Sports

Panthers running back Rico Dowdle did not practice on Wednesday.

It's the second straight week that Dowdle has missed the first practice session of the week with a quad injury. He returned to practice on Thursday last week and scored a touchdown in last Sunday's loss to the Saints. Head coach Dave Canales told reporters that the team is hoping things play out the same way heading into this week's game against the Falcons.

The Panthers also practiced without linebacker Trevin Wallace. He left the loss to the Saints with a shoulder injury.

Safety Lathan Ransom (hand) was the other player to miss practice. Defensive lineman Derrick Brown (knee) was limited while guard Chandler Zavala (elbow) and wide receiver Brycen Tremayne (hip) were full participants.

The Lions voted against banning the tush push this offseason, and head coach Dan Campbell says he'll never vote to ban a play just because another team is doing it well.

Campbell said today that he feels strongly that physical plays should remain in the game of football, and as his team prepares to face the Eagles on Sunday, stopping the tush push is a job for the Lions' defense, not for the league.

"I'm a purist," Campbell said. "You take something else out of the game, then we're taking the next thing out of the game, then we take another thing out of the game, and pretty soon we don't have pads anymore. Then pretty soon it's, we're only playing 30 minutes. I don't want to take it out of the game. It's something a team's got a niche, they've found something, they're good at it, and it's for everybody else to stop. It's unique and it's physical and more than anything I just don't want to take anything else out of the game. I just want to leave the game alone. That's me."

Campbell's defense will have its chance to stop the tush push on Sunday night.

Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will practice on Wednesday, but he'll be wearing a little extra protection on his right hand.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters at a press conference that McCarthy will be wearing a bandage on the hand. McCarthy hit his hand on a helmet while playing against the Ravens last Sunday.

O'Connell said that the team does not expect the issue to affect McCarthy's practice participation and that he remains on track to start against the Bears in Week 11. McCarthy missed five games with an ankle injury before returning to start the last two games.

Rookie Max Brosmer is the No. 2 quarterback for the Vikings and John Wolford is on the practice squad as the third quarterback.