The Facts:
Associate press beat writer Steve Reed confirmed Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera planned to use Jonathan Stewart as the "clear featured back" in Week 7 Rivera said they "tried to change things up schematically" to give Stewart a shot "as the workhorse running back." What that amounted to in terms of snap count totals last Sunday was 58 snaps for Stewart, 15 for Mike Tolbert and five for DeAngelo Williams. Unfortunately, Stewart ran for 35 yards on 10 carries, and all three backs combined could only muster 45 yards on 15 carries, though Tolbert got the touchdown. Rivera indicated additional personnel and scheme changes could be on the horizon for Week 8, however he didn't shed light on specifics.
Reported by the Associated Press
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
You would have thought that Rivera and the rest of the Carolina brain trust would have used the offseason to come up with offensive schemes that maximized the backfield talent on their roster. That didn't happen, and with the team off to a disappointing 1-5 start, Rivera and Co. are on the hot seat. While the plan to use Stewart as the featured back last week didn't payoff for Carolina or fantasy owners, it would be foolish for Rivera to go "one and done" with the strategy. The talented Stewart signed a five-year contract extension in August, while DeAngelo Williams is expendable at the end of the season. It continues to to be difficult to trust any Panther running back in your lineup regardless of the quality of the match-up. Until we see Carolina field a more consistent run game, Stewart remains a flex play best used in PPR leagues.
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