When the New York Giants turn on the lights at the New Meadowlands Stadium on Sunday, the Carolina Panthers will try to flip the switch on an offense that flickered throughout the preseason.

The Panthers believe the preseason showing was an aberration, and insist the 16 quarters they went without an offensive touchdown had more to do with holding out key players and holding back the playbook than any inherent personnel or scheme problems.

But can the Panthers throw a switch and get their offense in high gear when the games count?

One of the team's veteran offensive playmakers is confident they can.

"That's a great opportunity Sunday," receiver Steve Smith said Wednesday. "Can it switch? I think it can. I think it will."

The Panthers went 1-3 in the preseason playing without their leading receiver and rusher from 2009 as Smith gave his twice-broken arm more time to heal and tailback Jonathan Stewart rested his surgically repaired ankle. Both are set to play against the Giants.

Stewart, the Panthers' first-round pick in 2008, teamed with DeAngelo Williams last season to become the first tailback tandem in NFL history each to rush for more than 1,100 yards.

"Those two guys back there are pretty special," quarterback Matt Moore said. "I'm excited to get them both back, and to throw 89 (Smith) into the mix, it's going to be fun."

Stewart helped close Giants Stadium last year with the best rushing performance by a visiting back in the stadium's 34-year history. Stewart ran for a franchise-record 206 yards as the Panthers pummeled New York 41-9 in the Giants' final game in the Meadowlands.

Stewart's record-breaking performance came with Williams out with a sprained ankle and Stewart nursing an Achilles' injury.

"It was toward the end of the season, so I was on my last leg. Literally on my last leg," Stewart said. "But I'm feeling a lot better than last year and just going with that."

Panthers coach John Fox said the team was cautious with Stewart in the preseason so he would be ready for Week One.

"We've been kind of taking it easy on him as far as games," Fox said. "But he's been out here getting banged around in practice, and I think (it's) nowhere but up for him."

Neither Williams nor Stewart was concerned with the preseason struggles.

"It didn't bother me at all. It's the preseason," Williams said. "I'm not saying that we took preseason for granted, but it's the preseason. We beat the Titans and didn't have an offensive touchdown."

Fox said his coaching staff uses exhibitions as evaluation tools and does little game-planning. He also indicated the offense fans saw in August will not be the same one the Panthers use Sunday.

The Panthers passed on 64 percent of their preseason snaps, compared to a run-pass split that was virtually even last season.

"I think a lot of times in the preseason, we spend more time evaluating people and making sure we do our best to pick the right 53 guys. There's not a lot of schemes going on and those types of things," Fox said. "We practice every day. There's a lot of things in practice we may not see in the preseason games. But we feel just as strongly (about the offense) as we did at the close of last season."

"I have confidence in our offense," Fox added. "No matter how we move it, I have confidence that we will."

Williams said the Panthers' inexperience - they have the NFL's youngest roster, according to STATS Inc. - caused some of the preseason missteps.

"You've got to mesh with the younger guys. And once you get the unit all together, then it flows a lot better," Williams said. "We didn't have Steve Smith in there. ... We didn't have all our bullets. Jonathan Stewart didn't play any during the preseason."

It appears right tackle Jeff Otah (knee) will be the only starter who misses the opener. And with Smith and Stewart back, Williams expects the Panthers to come out firing.

"I tell a lot of people we're saving all our touchdowns for the regular season."