Carolina Panthers thinking Dallas before victory over Washington complete

Under Ron Rivera, the Carolina Panthers have had a one-day rule after victories, meaning they can celebrate through Monday before turning their attention to the next game.

This Monday, they’ll have until 2 p.m.

The Panthers next play the Dallas Cowboys (3-7) on Thanksgiving Day, and a shortened week means they must maximize their preparation time.

“It makes for a very short turnaround, and if we do anything, we have to make sure we are getting our rest, hydrating, eating properly and staying off our feet,” Rivera said after Carolina’s 44-16 victory over Washington. “We have already talked as coaches about the approach we want to take in terms of our preparation. Hopefully we will be able to stay head of the curve.”

The quick turnaround factored into the coaching staff’s decision to sit several starters in the fourth quarter. Rivera wanted the comfort of a four-score game before sitting Cam Newton and several others.

Carolina will take it easy on the practice field this week, too. Normally their big work day is Thursday, but that’s gameday. The emphasis will be on the mental preparation.

“Thursday’s going to come extremely fast,” veteran offensive tackle Michael Oher said. “You’re not going to get much time on the practice field with full-speed things. You’ve got to focus in on walk-throughs and watching film and the preparation in the classroom, because Thursday’s going to be here before you know it.”

Rivera has yet to make a decision on whether to activate Charles Johnson from temporary injured reserve. The Panthers placed Johnson on the list in the first month of the season after he suffered a hamstring strain.

When Johnson is activated, the Panthers will have to clear a roster spot.

Johnson, along with second-year guard Andrew Norwell, will run on the field with trainers on Monday. Their performance – and how they feel on Tuesday – will go a long way toward determining their status for this week.

“The focus has to be now getting ready for Dallas,” Rivera said. “They are a good football team because they have Tony Romo back on the football field. I like who they are on the defensive side. They have a nice-sized offensive line.

“There are some things we have to start getting prepared for as far as the coaches are concerned, and the players will come in at 2 p.m. and we will introduce Dallas to them.”

What they’ll see is a defense ranked 17th in the league and an offense that goes as Romo goes. The Cowboys are 3-0 with Romo and 0-7 without him after he missed nearly half the season with a broken collarbone.

“It’s an honor first (to play on Thanksgiving), but before everything else we’ve got to get guys mended up,” Newton said. “Like I’ve said you’ve got to be ready to go (Monday). Watch film on this and be ready to move forward.”

This story was originally published November 22, 2015 at 7:32 PM with the headline "Carolina Panthers thinking Dallas before victory over Washington complete."