He doesn't whine about not getting enough passes. He doesn't accuse quarterback Jake Delhomme of conspiring with alternate receiver Muhsin Muhammad. He doesn't complain about runners DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart dominating the ball.

To the contrary. On the eve of Carolina's 30-10 victory over Denver yesterday, Smith analyzed the Panthers' offense and identified the most important elements.

No. 1: interior line. No. 2: tailbacks.

You laugh. Is this a case of false modesty? True unity? Or maybe Smith merely realizes that sly silence works when the Panthers win and opponents labor to corral the freshly ferocious rushing attack.

Whatever the logic, Smith's stealth campaign looked brilliant under the battleship-gray skies of Bank City, USA. The Broncos took the bit. They watched the Williams-Stewart stampede against Tampa Bay - 301 yards, four touchdowns - and vowed to send out the posse.

The posse consisted of four linebackers supporting four defensive linemen, all intent on smothering the runners. Sometimes they succeeded. Williams reversed fields and bolted 56 yards for a touchdown on the fourth play after halftime, basically icing the game at 27-10. Otherwise, the two-headed running monster combined for 84 yards on 27 carries.

This might be cause for Carolina concern under certain circumstances. Instead, it became a cause for a Delhomme-Smith celebration. They connected nine times for 165 yards, their exquisite chemistry evident from the outset.

Delhomme (17 of 26 for 253 yards) received the wry grin of approval from tackle Jordan Gross, who declared himself flattered by Denver's run-conscious alignment and single coverage on receivers.

"Jake's been taking a little bit of flak lately about how he's not putting up the stats," Gross said. "We run the ball well and they load us up, and Jake can put the ball where he needs to. Steve's such a big threat. Hopefully, we're a double-edged sword now."

Denver scored its only touchdown on the opening series, and the Panthers promptly faced third down and two against that four-linebacker deviation from the Broncos' season-long pattern. Delhomme searched the field and pumped his arm and shuffled his feet. Nothing. He danced a few more steps. With brutes closing in, Delhomme desperately flipped a floater down the left side.

Smith adjusted his route and sped toward the ball, which hung in the middle of three defenders. Smith got there first and made the catch for 24 yards. "Then we were able to get rolling," Delhomme said.

On the next play, Smith beat Denver deep for 27 yards. Two plays later, Smith drifted back and caught a fast screen pass. He used Muhammad's block to dodge two Broncos and pranced 15 yards for a touchdown.

A 38-yarder, Delhomme to Smith, set up the go-ahead touchdown in the second quarter. Smith frequently tormented Josh Bell, who had been promoted to starting cornerback after Champ Bailey's injury.

"Steve Smith made his plays," Bell said. "He's a Pro Bowl kind of receiver, and he's probably a future Hall-of-Famer. He made his plays. He capitalized on our mistakes."

Bailey empathized with Bell, mainly because he understands the breadth of the Smith problem. "I think it's his attitude more than just his ability," Bailey said. "He has a rare ability, but at the same time he has an attitude that he can't be stopped."

The momentarily unstoppable Panthers, now 11-3 with a two-game division lead over Tampa Bay, keep piling up the offensive capital. Since losing to the Bucs on Oct. 12, the Panthers have scored 30, 27, 17, 31, 28, 35, 38 and 30. They have won seven of eight.

Carolina has moved into the league's upper echelon, acknowledged candidates for the Super Bowl and a hot commodity worthy of the NBC headliner next Sunday night in the Jersey Meadowlands. Carolina will play the Giants with the conference's top seed on the line, good for home dates all the way through the NFC championship.

"I can't wait until Sunday," Williams said. "I'm one of those guys that, on Sunday, I know it's game day. It's time to shine. It's time to get on that playground and in that sandbox, whether it be mine or Tampa's, whether it be New York's or wherever we're playing. That's the sandbox. We're just like big kids having fun, and that's what we go out and do."

Muhammad, a 13-year veteran, senses the additional excitement for fans and team employees. "But once you kick the ball off, man, it's 60 minutes of Football, and it goes down to regular Football," he said. "That's what it's all about. It's about playing this child's game for a king's ransom on Sunday."

With a dual-exhaust offense clicking on all cylinders, the child's game sometimes resembles child's play. Yesterday was one such time. Next Sunday, though, the playful children might turn into nasty men. Pro Football is like that.