After a week of game-planning for their Week Four trip to Atlanta, the Carolina Panthers have to make a late audible on the offensive line.

Left tackle Michael Oher was a surprise addition to Friday's status report, listed as 'Out' with a concussion. Oher had practiced all week but, according to coach Ron Rivera, the problems started Friday morning.

"(Head trainer) Ryan Vermillion came up to me and told me that Michael had come in and was complaining of symptoms. So he sat him down and did whatever the first steps of the protocol are and contacted the doctors," Rivera said.

Oher has started every game at left tackle since coming to Carolina in the spring of 2015, but he won't have enough time to get through the concussion protocol before Sunday's kickoff.

That means the Panthers have these options for quarterback Cam Newton's blindside:

 

• Slide right tackle Mike Remmers over to Oher's spot and bring in Daryl Williams at right tackle

 

• Keep Remmers at right tackle and put Williams at left

 

• Keep Remmers at right tackle and fill Oher's spot with Donald Hawkins

 

None of those choices are ideal. All 24 of Remmers' starts have come on the right side. Williams is just learning to play on the left. Hawkins has played just one offensive snap since he came into the league in 2014.

"The thing to decide is bringing one guy in," Rivera said, "is that better than moving a guy and having to put somebody else somewhere else?"

The Panthers won't add a lineman to the roster, but guard Tyler Larsen will be active for the first time this season.

If there's a positive for the Panthers it's the timing of the opponent. The Falcons have one of the NFL's weakest pass rushes. Their total of three sacks ties them for the second-lowest total in the league. Atlanta is also ranked 30th in overall defense and 28th in points allowed.

Still, the late-week wrench isn't ideal for a 1-2 team looking to gets its offense back on track.

"At the end of the week is a big deal because you've game planned already," Rivera said. "The nice thing is our young guys get a lot of reps, so it's not like these guys haven't been working on these things."

But are they ready for a spot like this?

"Well, we'll find out. We feel pretty good about it. It's who we have."