Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers quarterback has two transverse process fractures in his lower back following a two car accident Tuesday afternoon.
Cam Newton has two transverse process fractures in his back suffered from a car accident on Tuesday.The injury suffered to Newton is the same back injury that Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo suffered earlier this season. Romo missed one game with the injury, however no timetable was given for how long Cam Newton will be out, if at all.
But, I cannot imagine Cam Newton playing this Sunday.
Despite a 4-8-1 record, the Panthers are only a half-game behind Atlanta (5-8) and New Orleans (5-8) for the NFC South lead with three games to play.
The Panthers have the Tamp Bay Buccaneers (2-11), Cleveland Browns (7-6), and the Atlanta Falcons (5-8) left on their schedule. Each of these games are very winnable, but the Panthers have to plan as if Cam Newton will not be playing on Sunday.
Derek Anderson Filling In For Cam Newton
If Cam Newton is unable to play this Sunday like I expect, Derek Anderson will step in again for Cam Newton like he did the first game of the season against the same Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which is strange to say the least.
It will be harder for Anderson this time to have as much success as he did the first game of the season because the Buccaneers have film on him and what he likes to do with his Panthers teammates.
Also, he will have to knock the rust off because he has not been getting the same number of reps during the season as he was during training camp leading up to the first game of the season when he torched the Bucs for 230 yards passing with 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.
For the Panthers to be successful, Anderson must continue to play like he has this season. So far this season he has completed 70% of his passes with 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Those are very good stats that are very different from his first 9 years in the NFL and while he was in college.
Over Anderson's 10 seasons in the NFL he has only completed 53% of his passes while throwing 57 touchdowns and 55 interceptions, which are stats that will get you beat most of the time.
Even when Anderson was in college at Oregon State he struggled completing passes and throwing interceptions. He only completed 54% of his passes, while throwing 29 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
Anderson must avoid making a bad play instead of trying to force big plays. In the NFL the turnover margin is what determines the winners and losers most of the time. The Panthers offense must protect the ball.
The Panthers upcoming schedule smiles on them a little bit when you look at the team defenses they will be facing over the last 3 games. The Buccaneers have the 21st ranked total defense, the Cleveland Browns have the 20th ranked total defense, and the Atlanta Falcons have the 32nd ranked total defense in the NFL.
It is looking like the Panthers must win out to have a chance to make the playoffs.
