The Carolina Panthers are having trouble protecting Cam Newton in the passing game, as evidenced by the eight sacks they allowed last week.
Not helping matters much here is the hamstring injury that forced starting running back Jonathan Stewart from last week’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
The news is most definitely not good on that front.
Ron Rivera says Jonathan Stewart won't play this wk. vs Falcons. Not sure timetable beyond that. Said last week could be 4 wks.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) September 29, 2016
With Stewart out of action last week, Carolina’s trio of running backs combined for just 74 yards on 19 attempts. That surely played a role in Newton being tossed around like a rag doll by Minnesota’s swarming defense.
While Carolina hasn’t necessarily been able to rely on Stewart to stay healthy over the years, his health has had an impact on the team’s performance. The team boasts an 18-3 record when Stewart goes for 70-plus yards since the start of the 2011 season.
With him out of action for potentially the next month, the combination of Fozzy Whittaker and Cameron Artis-Payne are going to have to perform at a much higher level to help Cam create some balance on offense.