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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – The Carolina Panthers will again have to find the best way to replace injured Greg Olsen.
The tight end of the Pro Bowl on three occasions hurt his right foot in the first half of Carolina's 16-8 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday and spent the second half watching from C's line. is the same footing that Olsen fractured during week 2 last year. The injury prevented him from playing nine games and ending three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
Olsen was not available to comment after the match and coach Ron Rivera said he did not know the extent of the injury.
Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said the team should know more on Monday, but Olsen's teammates said the 33-year-old would not come back soon.
Panthers center Ryan Kalil said Olsen was "very angry" after the match.
"I feel bad for him," said Kalil. "He works incredibly hard, he cares a lot. He did a good job and he did his job for his team and it breaks my heart. I hope that he will have good news.
The Panthers will likely turn to rookie Ian Thomas, although Cam Newton has suggested that the front office should make a change to add an end.
"You know how I feel about Greg, you can never replace him, his professionalism, his overall vision, his IQ, his understanding," Newton said.
If history is an indication, running back Christian McCaffrey will see more balls thrown against Olsen. McCaffrey was used as a Newton safety valve last season and finished with a record-breaking rookie of 80 receptions.
The Panthers also lost right tackle Daryl Williams following a knee injury, although the severity is not known.
The things we learned from Carolina's victory over Dallas:
KICKING TALK: Cowboy fans are still angry about the team's decision to release Dan Bailey, the second-most-accurate scorer in NFL history, who will have more ammo this week.
Substitute Brett Maher missed his only goal attempt 47 meters wide on the right. He arrived late in the third period with Dallas at 10-0.
A breezy afternoon, intermittent rain created a badly-shaken ground at Bank of America Stadium, conditions that Maher swept away.
"I know what my job is," said Maher. "My role on this team is to go out and when I have a chance, I put points on the board. I did not do it today.
REPLACE GREGORY: Randy Gregory's return to football did not last long.
The Cowboys defensive end, who missed the 2017 season due to multiple violations of the league's drug policy, left the game in the first period with a concussion. The league could decide on another possible suspension related to substance abuse as early as this week.
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said he had no comments on these reports.
CHASING HIM DOWN: The fact that the Panthers have sacked Dak Prescott six times bodes well for the Carolina defense, as he is an elusive quarterback.
"We know he's a rough quarterback and we know he likes to get out of pocket," said Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson. "There have been times when he went out and escaped but overall, the D-line did a phenomenal job keeping it in his pocket."
Prescott finished 19th out of 29 for 170 yards, but only averaged 8.9 yards and two goals over 15 yards.
McCAFFREY'S TOUCHES: Panthers coach Ron Rivera said in an ideal world, McCaffrey would hit the ball "25-30 times per game" this season. But the return to sophomore sophomore set foot on football only 16 times for 95 yards on Sunday.
McCaffrey ran 10 times for 50 yards, with a 15-year lead and six assists for 45 yards. Newton has targeted a total of nine times in the passing game.
McCaffrey's first carry, the Dallas 5 in the first quarter and the scoreless game, resulted in a fumble recovered by defensive end Cowboys DeMarcus Lawrence.
"It can not happen, but it's football," McCaffrey said.
FULLBACK WEAPON: The Panthers could have a new goal-line weapon in backstrike Alex Armah, who scored on a 1-yard dive in his first NFL game.
Armah's number was called after the 9-yard run from C.J. two feet from the goal line. The second-year pro in Division II of West Georgia said he was not surprised to have porterage in his 10th career game.
"I was just ready," said Armah, who played mainly special teams a year ago. "I was not too nervous because we practice it during the week. We go there, so I just tried to get into the goal zone.
Once he did, Armah chose not to leave the ball far, despite Newton's entreaties. He wanted to keep it to mark the milestone.
"I do not blame him," Rivera said.
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