Cam Newton Injury Update: Why "Luscious" Ankle Is a Bad Sign for Jaguars

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton spent the past few days in walking boot after suffering a minor ankle injury in his team's loss to the Green Bay Packers last Sunday.

This week, the Panthers take on the dismal Jacksonville Jaguars and have a great chance to notch their first victory of the 2011 season. Now that Newton is out of that walking boot and is guaranteed to play, the Jaguars are likely to see another impressive performance out of the rookie passer.

Not only is Newton feeling healthy, he and his ankle are feeling "luscious," something that I'm sure has everyone but the Jaguars amused.

In two games, Newton has racked up 854 passing yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions while amassing two more touchdowns from his 71 rushing yards.

Though these stats are extremely impressive, problems both on defense and in the running game have left the Panthers winless so far this season.

This week, the Panthers have a great opportunity to win against Jacksonville. The Jaguars defense is far better at stopping the run than the pass and took a beating in Week 2, losing to the New York Jets, 32-3.

While the Jets' success lay mainly in putting pressure on quarterback Luke McCown (now supplanted by rookie Blaine Gabbert), the Jaguars' poor pass defense allowed New York quarterback Mark Sanchez two touchdowns and 182 yards.

Though Sanchez threw two interceptions, they were bad passes rather than a result of Jacksonville playing inspired defense.

Newton has similar issues with making poor decisions, forcing throws that he shouldn't attempt (nothing new for a rookie in his situation), but with each passing week he should improve his turnover stats.

I wouldn't be surprised if Newton throws zero picks against the Jaguars and has another 400-plus yard performance. Jacksonville is ill-equipped to stop a quarterback as productive as Newton; they haven't faced a pass-dependent team yet this season and they are in for yet another rude awakening at the hands of their opponents for a second straight week.

That ankle may be luscious for Newton, but after Sunday, the Jaguars are going to be left with a bad taste in their mouths.