Panthers on playoff bye prowl

Carolina is marching toward its first playoff berth in three seasons.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — After watching DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combine for 301 yards rushing and four touchdowns in Carolina Panthers’ last game, Denver coach Mike Shanahan was determined to slow down one of the running backs in the league’s top tandem.

Trouble is, putting eight men on the line of scrimmage leaves the dangerous Steve Smith in single coverage.

An increasingly balanced team that can pound the ball between the tackles and dazzle with the deep ball to the speedy Smith, the Panthers (11-3) have become a nightmare for opposing coaches as they march toward their first playoff berth in three seasons.

Sunday’s 30-10 rout of Denver marked the Panthers’ fifth straight game with at least 28 points and showed off their numerous options on offense.

When the Panthers saw the Broncos lining up with four defensive linemen and four linebackers on the first series, offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson quickly decided to use a hurry-up offense and throw deep to Smith.

Missing star cornerback Champ Bailey to a groin injury, Smith picked on Denver rookie fill-in Josh Bell. Smith caught three passes for 66 yards on the first drive, ending with a 15-yard touchdown catch.

That forced the Broncos to eventually go back to a traditional defense. Then Williams’ 56-yard touchdown run early in the second half put it out of reach.

“They went to a 4-4, so they actually made a substitution for a linebacker,” Panthers coach John Fox said Monday. “Sometimes that can be an adjustment as far as where you direct things. I thought our players and coaches did a great job. ... Part of that was we shifted into formations they hadn’t seen before, and not huddling.”

The Williams-Stewart combination (1,980 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns) has been a boon for Smith, who spent the past three seasons as Carolina’s first, second and sometimes third option on offense.

Smith had nine catches for 165 yards and a TD against the Broncos, and is averaging 138.8 yards receiving in the past four games. Even though he was suspended for the first two weeks for punching teammate Ken Lucas in training camp, Smith’s 1,240 yards receiving ranked third in the league through Sunday’s games.

So what do opposing teams do? Double-team Smith and risk big games from Williams and Stewart, like their monster performance against Tampa Bay. Stack the line with eight defenders and Smith may feast on one-on-one and zone coverage, like he did against the Broncos.

“Stewart and Williams, they both did a great job last week and we didn’t have to throw the ball,” receiver Muhsin Muhammad said. “But this week there was a lot of man-to-man coverage, a lot of single safety, a lot of opportunities in the passing game.”