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The Detroit Lions caught a big break for this upcoming game against the Carolina Panthers. Their Week 11 opponent has already announced that running back Christian McCaffrey will not play this Sunday.
McCaffrey has only played in three games thus far this year, but he’s coming off a year in which he had 1,387 rushing yards and 1,005 receiving yards. In his place, Mike Davis has played somewhat well, rushing for 385 yards (4.2 YPC) and hauling in 47 passes for 290 yards of his own.
“This guy is strong and powerful,” Lions head coach Matt Patricia said of Davis. “He’s a great cut-back runner, but he can also bounce out to the edge. So you have to be very disciplined in the run defense or otherwise this guy will hurt you very quickly.”
Patricia also noted that the Panthers like to use wide receiver Curtis Samuel all over the field, including as the team’s occasional tailback. On 25 carries, Samuel has 108 yards. `
The status of Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is still up in the air after he suffered a knee injury late last week. However, head coach Matt Rhule sounded optimistic about his chances earlier this week, saying he was “hopeful” Bridgewater would play against the Lions.