Announced this morning, via the RB's Twitter account, Carolina Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart will miss today's game vs. Tampa Bay as he continues to recover from an ankle injury sustained against New York in the Panthers' 3rd preseason game.
Stewart had been listed by the Panthers as 'questionable' this week, with conventional thinking being that the star running back would be ready to play as we've seen so many times before. It's more likely this is precaution than anything serious, and with DeAngelo Williams and Mike Tolbert both healthy, the need for Stewart this week is drastically reduced.
Mark Barron, rookie safety for the Buccaneers better be ready, because with Stewart out this will slant the playbook more towards the pass, and he should be tested early and often. Many of the Panthers backfield passes, and screen plays are run through J-Stew, and while it's possible we could see these same plays executed with Williams or Tolbert, it's more likely the onus will be placed on Greg Olsen, and 3rd WR Louis Murphy to catch 8-10 yard routes.