The Carolina Panthers are fighting for their playoff lives this Sunday at home against the Cleveland Browns, and it appears they will have their starting quarterback on the field. Cam Newton, who missed last week's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following a car accident, is on schedule to play in Week 16, per Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer.
Cam Newton likely to start vs. Browns
After missing a week with two back fractures, Newton appears ready to start against Cleveland.
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Newton says he won’t do anything that could hurt the team to prove himself.
“If I can play, we all know that I want to play,” Newton said Thursday. “But at the end of the day, I won’t jeopardize what we have an opportunity to do just because my selfishness to say, ‘Oooh, I’m a tough man.’”
Newton has been practicing this week, always a tell-tale sign of a player’s availability. On Thursday, Newton took the first-team snaps and was listed as a full participant. The Heisman Trophy winner is recovering from two back fractures stemming from the accident, but seems to be recovering rapidly.
Carolina is 5-8-1 this year but can still defend its NFC South crown. With two wins to close out the season over Cleveland and the Atlanta Falcons, the Panthers would need the New Orleans Saints to lose once. Newton will try to hold up Carolina's end of the bargain, but he's endured a rough year, completing 58.4 percent of his passes with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
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