Anyone know his status for today? I'm assuming Carolina is going to sit him seeing his injury is fairly serious / painful by the sounds of it, they already have the division wrapped up, and they are only playing Detroit. Anyone know for sure? Thanks.
Stephen Davis
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GM, I got this from my fantasy league!!!
"A team source has told Fanball publisher Paul Charchian that Stephen Davis is unlikely to play in Sunday?s game against the Lions. If he did play, it would be in a highly limited role. Further, Davis may not play in the season finale in New York on the 28th. Davis has been nursing an ankle injury for several weeks. DeShaun Foster will get the majority of the workload in Davis? stead."
It's nothing certain, but I can't see Carolina taking a chance with Davis!!!
"A team source has told Fanball publisher Paul Charchian that Stephen Davis is unlikely to play in Sunday?s game against the Lions. If he did play, it would be in a highly limited role. Further, Davis may not play in the season finale in New York on the 28th. Davis has been nursing an ankle injury for several weeks. DeShaun Foster will get the majority of the workload in Davis? stead."
It's nothing certain, but I can't see Carolina taking a chance with Davis!!!
Sunday, December 21, 2003
Day of Rest: Davis and others could 'freshen up' against Lions
Winston-Salem Journal
CHARLOTTE - To say that today's 1 p.m. game between the Carolina Panthers and the Detroit Lions at Ericsson Stadium is anti-climatic might be an understatement.
The 9-5 Panthers are one game removed from clinching the NFC South division title and a playoff berth; the 4-10 Lions are attempting to avoid setting the NFL record for most consecutive road losses, having already dropped their past 23 games away from home.
For the Panthers, the challenge now is to build momentum as they move toward their first playoff game in seven years. But how to do it?
Do you rest players who are nicked up, such as star running back Stephen Davis, leading sackman Mike Rucker and others who are nursing injuries? Or do you play them to help keep their edge, rather than risking sitting them out now and possibly having them come back in two weeks at less than peak form because they're rusty?
The smart money says you do the former, risking the latter - or as strong safety Mike Minter says: "If you're hurting, get some rest and get healthy. If you're healthy, sharpen your sword and get ready to go."
Coach John Fox doesn't like to admit he is planning on resting anyone against the Lions or anyone else. He's big on saying he respects opponents too much. He treats them all the same. He wants to win every game.
But immediately after stating flatly that "We are not going to rest anybody" against the Lions, he added: "We are just going to basically freshen them up this week in practice. We are going to approach this game just like we have all the other games this season. If guys are injured and not ready to play and it's not in their best interest to play, then we won't play them."
The prime example
Davis, for one, is hurting. He said after last Sunday's game that just about every joint on his body ached. His knees hurt. His ankles, the left one in particular, were throbbing.
All of which could explain some of Davis' sagging numbers over the past five games he has played since sitting out one at mid-season because of an ankle injury. In his first eight games this season, Davis chewed through opponents and churned out yardage at an amazing rate, averaging 124 yards rushing per game and 5.1 yards per carry. In his past five he has averaged just 79 yards per game and 2.34 yards per carry.
So Fox freshened him up during practice this week, which is to say that Davis did basically nothing. Despite whatever Fox said, that also means the odds of Davis suiting up today for what appears to be a rather meaningless game are slim at best.
The same goes for starting center Jeff Mitchell, who pulled a groin last Sunday during the Panthers' 20-17 win at Arizona that clinched the division. Rucker seems to have a better chance of playing, but if there is any question of injuring his knee further, why risk it?
If the Panthers are going to start building momentum for the playoffs today against Detroit, they probably will have to do it with DeShaun Foster starting at running back in place of Davis, rookie Bruce Nelson getting his first NFL start at center in place of Mitchell, and the legendary Al Wallace taking many of the snaps at defensive end for Rucker.
And that's not all. Defensive tackle Brentson Buckner and starting cornerback Terry Cousin also are listed as questionable, possibly pushing more inexperienced youngsters such as rookies Kindal Moorehead and Ricky Manning Jr. into extended playing time.
Fox said that it shouldn't matter who is on the field today.
"I feel good about anybody on our football team, whether it is DeShaun Foster at running back or Bruce Nelson at center or whoever it might be," Fox said. "I expect them to play well and I think they expect themselves to play well. There is a lot of confidence amongst their teammates and I know from the coaching staff. We are still going to do everything we can to win and we expect to win."
No more pressure
Minter argues that no matter who plays for the Panthers, they should play better than they have in weeks.
"At the beginning of the season, we didn't have any pressure. We didn't face any expectations outside of this locker room. The last three or four weeks, we've faced that expectation of winning the division with one more win. That's tough. That's a lot of pressure," Minter said.
"It's like golf. When something is on the line, that putt is hard. But when you're out there swinging easy and goofing around with your friends, it's pretty easy. The last three or four weeks, with all that added pressure, it was tough to get that win. But now we've got it, and I now I think guys will relax and focus on getting better for the start of the playoffs."
To an extent, Fox agrees.
"I think that was a huge relief of pressure for our football team to win that game (at Arizona) on the road - to be able to clinch and know that we're in the playoffs for sure," Fox said. "Exactly what seed we will be, that is yet to be determined. But to get that wrapped up and get that off our backs obviously helps a lot and is a great relief to our players.
"It has been a huge relief of pressure, and I think it is going to make us play better."
But Fox is putting a bit of a spin on the truth when he says that the Panthers "are attacking this game just like we have any game this season."
That's not quite true. If it were a really critical game and making the playoffs hung in the balance, there is almost no question that several of the players who "freshened up" during the week of practice would be suiting up.
Davis might be the best example. He could play but almost certainly won't today. And he shouldn't.
That much Fox was willing to concede, sort of.
"It has been a hard-fought season for us," the coach said. "We have had a lot of close games, and it's taken a toll mentally and physically. I think it's important at this point in the season, whether you are in the playoff stretch or not, to freshen your team up a little bit. We have grinded pretty hard this season, and I think they've earned that right."
Day of Rest: Davis and others could 'freshen up' against Lions
Winston-Salem Journal
CHARLOTTE - To say that today's 1 p.m. game between the Carolina Panthers and the Detroit Lions at Ericsson Stadium is anti-climatic might be an understatement.
The 9-5 Panthers are one game removed from clinching the NFC South division title and a playoff berth; the 4-10 Lions are attempting to avoid setting the NFL record for most consecutive road losses, having already dropped their past 23 games away from home.
For the Panthers, the challenge now is to build momentum as they move toward their first playoff game in seven years. But how to do it?
Do you rest players who are nicked up, such as star running back Stephen Davis, leading sackman Mike Rucker and others who are nursing injuries? Or do you play them to help keep their edge, rather than risking sitting them out now and possibly having them come back in two weeks at less than peak form because they're rusty?
The smart money says you do the former, risking the latter - or as strong safety Mike Minter says: "If you're hurting, get some rest and get healthy. If you're healthy, sharpen your sword and get ready to go."
Coach John Fox doesn't like to admit he is planning on resting anyone against the Lions or anyone else. He's big on saying he respects opponents too much. He treats them all the same. He wants to win every game.
But immediately after stating flatly that "We are not going to rest anybody" against the Lions, he added: "We are just going to basically freshen them up this week in practice. We are going to approach this game just like we have all the other games this season. If guys are injured and not ready to play and it's not in their best interest to play, then we won't play them."
The prime example
Davis, for one, is hurting. He said after last Sunday's game that just about every joint on his body ached. His knees hurt. His ankles, the left one in particular, were throbbing.
All of which could explain some of Davis' sagging numbers over the past five games he has played since sitting out one at mid-season because of an ankle injury. In his first eight games this season, Davis chewed through opponents and churned out yardage at an amazing rate, averaging 124 yards rushing per game and 5.1 yards per carry. In his past five he has averaged just 79 yards per game and 2.34 yards per carry.
So Fox freshened him up during practice this week, which is to say that Davis did basically nothing. Despite whatever Fox said, that also means the odds of Davis suiting up today for what appears to be a rather meaningless game are slim at best.
The same goes for starting center Jeff Mitchell, who pulled a groin last Sunday during the Panthers' 20-17 win at Arizona that clinched the division. Rucker seems to have a better chance of playing, but if there is any question of injuring his knee further, why risk it?
If the Panthers are going to start building momentum for the playoffs today against Detroit, they probably will have to do it with DeShaun Foster starting at running back in place of Davis, rookie Bruce Nelson getting his first NFL start at center in place of Mitchell, and the legendary Al Wallace taking many of the snaps at defensive end for Rucker.
And that's not all. Defensive tackle Brentson Buckner and starting cornerback Terry Cousin also are listed as questionable, possibly pushing more inexperienced youngsters such as rookies Kindal Moorehead and Ricky Manning Jr. into extended playing time.
Fox said that it shouldn't matter who is on the field today.
"I feel good about anybody on our football team, whether it is DeShaun Foster at running back or Bruce Nelson at center or whoever it might be," Fox said. "I expect them to play well and I think they expect themselves to play well. There is a lot of confidence amongst their teammates and I know from the coaching staff. We are still going to do everything we can to win and we expect to win."
No more pressure
Minter argues that no matter who plays for the Panthers, they should play better than they have in weeks.
"At the beginning of the season, we didn't have any pressure. We didn't face any expectations outside of this locker room. The last three or four weeks, we've faced that expectation of winning the division with one more win. That's tough. That's a lot of pressure," Minter said.
"It's like golf. When something is on the line, that putt is hard. But when you're out there swinging easy and goofing around with your friends, it's pretty easy. The last three or four weeks, with all that added pressure, it was tough to get that win. But now we've got it, and I now I think guys will relax and focus on getting better for the start of the playoffs."
To an extent, Fox agrees.
"I think that was a huge relief of pressure for our football team to win that game (at Arizona) on the road - to be able to clinch and know that we're in the playoffs for sure," Fox said. "Exactly what seed we will be, that is yet to be determined. But to get that wrapped up and get that off our backs obviously helps a lot and is a great relief to our players.
"It has been a huge relief of pressure, and I think it is going to make us play better."
But Fox is putting a bit of a spin on the truth when he says that the Panthers "are attacking this game just like we have any game this season."
That's not quite true. If it were a really critical game and making the playoffs hung in the balance, there is almost no question that several of the players who "freshened up" during the week of practice would be suiting up.
Davis might be the best example. He could play but almost certainly won't today. And he shouldn't.
That much Fox was willing to concede, sort of.
"It has been a hard-fought season for us," the coach said. "We have had a lot of close games, and it's taken a toll mentally and physically. I think it's important at this point in the season, whether you are in the playoff stretch or not, to freshen your team up a little bit. We have grinded pretty hard this season, and I think they've earned that right."
Ya, that's what I was thinking eire, why bother risking it? You see something like Portis get hurt last week for no reason at all, and you've got to take a bit more cautious approach.
Thanks guys, good info.
Thanks guys, good info.
