Bears' Muhammad ready for Panthers

Sunday, the Chicago receiver gets another shot at his former team.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) -- Muhsin Muhammad hoped the day would come.
Nervous and emotional the first time he played his former team, the Chicago Bears receiver gets another shot at the Carolina Panthers on Sunday in the divisional playoffs.
"I'm real focused right now. I'm focused on what we have to do, our game plan," Muhammad said. "I'm much more focused on what I have to do this time around."
The Bears delivered one of their best performances of the season when they dominated the Panthers 13-3 at Soldier Field on Nov. 20, a signature victory that established them as a force in the NFC.
But Muhammad was nowhere near dominant.
First meeting
With his nerves and emotions jumbled, he caught six passes for 49 yards and a touchdown but dropped several balls, including another potential score. A few Panthers hugged Muhammad after the game and posed for pictures. And this figures to be another emotional meeting.
"You've got to understand, there's a history there," Muhammad said. "I played there for nine years. For me to come out and say there was no emotional tie to that team would be a flat-out lie. There was emotion.
"I came out the first time I saw them since I signed with Chicago. Of course, I'm going to give my buddy a hug. [Wide receiver Steve Smith] and I took a picture after the game. I don't know if we're going to do the same after this game."
Bears coach Lovie Smith said, "He's a Pro Bowl receiver. This will be a special game for him. ... He's our No. 1 receiver. We need a big game out of him."
Muhammad's name is written all over the Carolina record book.
Panthers all-time leader
He left as the Panthers' all-time leader in receptions (578) and yards receiving (7,751) and tied the mark for touchdowns (44).
Carolina released Muhammad after he set team records last season with 1,405 yards receiving and 16 touchdowns because it did not want to pay a $10 million roster bonus, and the sides could not agree on a contract extension.
The next day, the Bears signed him. Almost as quickly, Muhammad and starting quarterback Rex Grossman developed a chemistry, with Muhammad attending Grossman's wedding in July.
The problem was Grossman missed the first 13 games after breaking his left ankle in the preseason, and Muhammad and Kyle Orton never really clicked.
At times, Orton missed his target.
Other times, Muhammad dropped passes.
And a run-based offense didn't boost his numbers. After leading the league in yards receiving and touchdowns a year ago, he had 64 catches for 750 yards and four touchdowns during the regular season.
"I've been a journeyman," Muhammad said. "I've been a role player. I've had a lot of adversity this year. I think you guys have picked out a bunch of the rough spots I've had during the season. But overall, the job that's been asked of me, I think I've done extremely well."
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