Jonathan Stewart will be starting RB for Panthers

Jonathan Stewart will be the starting running back for the Carolina Panthers on Sunday but DeAngelo Williams is expected to get more playing time.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Stewart will start and he doesn’t want to rotate backs as frequently as the team has done in the past, according to Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer.

The hope is the backs will find more of a rhythm if they are on the field without rotating as often. But Williams, who got only five snaps last week in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys, should play more. The Panthers want to commit to the run more even though the Bears rank second in the NFL vs. the run entering Sunday’s game at Soldier Field.

“The message being we want to pound the ball—well, not really pound it—but we want one guy to develop a rhythm,” Rivera said. “And then when he gets hot, ride him.”

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune

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