Carolina receiver Smith burns Bears

By Brad Dorfman

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Carolina’s Steve Smith burned the
Chicago secondary for two long touchdowns and more than 200
yards receiving on Sunday to lead the Panthers to a 29-21
victory over the Bears.

The win gives Carolina a berth in the NFC championship game
against the Seattle Seahawks and the chance to go to the Super
Bowl for the second time in three years.

Wide receiver Smith struck early, scoring on only the
second play of the game with a 58-yard touchdown reception
after cornerback Charles Tillman fell down trying to cover him.

He added a 39-yard scoring reception late in the third
quarter, torching reserve defensive back Chris Thompson.

“We talked about not giving up the big play, trying to keep
Steve Smith contained and we were unable to do that, starting
early when we slipped down a couple of times and he made big
plays,” Bears coach Lovie Smith told reporters.

Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme also threw a 1-yard
touchdown pass to tight end Kris Mangum in the fourth quarter
to open up a 29-21 lead with 8:04 left. But John Kasay missed
the extra point, hitting the right upright, leaving the door
open for the Bears to tie.

But Chicago failed to score on two late drives, one ending
on an interception by Panthers cornerback Ken Lucas and the
last on Grossman’s incompletion over falling receiver Muhsin
Muhammad.

Smith, who missed most of last season with a broken leg,
finished the game with 218 yards on 12 receptions, the fourth
most receiving yards in an NFL playoff game.

The Bears, the league’s second-best defense during the
regular season, only managed to sack Delhomme once on Sunday,
compared to eight times in their regular season game in
November.

STEPPING UP

“I tried to get the ball out of my hands quick today,”
Delhomme, who completed 24 of 33 passes for 319 yards, said.

“There’s only so much you can do to keep them away. They’re
a good defense, there’s no doubt, but we stepped up to the
challenge.”

Carolina dominated much of the first half, while Grossman,
starting only his eighth game in an injury-plagued three-year
career, connected on only three of his first 15 pass attempts.

But late in the second quarter he hit Bernard Berrian on
passes of 17 and 13 yards and Muhammad for 24 yards, setting up
Adrian Peterson’s 1-yard touchdown on fourth and goal from
inside the 1-yard line.

Trailing 16-7 at the half, Grossman hit tight end Desmond
Clark with a 1-yard touchdown pass on the first drive of the
third quarter, and the Bears closed within two before Smith’s
second touchdown pass widened the margin.

Fullback Jason McKie’s 3-yard touchdown run let the Bears
close to 23-21 in the fourth quarter before Mangum’s touchdown
ended the scoring.

Grossman finished with 17 completions on 41 attempts and
192 yards.

Kasay had field goals of 20, 38 and 37 yards in the second
quarter.