Panthers Rule Out Cam Newton For Sunday's Game vs. Titans

When the Carolina Panthers and head coach Ron Rivera ruled out quarterback Cam Newton for last Sunday's battle against the San Francisco 49ers, the belief was that he would still be back in the near future. However, the Panthers shut that down on Monday. According to Rivera, backup Kyle Allen will start his sixth consecutive game this coming Sunday.

Last week, Newton was spotted at Panthers practice taking part in individual workouts, which led many to believe that he would only be inactive for one more game. He was working on stationary throwing, pulling sleds while moving side-to-side, and testing out his footwork on ladder drills. However, it appears that the former first-overall pick still hasn't made enough progress in his return from the aggravated foot injury that sidelined him during week 2.

"We have make sure (Cam) is ready," Rivera told reporters during his Monday press conference. There is a potential that there will be another update on Wednesday after Newton is able to go through some more individual work, but the Panthers will proceed with the expectation that Allen is the starter for at least one more week.

Despite struggling against the San Francisco 49ers defense while throwing three interceptions, Allen was never in danger of being benched. Rivera told reporters that he believes the backup-turned-starter needed the extra reps to continue helping him grow as a quarterback.

"Cam is going to continue his rehab," Rivera said prior to the 49ers' game. "As I told you guys last week, we're not putting any pressure on Cam. He's done a great job doing the things that we've asked of him. He's gone above and beyond in terms of working with our quarterbacks and helping them along the way. He's just going to continue to do his program."

Sunday's battle between the Panthers and the Tennessee Titans will only serve as another opportunity for Allen to showcase his potential in this offense. The Titans are currently 4-4 after two consecutive victories over the Los Angeles Chargers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and are forging ahead with a new starting quarterback in Ryan Tannehill. The former Miami Dolphins QB has replaced Marcus Mariota and has made this offense more effective overall.

The defense, on the other hand, can be beaten. Jameis Winston and receiver Mike Evans combined for 198 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday, which could set the stage for Allen and his receivers to put up some numbers. Although the Panthers will have to be wary of a secondary that has forced eight interceptions on the year.

(Photo Credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty)