3 Carolina Panthers position groups that must step up at the Cowboys

Carolina Panthers RBs

Christian McCaffrey will not be strapping on his helmet for the foreseeable future with a strained hamstring suffered in the second quarter against the Houston Texans. To fill the void, Matt Rhule will be trotting out rookie Chuba Hubbard and fourth-year veteran Royce Freeman.

Hubbard, the former Oklahoma State product, will get the starting nod on Sunday and show Panther nation why he was an All-American and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2019.

At only 6-foot and 207 pounds., Hubbard will be the outside threat to the more physically statured Freeman at 238 pounds. The Dallas Cowboys’ defensive front four have combined for 16 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

With starter Carlos Watkins unlikely to play with a knee sprain, veteran Brent Urban ought to get the call. If Hubbard and Freeman can collectively fill the void of McCaffrey to keep the clock running and provide sufficient pass protection, the Carolina Panthers’ offense should be able to sustain long drives and wear down the defense into the second half.

Not having the face of the franchise is going to come with some potential complications. They do have experience of McCaffrey’s being absent from the 2020 season, but Carolina doesn’t;t have Mike Davis to carry the load after he left in free agency for the Atlanta Falcons.