Published: Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009 / Updated: Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009 07:32 AM

Passing woes still a problem for Panthers

CHARLOTTE -- When it comes to the Carolina Panthers' passing game, there's plenty of frustration to go around.

The hope, however, is that they're making progress, and have pushed past last week's issues in that regard.

Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith knew what was coming when reporters walked into the locker room Wednesday, aware that everyone who watched the television broadcast of Sunday's game at New Orleans saw his second-quarter outburst, apparently aimed at the offensive coaching staff.

The volley followed a short pass to Smith in the flat, after which he was hit out of bounds and in the legs by Saints safety Darren Sharper, drawing a penalty. But Smith brushed past Sharper before he started yelling, and the most elementary lip-reading would suggest it was something along the lines of “Don't call that play no more,” only with a few extra words sprinkled in for effect.

Such exchanges are far from rare on the sidelines — from many players, not just Smith — but the wide receiver knows that the perception that exists of him gives this story legs.

“I'm a volatile guy, obviously,” Smith said, tongue-in-cheek. “So was I upset with multiple things? Probably, probably not. But this week is the Atlanta Falcons, so that's what I'm going to focus on. But you can always go back to the film and analyze it and write what you're going to write.”

Asked if he was more upset with the play-call than Sharper, Smith said: “I would think that would be inaccurate because you weren't me.”

Asked what he was upset with, and Smith again broke out the old soft-shoe routine.

“Nothing, because we're playing the Atlanta Falcons,” he said with a grin. “I've been doing this for a while, so I'm very able to get around it. And I won't (discuss it). It's a new week.”

Panthers coach John Fox denied that Smith was yelling at coaches — even though the most cursory glance at the television broadcast revealed otherwise.

“I think if I got hit on the sidelines out of bounds, I'd be upset, too,” he said.

Asked to clarify if he meant that Smith was yelling at the Saints' defensive back, Fox told the reporters surrounding him: “I was standing right there, and that's the way I saw it. I was probably closer than anybody standing here.”

Back in the real world, the Panthers know that if they're going to turn things around (if it's not too late), they're going to have to be more productive in the passing game.

Quarterback Jake Delhomme has played two straight games without an interception — no small feat, since he had 13 in the first six — but his script seemed extremely limited the last two weeks. He's been insulated by safe game plans since the Buffalo meltdown, the tail end of the tailspin that began in last year's playoff game.

Delhomme admitted that the following week (when Fox openly questioned whether he'd keep the job) was difficult, but thinks having a few clean games helped his confidence more than anything.

“For me, I don't think it could have gotten any lower after Buffalo, there's no doubt,” Delhomme said. “But you just keep swinging. That's something that I wasn't going to stop doing. You've got to just keep swinging and play. You've got to just go out and play, and I think that's worked pretty well for me the last two weeks.”

Still, Delhomme knows he's not being given a full arsenal. He only threw 14 passes in Arizona and just 12 in the first three quarters Sunday at New Orleans before things got frantic late. Even when he was throwing, it wasn't long or often, but he remained diplomatic when asked whether he felt restrained.

“Not necessarily,” he said. “We're doing a very good job running the football. I don't think there's any doubt we had some long drives. And we can say we had to throw it a lot at the end. But I think the thing that really hurt us the other day is I think we had a 19-play drive and we came away with three points. That was crucial because running and throwing we did some good things on that drive.