Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Bruce Gradkowski fires a pass against Carolina Panthers during first quarter NFL action in Charlotte on Monday night. Carolina won 24-10. - Reuters

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters):

STEVE SMITH fought off a bad case of the flu to haul in eight passes for 149 yards and a touchdown as the Carolina Panthers came from behind to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-10 on Monday night.

Smith overcame an upset stomach - he vomited repeatedly into a garbage can on the sidelines during the game - to spark the Panthers' second-half resurgence.

"My little girl was sick," Smith said. "I got the flu. What happens in the house just goes around (to) the parents."

Smith fought through to help hand the injury-riddled Bucs their third straight loss.

Jake Delhomme passed for 240 yards and two touchdowns to bring the Panthers back from a 7-0 deficit at the half and end a two-game losing streak, but it did not look good for the heavily favoured Panthers after a miserable first half.

Carolina got off to a terrible start with the sellout crowd booing the Panthers off the field after they could manage just three first downs in the entire first half. But the Panthers scored 17 unanswered points in the third quarter and Smith caught a 36-yard strike from Delhomme late in the fourth to seal the win.

Carolina improved to 5-4 and the Buccaneers slipped to 2-7.

Four-yard TD pass

Keyshawn Johnson caught a four-yard TD pass from Delhomme, Brad Hoover scored another touchdown on a five-yard run and John Kasay kicked a 28-yard field goal in the third quarter to highlight the Panthers' rally.

Coming off a bye week, the Panthers were looking to get back over the .500 mark after a second-half collapse in their previous game 15 days ago against Dallas.

"It's just nice to get a win," Delhomme said. "It's a crazy league."

Smith caught his 36-yard TD pass from Delhomme with 3:11 left in the fourth quarter for Carolina's other score after Matt Bryant's 28-yard field goal brought the Bucs to within 17-10.