Smith Sends Clear Message to Bengals

Knowing that actions speak louder than words, Steve Smith finally did something to make the Carolina Panthers proud of him again.

Smith, struggling on and off the field in a disappointing second season, scored three touchdowns -- two on punt returns -- and had a career-high 313 yards to lead the Carolina Panthers to a 52-31 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

His touchdowns earned him hugs and high-fives from his teammates, most of whom were slow to accept him when he returned last week from a suspension for beating up teammate Anthony Bright, who was hospitalized for two days and filed charges against Smith.

“I don’t have to show the team anything -- they showed me that they trust me by letting me play,” Smith said. “I’m just trying to be a pro. I’ve got to remember where I am and how fortunate I am to be in the NFL.

“I have to practice well and be the new Steve.”

Carolina (5-8) won its second consecutive game, set a franchise record for points scored, had a season-high 401 yards and improved to 3-0 against AFC North teams.

Rodney Peete completed 21 of 29 passes for a season-high 319 yards -- four yards short of his career high -- and three touchdowns. Smith had five catches for a career-high 144 yards and Muhsin Muhammad had eight catches for 106 yards. The Panthers tied Oakland for the most points scored this season.

But their offense didn’t get rolling until the second half -- Carolina’s 16 points in the first half were scored by its defense or special teams.

Cincinnati (1-12) got a solid outing from quarterback Jon Kitna, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. The Bengals must win two of their last three games to avert their worst record in franchise history.

“We’re not playing good football, we do bad things,” Bengal end Justin Smith said.