Foster Stands at the Ready

If video games are any indication, DeShaun Foster thinks he should be able to help the Carolina Panthers beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC championship game.

Foster has already gone through a preview of today’s game by playing “Madden 2004” on video, pitting his Panthers against the Eagles.

“We won,” he said. “And I made a couple of plays.”

Foster might get called on to do a lot more than that if leading rusher Stephen Davis can’t play.

Davis missed his second consecutive day of practice Thursday because of a strained left quadriceps and his playing status will be a game-day decision. Although he went to the practice field, he spent the session on the sidelines before retreating inside for almost two hours of treatment.

“This is very frustrating -- I’ve never been in this position before, in the NFC championship with a chance to go to the Super Bowl,” Davis said. “The team has won before without me, but I want to be part of it.”

Playing without Davis, a workhorse back who ran for a career-best 1,444 yards this season, would seem like a grim prospect. He’s carried the Panthers all season and was successful against the Eagles (115 yards rushing on 23 carries) in Philadelphia’s 25-16 victory in November.

But the Panthers are confident in Foster, a second-year running back from UCLA who spent the year as Davis’ understudy.

“When we drafted DeShaun, we drafted him to be a feature back,” Coach John Fox said. “I think he has tremendous abilities, as good as any back in the league. If for some reason Stephen can’t go, and Lord willing he can, we feel totally comfortable with DeShaun Foster as our back.”

The Panthers have had little drop-off when Foster has been used in place of Davis this season.

Davis was knocked out of the second half of a win over Indianapolis, and Foster ran for 85 yards on 16 carries. When Davis injured his quad in the second quarter of last week’s playoff win over St. Louis, Foster again picked up the slack with a career-high 95 yards in 21 carries.

Those are the kind of games Foster is eager to produce after missing his rookie year with a knee injury. Carolina picked him in the second round of the 2002 NFL draft, and he showed plenty of promise by running for a 61-yard touchdown on his first preseason carry.

But he was hurt in the preseason finale and sat out the entire year. Because the Panthers weren’t sure how long it would take him to heal, they signed Davis during the offseason, putting Foster into a backup role.

Carolina doesn’t see any difference in the two running backs and Fox is adamant the game plan remains the same no matter who is carrying the ball.

But the Eagles, who have struggled to stop the run all year, see many differences in the two.

“I think Stephen Davis is more that physical pounding back who’s going to get his yards on 25 to 30 carries a game -- he’s going to be in there between the tackles doing his thing,” defensive tackle Corey Simon said. “Foster is a guy that can get around the corner, get out on those edges and he’s a burner. He hits those holes and he can take it the house very easily.”

No matter who plays, the Panthers know they’ll need their running back to reach the end zone in Philadelphia. Carolina was 0-for-3 in red zone opportunities in the first meeting with the Eagles, making their 136 yards on the ground worthless.

Foster knows the Eagles’ run defense is porous -- they gave up 210 yards in their win over Green Bay on Sunday -- but expects them to be ready for either Carolina back.

“They have been giving up a couple yards,” Foster said. “But you know this is a big game.They are going to be ready to stop the run.”