Jonathan Stewart ankle expected to play Sunday

The are taking nece sary precaution with running back .Stewart did not take part in practice on Wednesday, three days after sustaining an Ben Skowronek Jersey ankle injury in second half of the ‘ over the . coach Ron Rivera told reporters the team expects Stewart to be ready for Sunday’s .”We’re just going to ease him back into action,” Rivera said.Stewart mi sed the previous five weeks before Sunday with a sprained foot. He looked healthy and performed extremely well against Seattle’s stout run defense, rushing for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Stewart was the first running back to surpa s 100 yards against the all season.Stewart rushed for 989 yards and six touchdowns on 242 carries in 13 games during the regular season.According to the NFL Media Research, the have rushed for 100 or more yards in 30 straight games, including the postseason. That’s the longest such streak since the 1974-76 , who went over 100 in 37 consecutive games.In other injury news, Rivera said defensive end remains doubtful to play Sunday due to a fracture foot he sustained against the . Running back returned to practice and should be on the field against the . Whitaker has been sidelined for a month with a high-ankle sprain.