Cam Newton Will Not Start vs. Buccaneers in Week 15 Following Car Crash

Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers received quite a scare on Tuesday, as the star quarterback was involved in a car accident and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. It appears the injuries he sustained will keep him out of action this weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, though. The team announced on Wednesday that backup quarterback Derek Anderson will start Sunday:

David Newton of ESPN provided Anderson's thoughts on the move:

On Tuesday, the team tweeted the extent of Newton's injury:

Cindy Boren of The Washington Post offered more perspective on the injury:

The quarterback learned on Wednesday that he would not face charges for the accident, according to Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer.

Despite getting the starting nod, Anderson kept the focus on Newton's health, via ESPN.com's Newton: "The most important thing about this whole week is the safety and health of one of my brothers. He's been through a lot. If he could be out there, he'd be out there.''

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Both Newton and the Panthers have had their struggles this year. The quarterback has thrown for 2,812 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, completing 58.4 percent of his passes. The dual-threat quarterback has only rushed for 425 yards and three touchdowns, however, battling injuries for much of the season.

The team, meanwhile, has limped to a 4-8-1 record. Newton's injury woes, a dearth of offensive weapons—outside of rookie receiver Kelvin Benjamin and tight end Greg Olsen—and a secondary that was crippled by free-agent departures last offseason have hurt their chances to return to the playoffs.

Still, the Panthers remain in the running for the NFC South title, shockingly, just a half-game behind the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. Plus, Carolina has winnable games against the Bucs, Cleveland Browns and Falcons down the stretch.   

If Newton misses extended time, however, it's hard to imagine the Panthers sneaking into the playoffs.

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