The Carolina Panthers beat the New York Jets to end their concerning run of results on the road. It wasn't pretty, but head coach Davve Canales' squad overcame some unwanted obstacles to secure their fourth triumph in five outings.
One of those problems came on the offensive line. The Panthers took left guard Damien Lewis' status up to game time, but they erred on the side of caution with his shoulder complication. Austin Corbett stepped into the breach, and the versatile interior player gave a good account of himself despite missing several weeks with an MCL tear.
That sufficed against the Jets, but it might not be enough when the Buffalo Bills descend on Bank of America Stadium this weekend. The Panthers will reportedly be without starting quarterback Bryce Young due to a high ankle sprain, so a dominant performance from the protection is needed to give veteran backup Andy Dalton a fighting chance of making an impact.
Carolina Panthers are hoping to get Damien Lewis back against the Bills
This means getting Lewis back into the lineup. Canales revealed that the formidable lineman will go through more rehabilitation in the coming days, but the Panthers are working on the premise that he will do enough to feature.
"We just couldn't get (Damien's) strength back to a point where we felt safe about playing and putting him out there and You know, the, the beautiful timing of Austin Corbett coming back and you know I got to watch the film, but you know, firs, 1st impression is that Austin did a great job just continuing to allow us to play our style of offense. We'll have him in there doing some rehab, and the hope is to get him back out there."Dave Canales via Panthers.com
It speaks volumes about Carolina's depth in that they have been able to cope effectively with many injury problems on the offensive line. Robert Hunt remains out, and Corbett missed time. The familiarity maintained by general manager Dan Morgan in free agency paid off, but the Panthers are a much better operation when Lewis is setting the tone.
Obviously, this is a step-by-step process. The Panthers will take every possible precaution with Lewis this week. He might not practice much, but that's not the end goal. Carolina's primary objective is to have him in the lineup versus a Bills defensive front that boasts some accomplished playmakers.
Canales seemed encouraged, which is promising. But fans can also relax knowing that Corbett is a solid contingency plan if Lewis doesn't do enough to get the green light.