Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
The Carolina Panthers were already in a bind with a lackluster group of wide receivers, but now they won’t even have their star quarterback to throw to them. Cam Newton has been ruled out of the Panthers’ Week 1 showdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to a rib injury.
Plan right now is to start Derek Anderson, not Cam Newton. Fear is shot on ribs puts Cam out 3-4 wks. Still … http://t.co/Nb3Dbr2TUm
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) September 7, 2014
With Newton likely to sit out, the Panthers will be forced to go with Derek Anderson as their starting quarterback. While the eight-year NFL veteran isn’t the worst option in the world, he certainly isn’t ideal considering Carolina’s lack of receiver talent and the numerous upgrades the Buccaneers made to their defense this offseason. You would wise to not start him in any fantasy leagues other than two-QB formats.
The Panthers will now be forced to rely on running backs Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, who are also serious injury liabilities at this point in their careers. Both could see significant increases to their production, but are still far from reliable options.
While they may seem like a bad omen for the Panthers, it gives them an opportunity to rest Newton for another week with the hope he’ll be ready to go when Week 2 rolls around.
If you were looking for an upgrade on your Week 1 defense, the Buccaneers might just be the option to go with.
