Cam Newton expected to miss Monday night for Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers have a pivotal game coming in Week 5, but even with an extra day quarterback Cam Newton is not expected to play Monday night.

With a 48-33 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4, which frankly wasn’t as close as the score would indicate, the defending NFC champion Carolina Panthers dropped to 1-3 this season. If that wasn’t enough, quarterback Cam Newton came out of the game with a concussion and he has not practiced at all this week.

Panthers’ head coach Ron Rivera has been predictably vague about his quarterback all week, with a suggestion on Thursday he would know Newton’s status “by the end of the week.” That theoretically means something official to come on Saturday, when an injury report has to be disclosed ahead of a Monday night game. But Friday morning’s news has offered some potential closure, barring a miraculous turnaround in Newton’s status.

According to Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer, Newton remains in the league’s concussion protocol and is expected to miss Monday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Derek Anderson saw extensive action last Sunday against Atlanta, going 17-for-23 for 172 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, and he is in line to start in Newton’s place.

Anderson last made starts for the Panthers in 2014, and coincidentally both came against the Buccaneers. He completed 49 of 74 passes for 507 yards in those games, with three total passing touchdowns and zero interceptions. Carolina also won both games, 20-14 and 19-17 respectively, which is the bottom line.

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With the thorough physical beating Newton has taken through four games, even leaving out last week’s officially diagnosed concussion, he stands to benefit from a week off. The Buccaneers are also 1-3, with a three-game losing streak, so the Panthers have a good chance to win Monday night even without Newton under center.