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Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith said Wednesday he stands by the comments he made after Sunday's victory at Tampa Bay. He also said he's ready to move on to a different discussion.
Smith, after catching one pass for 4 yards against the Bucs, said he was "no longer an asset" to the Panthers.
"Am I going to go back and apologize for what I said? No," Smith said Wednesday. "I want to win, and I want to be involved in a win. And if a person feels like he's uninvolved, it should be taken in the manner in which it has been said.
"That's how I felt at the moment. I don't think I was disrespectful. I don't think I singled out any one particular person. That's how it was received by the individuals who spoke to me."
One of those people was quarterback Jake Delhomme, who also answered a question with a question:
"Am I condoning (what he said)? No," Delhomme said. "But you've got to understand, this is a competitive guy who has a drive and a fire like no other. I understand his frustration. I get frustrated too. I'm trying to get him the ball because I know what he can with it in his hands."
Smith's comments Sunday came after the Panthers had won their second consecutive game, with their rushing attack battering the Buccaneers for 267 yards, second most in team history. The Panthers ran the ball 48 times and passed 17.
Smith was double-covered for much of the game. Delhomme said Tampa Bay even used two defenders on Smith during the Panthers' winning drive when they ran the ball on 15 of 16 plays (the lone pass was Smith's only reception of the game).
"That's why we kept running it and running it," said Delhomme.
Delhomme said Smith might already be channeling that frustration into his play.
"This guy practiced at a different level" Wednesday, Delhomme said. "He was something out there."
Said Smith: "I'm here to work, that's what I'm going to do. If people get frustrated or discouraged about things, it happens. It's going to happen on a team in Carolina, like it has in the past, or on a team like Arizona, whatever the case may be."
Smith and Delhomme have, at times, been one of the league's most effective quarterback-receiver combinations in recent seasons. But Smith is off to his slowest start since he became a starter in 2002, with 21 catches for 259 yards and no touchdowns. Delhomme has thrown 10 interceptions (tied for most in the league) and his passer rating (56.8) ranks 33rd in the league.
"It's new territory for everybody," Smith said. "But new, unforeseen territory is an opportunity to grow and find some things out about yourself that you're not used to dealing with."
The Panthers' next opponent, the Buffalo Bills, are last in the NFL in run defense. Smith was asked if he understood the Panthers' game plan might again be run-first, pass-second, as it was against Tampa Bay.
"I don't have any concerns," he said.
