The Carolina Panthers put forth a dominating win against the Seattle Seahawks in order to advance to the conference championship game against the Arizona Cardinals. However, the win came with injury scares to some big names. The Panthers took a few unwanted hits leaving certain players hurting heading into the week while Jared Allen is done for the year.
One player officially not preparing to face the Cardinals is defensive end Jared Allen. According to David Newton via ESPN.com, Allen suffered a fractured foot in the win and is undergoing an MRI. The injury is said to be similar to the one Star Lotulelei suffered last season which required surgery and kept him out of the playoffs altogether. Second-round pick Kony Ealy is expected to replace Allen who has been critical to the defense since being acquired from the Chicago Bears.
While it is bad news for Allen, the Panthers are confident that Jonathan Stewart and Greg Olsen who both suffered injury scares in the win against Seattle will be fine for the game this weekend. Olsen suffered a shoulder injury in the second half and sat out for a portion of the game, but was able to return for the final drives. Head coach Ron Rivera and Olsen both said things are fine with the shoulder and he will be good to go come the matchup against the Cardinals.
Stewart is also expected to be fine. The running back suffered a small injury scare during the game which is being described as a "tweak" according to the Charlotte Observer. The running back missed the final four weeks of the season with a foot sprain. He ended up finishing the day with 106 yards and two touchdowns as a critical factor for the Panthers' offense. Stewart was used conservatively in the second half of the game not because the tweak was an issue, but because Rivera wanted to be cautious. Instead, Cameron Artis-Payne and Mike Tolbert got playing time which could help down the stretch.
The Panthers are heading into the game against Arizona relatively healthy. Ted Ginn Jr was a huge factor in the run game along with Stewart while Ed Dickson and Corey Brown emerged in the passing game. The Panthers do need to get Devin Funchess more involved against the Cardinals secondary which has been one of the best all season.
