The Panthers have won two games without Steve Smith.  How will they do with him?

We’ll all find out on Sunday, when the Panthers head to Minnesota.

Smith is back, and the team is rejuvenated.  They’ve beaten the Chargers and Bears without him.  On Sunday, safety Chris Harris displayed for the camera a message on a dry-erase board reading, “This one’s for you, Steve Smith.”

The excitement is enough to make a guy almost poop on himself.

“He’s ready to roll,” Fox said of Smith.  “He’s excited to be back.  And he’s excited we’re 2-0.”

The Vikings, who are in dire need of a win, might not be excited.  Smith has a history with the team from the Twin Cities.  In 2001, on the very first time Steve Smith ever touched the ball at the NFL level during a regular-season game, he returned a kickoff for a touchdown, helping to deliver the Panthers’ only win of the entire season.

In 2005, during a game better known for the implosion of Daunte Culpepper’s knee, Smith torched the Vikings for 11 catches and 211 yards.

He hasn’t seen the Vikings since then (he was injured when the two teams hooked up in 2006), and we’ve got a feeling that he’s going to explode on Sunday.

We suggest that all Panthers fans wear diapers.