Panthers' Fozzy Whittaker: Barely plays against Patriots

Whittaker had one carry for three yards and one catch for seven yards in Friday's preseason loss to the Patriots.

Analysis:

More important than the empty stat line, Whittaker didn't play until late in the game, whereas Cameron Artis-Payne dominated first-team work after Jonathan Stewart was removed in the second quarter. Artis-Payne had nine carries for 28 yards and one reception for 12 yards, but he had to fight for every one of those yards while playing with an otherwise ineffective Carolina offense. Whittaker actually got more first-team work than Artis-Payne in the first two preseason games, perhaps because he's more reliable as a pass-blocker and receiver. If Stewart were to suffer an injury, Artis-Payne would likely take over as the lead rusher, with Whittaker and Mike Tolbert mixing in and handling passing downs.