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-NFL Kent Emanuel Jersey . Marincin has played in two NHL games so far this season with two penalty minutes. 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Jack Clifford impressed in front of the watching Eddie Jones as Tim Swiels boot guided Harlequins past Bath at the Stoop.?Tim Visser dotted down just moments into the game at The Stoop but, despite early domination, Quins struggled to make the pressure count.It was a lack of clinical edge that they were left to rue at the break, as they only led by one point as Kane Palma-Newports score clawed the visitors back, although it was not enough to prevent a second defeat of the campaign.And while Karl Dickson and Nathan Catt exchanged tries, it was left to South African Swiel to seal the deal with just a couple of minutes remaining.Scotland international Visser opened the scoring after just three minutes, Quins dominating a scrum and moving the ball quickly for the wing to score in the corner. But with the scoreboard kept tight, Bath fancied their way back in when Semesa Rokoduguni collected a kick deep inside his half, nearly running the length of the field to score, and Tom Homer kicked the subsequent penalty.Harlequins dominated possession thereafter and were rewarded in the 29th minute when Bath conceded a penalty in front of the posts, which Swiel easily converted.The South African added to his tally five minutes later after the visitors were caught offside, but Palma-Newport ensured his finished the half with a flourish, the prop bulldozing his way over and the converted score making it a one-point game in south London.Bath were clearly galvanised by their llate try in the first half and took an unexpected lead in the 44th minute when James Chisholm was caught offside, allowing Homer to kick his side into a 13-11 advantage.ddddddddddddBut just as they began to dominate possession, Bath were caught out by a quick break on the right flank that allowed Dickson to score Quins second try, with Swiel just tucking in the conversion.Catt put Bath 20-18 ahead when he scored a try with 66 minutes gone after video replays confirmed the ball had grounded and Homers conversion just deflected inside the post.It was a lead that should have been extended when Ben Tapuai galloped through Harlequins defence and looked set to score but the impressive Swiel tackled to keep the hosts in the game.After conceding cheap penalties in the first half, the prospect of an unlikely victory steeled Baths defence, which withheld wave after wave of pressure from Quins backs as both sides pushed hard in a breathless encounter.And just when it seemed the points were lost, it was Swiel who came to the rescue for Harlequins when they won a penalty from distance, the fly-half converting with a straight kick that sailed over the posts to put them narrowly ahead on 21-20.Going to the very last play, Quins almost threw away their advantage by missing touch, only for a turnover to see the gleeful hosts launch the ball away. 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