The Carolina Panthers suffered their first loss of the season Sunday in Week 4 vs. the Dallas Cowboys, but good news may be headed their way. Star running back Christian McCaffrey is reportedly going to try to give practice a go on Wednesday ahead of the Panthers' Week 5 matchup vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. McCaffrey exited with a hamstring injury during Carolina's Thursday night Week 3 win over the Houston Texans after just seven carries.
Rookie fourth-round pick Chuba Hubbard started in McCaffrey's absence in Dallas, rushing 13 times for 57 yards. Hubbard also caught both of his targets for 14 receiving yards. Carolina head coach Matt Rhule said McCaffrey (hamstring) will attempt to practice Wednesday as the Panthers look to “see where he is football-wise,” per Joe Person of The Athletic. More should be known about McCaffrey's status for Week 5 after seeing if and how much he can practice on Wednesday.
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McCaffrey was obviously still the engine of the Panthers' offensive attack before going down in Week 3, totaling 201 rushing yards and 163 receiving yards in a little over nine quarters of game action. Sam Darnold has picked up the slack in his absence, rushing for five touchdowns so far this season (four in the past two games).
The Panthers are tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for first place in the NFC South with a record of 3-1. They host the Eagles in Week 5, and they will look to get back in the win column following their 36-28 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday. With or without McCaffrey, Carolina is likely to be favored over the 1-3 Eagles, who come into Week 5 on a three-game losing streak.
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