Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith has refused to speculate on whether he would be fit to face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday after he picked up a sprained knee in yesterday's 17-13 victory over the New Orleans Saints.
Smith suffered the injury during the first quarter of the match and was forced to watch from the sidelines as his replacement Domenik Hixon caught the game-winning touchdown with just 23 seconds remaining.
The result means that the Panthers can wrap up the NFC South and clinch a first-round bye in the playoffs with a win over the Falcons, but Smith insists that the extra importance of the match has no additional impact on his desire to play.
"I'm not looking past Christmas. My thoughts are to play as soon as possible. That has nothing to do with what's at stake," Smith told reporters.
The Panthers clinched their first playoff berth since 2008 with the dramatic victory over the Saints.
Written by
Barney Corkhill
Barney Corkhill
