Carolina’s Smith replaced by Giants receiver
KANSAS CITY – Maybe teams do not know that Steve Smith is really on the field during these games.
Each time Eli Manning drops back to throw in a key situation needing a first down or make a big play, #12 always seems to be open, and Manning is able to get him the ball to move the chains.
He is not 6’3, 220 pounds, or runs a 4.3 40-yard dash. He is not going to out-jump cornerbacks or do anything flashy. However, each play he is going to line up and look to beat you, not by his physical gifts, but rather his intelligence and football instincts.
Anytime you mention the name Steve Smith, many people instantly think of the man who wears #89 for the Carolina. Yet, there is a new Steve Smith who legend is beginning to grow, and with each week, is becoming a man the fans can trust and a new jersey that should be flying off shelves in stores soon.
Smith was the always known as the “second man” even back to his days in college as highly touted players Mike Williams and Dwayne Jarrett received most of the attention while he was at USC. Smith was always the players who would keep the ball moving, making the tough catch. The Giants selected him in the second round and there were many comparisons between him and Amani Toomer.
An injury hampered him for most of his first season and finally was able to get on the field in December. In the postseason, he finally made himself known to Giants fans. He had several big catches in the Super Bowl run, catching key first downs in Tampa, Dallas and Green Bay on the team’s road to Glendale that season. In Super Bowl XLII against the Patriots, his 12-yard catch on third-and-11 after the famous catch by David Tyree was just as much a big play that led to the game winning touchdown catch by Plaxico Burress to win the championship.
Fully healthy last year, Smith was the Giants number three receiver and continued to be Manning’s trusted target whenever a key first down was needed. As it turned out, he was the team’s leading receiver with 57 receptions.
This season, without Burress or Toomer on the team, it was time for him to assert himself and become more than just a player who got eight yards when the team needed seven.
He has become more than even the Giants could have predicted and General Manager Jerry Reese once again looks like a genius for not making a splash during the off-season to run out and make a trade for a supposed “#1 receiver” like Braylon Edwards or Anquan Boldin.
KANSAS CITY – Maybe teams do not know that Steve Smith is really on the field during these games.
Each time Eli Manning drops back to throw in a key situation needing a first down or make a big play, #12 always seems to be open, and Manning is able to get him the ball to move the chains.
He is not 6’3, 220 pounds, or runs a 4.3 40-yard dash. He is not going to out-jump cornerbacks or do anything flashy. However, each play he is going to line up and look to beat you, not by his physical gifts, but rather his intelligence and football instincts.
Anytime you mention the name Steve Smith, many people instantly think of the man who wears #89 for the Carolina. Yet, there is a new Steve Smith who legend is beginning to grow, and with each week, is becoming a man the fans can trust and a new jersey that should be flying off shelves in stores soon.
Smith was the always known as the “second man” even back to his days in college as highly touted players Mike Williams and Dwayne Jarrett received most of the attention while he was at USC. Smith was always the players who would keep the ball moving, making the tough catch. The Giants selected him in the second round and there were many comparisons between him and Amani Toomer.
An injury hampered him for most of his first season and finally was able to get on the field in December. In the postseason, he finally made himself known to Giants fans. He had several big catches in the Super Bowl run, catching key first downs in Tampa, Dallas and Green Bay on the team’s road to Glendale that season. In Super Bowl XLII against the Patriots, his 12-yard catch on third-and-11 after the famous catch by David Tyree was just as much a big play that led to the game winning touchdown catch by Plaxico Burress to win the championship.
Fully healthy last year, Smith was the Giants number three receiver and continued to be Manning’s trusted target whenever a key first down was needed. As it turned out, he was the team’s leading receiver with 57 receptions.
This season, without Burress or Toomer on the team, it was time for him to assert himself and become more than just a player who got eight yards when the team needed seven.
He has become more than even the Giants could have predicted and General Manager Jerry Reese once again looks like a genius for not making a splash during the off-season to run out and make a trade for a supposed “#1 receiver” like Braylon Edwards or Anquan Boldin.
Instead, Smith himself has number that would resemble a top-level receiver. After his spectacular afternoon where he hauled in 11 passes for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns, the New York Steve Smith leads the NFL in receptions (34), yards (411) and touchdowns (4) through the first four games.
Even more amazing is how open he gets and how Manning has been able to find him. Fourteen of Smith’s 34 receptions have come on third down when you would think teams know where the ball is going. Of the quarterbacks 79 completions in the team’s 4-0 start, he has found Smith 34 times, an amazing 43 percent of the time.
His third down receptions against the Redskins on Opening Day, kept drives going that eventually led to scores. In Dallas, several of his grabs early in the game help loosen the coverage from the Cowboys defense and allowed Mario Manningham to have a huge night in victory. In Tampa, he continued his success, which included a touchdown catch. On Sunday, he had another brilliant performance posting career numbers.
Make no mistake, it is not as if Smith is accumulating these totals against less than average cornerbacks. Fred Smoot, Terrance Newman and Ronde Barber, all whom are upper echelon, have lined him up in three of the first four games and he has been able to get open despite their talent. Sunday, he will face his toughest challenge lining up across Nhamdi Asomugha, who many regard as the best corner in the league.
On pace to shatter his previous career totals, you wonder when teams are going to key on him and try to slow him down. So far, opposing teams have tried to bump him at the line of scrimmage and he has been able to use his feet to elude the jam and get back into his route. When defenses have been playing zone, he has been able to run specifically to hole in the coverage and coming up with catches.
He has just been another in a seemingly endless list of young players drafted and developed into quality and productive members of this football team.
Look out NFL, Steve Smith has arrived, but he plays for the Giants.
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