CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Welcome back to the big stage, Jerick McKinnon and Fozzy Whittaker.Oh, and Matt Asiata and Cameron Artis-Payne, get ready to carry the football, too.The Vikings and Panthers will be counting on their backup running backs to have a next man up mentality when they meet Sunday in Charlotte, a city that was placed under a state of emergency due to the violent protests stemming from a police shooting last week.Both teams lost their featured backs last week to injury -- Minnesotas Adrian Peterson underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus, while Jonathan Stewart is dealing with a pulled hamstring. Both players are out indefinitely.While Peterson was the leagues MVP in 2012, a case can be made that Stewart might be just as valuable to the Panthers at this point. Carolina comes in with the leagues top-ranked rushing offense, while the Vikings are last.Whittaker has started three games since coming into the league as an undrafted rookie in 2012, but ran for 100 yards on 16 carries last week in a 47-26 win over the San Francisco 49ers after Stewart went down in the first quarter. Whittaker has primarily been used as a third-down back and could wind up splitting carries with Artis-Payne, a bigger, stronger runner who has more of a straight-ahead style.A lot of it is you prepare for the scheme and then youre aware of the back thats in there, whichever back it ends up being, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said.McKinnon hopes to give the Vikings (2-0) a boost in the running game.The 5-foot-9, 205-pound back has started six games during his three seasons in the league, all of those in 2014 when he ran for 538 yards and averaged 4.8 yards per carry. Asiata is a power back who could see goal-line and short-yardage carries.Things to watch on Sunday:BUMMED BROTHER: Panthers center Ryan Kalil said he is bummed that he wont be facing his brother Matt, the starting left tackle for the Vikings who was placed on injured reserve with a hip injury this week. They have faced each other twice in their careers.We definitely get very competitive during these weeks and we have a 1-1 tally going on, Ryan Kalil said. Im really, really disappointed for my brother and I knew hes really upset.T.J. Clemmings, who started all 16 games at right tackle last season for the Vikings, will be back in a starting role.WAYNES WORLD: The knee injury that kept Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes out of the first two games thrust Trae Waynes, the teams first-round draft pick last year, into an elevated role.Hes still on his NFL learning curve, as evidenced by the pass interference and defensive holding penalties he picked up on the same drive in the third quarter against Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers targeted him often. But Waynes darted in front of a fourth-quarter pass by Rodgers for a game-sealing interception in the victory, a clear sign of progress for the Michigan State product.Id much rather have him be aggressive and get a couple of those once in a while than play real soft and scared, Zimmer said of the flags thrown on Waynes.Rhodes has returned to practice this week, which could affect Waynes playing time.RECEIVERS ON A MISSION: Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin has been huge since his return from a torn ACL with 13 receptions for 199 yards and three touchdowns in his first two games back.Meanwhile, Stefon Diggs has been tearing it up for Minnesota with 180 yards receiving and a TD in last weeks 17-14 win over the Packers.CLEANING IT UP: The Panthers won last week despite turning over the ball four times. Its something Cam Newton said the team needs to clean up against the Vikings.We just cant keep allowing ourselves to go on those lulls and having those brain farts, the quarterback saidCAPTAIN RETURNS: Vikings cornerback Captain Munnerlyn spent the first five seasons of his career with the Panthers and still keeps a home in Charlotte in the offseason. So it will be a homecoming when he returns as a vital member of one of the leagues top defenses.Its definitely going back home, Munnerlyn said. My emotions are very high. Its going to be a crazy game for me, back in Charlotte where I stay, and playing against my former teammates and my former coach.---AP Sports Writers Jon Krawczynski and Dave Campbell contributed to this report.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFLCustom Nike Baseball Jerseys Online . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. Custom Nike Baseball Jerseys Authentic . PETERSBURG, Fla. https://www.customjerseysnikebaseball.com/custom-nike-toronto-blue-jays-jerseys/ . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second. Custom Nike San Francisco Giants Jerseys . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. Custom Nike Boston Red Sox Jerseys . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period.With Mitchell Starc now extending his impressive form from the Tests into the ODIs, Sri Lanka have settled on a batting plan: see Starc out safely.Starc was already miserly during the first ODI. He did not concede a boundary in his 10 overs, which cost only 32. But he was also penetrative, taking three wickets. Each of those dismissals, however, was the result of an expansive drive gone awry. Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said his team would seek to shelve the ambitious strokes against Starc, even if the pitch for the second ODI is better for batting than the previous surface.We have a clear plan for him - to refrain from attacking him, so that we dont give him wickets, Mathews said. If we can score 40 or 50 runs off him, we feel that we can catch up against the other bowlers. Because hes bowling well, we should give him that respect. But at the same time we also have to put his loose balls away.Starc became the fastest bowler to 100 ODI wickets on Sunday, but did not return the best figures of the evening. James Faulkner took 4 for 38 in his ten overs, and used slower balls to excellent effect.With James Faulkner, his variations were excellent on that pitch, because of how dry it was, Mathews said. We struggled with those variations, so well come with a plan tomorrow.As far as Sri Lankas bowlers are concerned, left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan took two wickets in his debut match but, as in the Tests, proved exppensive as well, giving away 33 runs in five overs.dddddddddddd Like in the Tests, Mathews brought him on to bowl relatively late in the innings. His first over was the 25th of the chase.I wanted to spread the field a bit and bring Sandakan in with that protection - I didnt want to bowl him in the Powerplay. We also have Amila Aponso, who bowled brilliantly, and also Dilruwan Perera, whos very experienced in international cricket. I wanted to bring Sandakan on against guys like Matthew Wade and Faulkner, who havent seen him much. He didnt bowl that well in the last Test, so hes a bit low on confidence. I wanted to make sure to bring him on later and give him that protection.Sri Lankas XI for the first ODI did not feature a specialist quick, with allrounders Thisara Perera and Mathews himself the only seam options. An injury to Nuwan Pradeep has now ruled yet another quick out of contention, but the hosts have named a batsman in Pradeeps place. Coach Graham Ford said newcomer Angelo Perera may play at some point in the series.The selectors felt that Angelo Perera played really well in England, Ford said. Hes a very capable player. I remember him from the first time I was involved with the team. He has a chance of playing. He had a good net today, so theres a chance that he could be considered. ' ' '