Carolina Panthers: Life Without Jonathan Stewart
Dec 13, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart (28) without his helmet during the regular season game at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers remain undefeated with a 38-0 route of Atlanta. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
The Carolina Panthers will be looking to replace the production of Jonathan Stewart in the upcoming game against the New York Giants
The Carolina Panthers made their first move to protect one of their key pieces for the playoff run when they decided to bench Jonathan Stewart for the upcoming game against the New York Giants. Stewart was one of several Panthers who suffered a minor injury against the Atlanta Falcons. In case it was an ankle issue.
So the question becomes how do you replace Stewart’s production if you are the Carolina Panthers. The answer is that the Panthers will use multiple carriers to make up for the absence of Stewart. Stewart was eleven yards from a thousand when he got hurt. Stewart was averaging about 18 carries a game.
The Panthers will draw on their running backs to fill those eighteen carries. That will include increased roles for Mike Tolbert, Fozzy Whittaker, and Cameron Artis-Payne. The Panthers should avoid adding more rushing load into the hands of Cam Newton. So how do we divide the carries?
The first is situational. Some players will do more in certain situations. Whittaker plays more if there are more third downs. Tolbert would play more in short yardage situations regardless of down. Artis-Payne will likely see carries on first or second downs of series.
So let’s divide things up: