Cam Newton fully participated in Thursday's practice, signaling that he could return from his concussion this Sunday against the Saints. Cam's return would be a huge lift for a Panthers team off to a disappointing 1-4 start, on the heels of a 15-1 campaign.
Early this season, Cam has taken a number of huge hits, on top of the one that left him concussed. Given the value of the reigning MVP, some feel the Panthers should change their usage of Cam to limit the contact he receives.
But, that won't be the case.
Be yourself, Cam
From Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review:
If he's cleared by an independent neurologist by Sunday, expect Newton to play like he always has — running and all.
“That's his game,” offensive coordinator Mike Shula said. “We'll look at it and we'll talk about it, but part of his game and what makes him so good is that.”
On the hit that concussed Newton, it appeared that be could have avoided the contact. This has been a theme for his career, though; Cam has taken 831 hits on passes or runs since 2011, nearly 300 more than Russell Wilson in that same span (via ESPN Stats & Info).
Still, head coach Ron Rivera echoed Shula's previous statement:
“Depends on the situations, circumstances, calls, plays, reads. The quarterback's going to play the game the way he plays the game. That's one thing about Cam Newton. We can call a play and he can drop back and take off running on his own.
“So we're going to play our offense accordingly.”
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