CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Welcome back to the big stage, Jerick McKinnon and Fozzy Whittaker.
Oh, and Matt Asiata and Cameron Artis-Payne, get ready to carry the football, too.
The Vikings and Panthers will be counting on their backup running backs to have a “next man up” mentality when they meet Sunday in Charlotte, a city that was placed under a state of emergency due to the violent protests stemming from a police shooting last week.
Both teams lost their “featured backs” last week to injury — Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus, while Jonathan Stewart is dealing with a pulled hamstring.