Minutes: A matter of time
November 10, 2008
Andrew Mason
www.Panthers.com
http://www.panthers.com/Common/Article.aspx?id=40782
CHARLOTTE -- In the first of what could be multiple scheduling tweaks for the remainder of the season, the Panthers' Week 12 game at Atlanta was moved from 1 to 4:15 p.m. EST, the league announced on Monday.
From next week through Week 16, kickoff times can be adjusted, with the new times being finalized no later than 12 days before the game takes place. The Panthers-Falcons game is the second contest this season to be moved; next week's Titans-Jaguars game has also been moved from 1 to 4:15. In Week 17, game-start times are subject to change until five days before game day.
The league's flexible-scheduling policy also allows for contests to be moved into the prime-time broadcast window for NBC's Sunday Night Football broadcast, but for the next two weeks, the league and the network have opted to retain its previously scheduled games (Cowboys-Redskins in Week 11; Colts-Chargers in Week 12).
FOX STILL SATISFIED WITH STEWART: The good news for running back Jonathan Stewart was that he managed to play Sunday after sitting out practice Wednesday and Thursday with a heel injury. But his performance in Oakland -- seven carries for 21 yards -- extended a trend over the last four games in which his numbers haven't matched his output from the first five weeks of the season.
In the opening five games, Stewart scored four touchdowns and averaged 54.4 yards on 13.0 carries. Since then, he's scored once, while averaging 27.8 yards on 9.5 carries. The decline in Stewart's numbers has been balanced by an acceleration from DeAngelo Williams; after scoring no touchdowns and averaging 49.5 yards on 13.5 carries in the first four games, he's scored six times (including two receiving touchdowns) and has averaged 92.8 yards on 17.0 carries.
"Probably about a month (ago) people were wanting (Stewart) to be the starter," Fox said. "It's a long season, and we're going to need him and he knows it and we know it. It's nothing (Stewart) has done wrong."
Fox, however, believes that neither the heel injury nor the proverbial "rookie wall" that many first-year players hit at midseason has affected Stewart's performance.
"It's none of those things in my opinion," Fox said. "He made some hard runs. Part of those (rushing) yards were his; there's not doubt the bulk was DeAngelo (Williams). It goes that way.
"I'm totally happy with Jonathan Stewart as well as DeAngelo Williams. That's not changed."
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