Charlotte gets an NFC South Sunday with first place to protect for the Carolina Panthers, and they will play it without their top edge rusher. Jaelan Phillips is inactive against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a hit to a defense good enough to carry Carolina to a 3-2 start.
Phillips is out with the hamstring injury he reaggravated last week in Philadelphia, per the team. Princely Umanmielen starts opposite Patrick Jones II in his place.
Across the field, Baker Mayfield is active for the 1-5 Bucs after dislocating his thumb in Week 3. Carolina also placed Thomas Incoom on injured reserve and activated linebacker Bam Martin-Scott this week.
Carolina Panthers inactives
- OLB Jaelan Phillips (hamstring)
- TE Ja’Tavion Sanders
- QB Haynes King (emergency third quarterback)
- RB AJ Dillon
- C Sam Hecht
- OT Stone Forsythe
- DT TeRah Edwards
The Panthers elevated outside linebacker Nick Hampton and cornerback Robert Rochell from the practice squad.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers inactives
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
- DL DeMonte Capehart
- WR Emeka Egbuka
- CB Ayden Garnes
- T Luke Goedeke
- G Billy Schrauth
- S Antoine Winfield Jr.
More carries headed to Chuba Hubbard
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
With AJ Dillon inactive, the backfield belongs to Chuba Hubbard, with Trevor Etienne and Tre Tyus behind him. Hubbard has 426 yards and four touchdowns on 89 carries, and he took a season-high 28 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown in the 25-14 win over the Eagles.
That was his second straight game with at least 120 rushing yards. Sunday he runs right into Tampa Bay’s strength, a front built around stopping the run.
Umanmielen gets a shot at a patched-up line
Umanmielen already leads Carolina with three sacks, half a sack ahead of Phillips, per Pro Football Reference. He and Jones get a Bucs line without starting right tackle Luke Goedeke or guard Billy Schrauth, and Hampton adds an extra rusher off the edge.
Carolina’s own line has depth questions. Monroe Freeling is active as the backup tackle behind Rasheed Walker and Taylor Moton, and with Hecht out, Torricelli Simpkins III and Corey Bullock are the interior reserves who can snap. Dave Canales liked what he saw from Freeling on Friday. “For all intents and purposes, he looked great this week, so he’ll have a chance to really help us,” Canales said.
If the edge rush holds up without Phillips, the Panthers’ NFC South showdown with Baker Mayfield tilts their way.
