What to Expect from Derek Anderson in Spot Start for Panthers

Even at 4-8-1, the Carolina Panthers still have an outside shot at making the 2014 postseason thanks to the sorry state of the entire NFC South.

However, the Panthers currently sit behind the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints (both 5-8) and may need to win their final three contests and get help in order to take home a division title and a postseason berth.

Making things even more difficult is the fact that that the Panthers will have to win at least one of those games without starting quarterback Cam Newton.

Newton was involved in a car accident earlier this week and suffered two fractured bones in his lower back. As a result, backup quarterback Derek Anderson will start Sunday's game against the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

We certainly do not want to downplay the fact that Newton and another man were injured in the crash (and we are definitely glad that the injuries were not more serious). With a focus on football, however, we are going to look ahead at what the Panthers might expect from Anderson on Sunday.

The good news for Carolina is that the team has already been in this position once this season and came away with a victory.

Anderson started the Panthers' regular-season opener against the Buccaneers and delivered a solid workman-like performance. He completed 24 of 34 pass attempts for 230 with two touchdowns and zero turnovers. The Panthers went on to win 20-14.

Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Anderson 23rd overall among quarterbacks for Week 1. 

While these numbers are certainly respectable, Anderson's biggest achievement in that game was probably avoiding game-changing mistakes. It was his first start since 2010, and during his four-year stretch with the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals, Anderson was known for making head-scratching decisions and turning the football over.

Before this season, Anderson's career numbers included 53 touchdowns and 66 total turnovers (55 interceptions and 11 lost fumbles). When Anderson isn't making major mistakes and taking care of the football, however, he is definitely capable of delivering a starting-caliber performance.

Anderson has the size (6'6", 230 pounds) and arm strength that NFL coaches covet. He is definitely not the most nimble quarterback, however, and he requires a fairly clean pocket in order to operate as efficiently as he did against the Buccaneers the last time around.

This is where the Panthers could run into trouble on Sunday. According to Pro Football Focus, Anderson was only pressured seven times the last time he faced Tampa Bay. He completed three passes with one throwaway and one sack.

Pass protection has not been as good for the Panthers over the course of the season, though. According to Pro Football Focus, the Panthers rank last in pass-blocking as a team. The Buccaneers rank 13th in pass-rushing.

If the Buccaneers can get adequate pressure on Anderson, they can force him to make mistakes. If Anderson gets time in the pocket, however, he should be able to pick apart Tampa's 24th-ranked pass defense (249.0 yards per game allowed).

Getting the ground game going would help quiet the pass rush. As a team, the Panthers rushed for 271 yards in last week's 41-10 win over the New Orleans Saints, so this should probably be a big part of the game plan anyway.

Just don't expect many of those rushing yards to come from Anderson.

Expect the Panthers to run the ball often, utilize Anderson's arm strength and veteran experience in the deep passing game and hopefully play well enough defensively to avoid pressure situations on offense. 

Whether Anderson delivers another victory will depend heavily on the performances of the other players around him. Considering we're talking about a four-win team, this is reason enough for concern.