The 16-year veteran vaulted himself into the NFL’s top 10 of all-time receiving yards with a diving 31-yard catch down the sideline in the third quarter of Sunday’s victory over Cleveland.
Smith crossed the 14,000-yard receiving mark with the catch and passed Hall of Famer James Lofton to break into the top 10. The accomplishment is an impressive milestone, but Smith wasn’t too interested in celebrating himself after the game.
"It's alright,” Smith said. “At the end of the day, I've got to play better."
Smith, 37, has racked up plenty of accolades over the course of his career, and his body of work makes a strong case for eventually ending up in Canton, Ohio. He also ranks 15th all-time with 969 career receptions.
In addition to piling up the career milestones, Smith also played a key role in the victory, finishing the day with three catches for 64 yards. A pair of those catches came on the opening drive of the third quarter, which moved the Ravens down the field before wide receiver
The strong performance was impressive given that Smith was playing in just his second game back from last year’s torn Achilles.
Smith also showed his value as a leader. He’s an emotional player, and he showed that before halftime when he slammed his helmet after a broken drive. He then came back the next series and caught the two big passes on the opening drive of the third quarter.
“We know Steve and Steve knows us, and you know what, we’re a lot alike,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said.
Smith is also an active player on the sidelines constantly talking with teammates. His energy can amp up the entire group and he showed that during Sunday’s victory.
“Steve was into it,” Harbaugh said. “Whatever he said – I don’t even know what he said, and it really doesn’t matter what he said. It motivated them.
“That’s who Steve Smith is.”
