over a year. Fitzpatrick overcame windy conditions last week to lead the Bills to a 16-13 overtime win over the New York Jets that helped embattled coach Dick Jauron. Fitzpatrick attempted to get the ball to Owens more than Edwards had, but he managed one catch for 9 yards, stats that won’t help the Bills end a nine-year playoff drought.

“It’s up to the coaching staff and everybody involved to communicate and try to create some ways to get myself more involved. And I think we’re doing this,” said Owens, who has 15 catches for 215 yards and a TD. “It’s a work in progress. As of now you see that I haven’t had any gripes about anything.”

Indeed, Owens has gone out of his way not to create the controversy that has dominated his stops with other teams. It was Smith who grabbed the headlines after he vented his frustration after catching one pass for 4 yards in Carolina’s 28-21 win over Tampa Bay.

“I want to win and be involved in a win,” Smith said.

Quarterback Jake Delhomme has been trying to get the ball to his playmaker — perhaps too much. Several of his NFL-high 10 interceptions have come on passes intended for Smith, who is facing constant bracket coverage because fellow receivers Muhsin Muhammad and Dwayne Jarrett have done little.

After Delhomme’s interception was returned for the tying touchdown early in the fourth quarter against the Buccaneers, the Panthers took the ball out of his hands. Carolina’s game-winning 80-yard drive included 15 runs and one pass. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart were in 2008 form as they each surpassed 100 yards rushing.

And with the banged-up Bills having the league’s worst run defense, Smith may have to wait for his catches. While the Bills tied a team record with six interceptions against the Jets, they allowed 318 yards rushing. In the past four games, they’ve given up 961 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. And defensive tackle Kyle Williams hurt his shoulder last week.

“We all know they’re both good backs, they’re both real quick, shifty guys,” DT Marcus Stroud said of Williams and Stewart. “It’s definitely going to be a challenge for us.”

Delhomme hopes an increased focus on the run game will give the four-time Pro Bowl pick Smith more room to operate. He’s been held to 21 catches for 259 yards and still hasn’t caught a touchdown.

“It’s frustrating when you’re a No. 1 guy, a starting receiver, to not have a catch in a game or only have one catch and really not feel part of a game,” Bills receiver Lee Evans said. “Especially for a guy like Steve Smith who’s a very seasoned veteran, who’s been around a lot, made a lot of plays. I can understand the frustration.”

Owens, a six-time Pro Bowl pick, has that frustration, too. Consider if you combined Smith and Owens’ stats, it would still rank only fifth in the NFL in yards receiving and tied for fourth in catches.

“Obviously he’s voicing his opinion, and I’ve been there before,” Owens said of Smith. “They have to deal with that on that side. But I totally understand where he is coming from. Especially when you feel like you have the talents to be a game-breaker, as you’ve always been, and for whatever reason, it’s not getting done down there.”