Monday night is a vital game for the Carolina Panthers to win. After a slow 1-3 start, the Panthers can't afford to fall to another division rival in the Buccaneers and see their record drop to 1-4, just a year after they went 15-1.

However, it appears they'll have to do so without the NFL's reigning MVP.

From Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer:

The Carolina Panthers put out their longest injury report of the season Thursday, with plenty of other names under quarterback Cam Newton’s in the “did not participate” category.

Newton and left tackle Michael Oher are expected to miss Monday night’s game against Tampa Bay as they remain in the NFL’s concussion protocol.

The Panthers are yet to officially rule Cam out, but considering he suffered a concussion just this past week and he's yet to practice under the league's concussion protocol, Person is simply connecting the dots.

If Newton does play, it probably helps that the game is on Monday night, giving him an extra day to prepare. Otherwise, filling in will be veteran backup Derek Anderson.

Along with Newton and Oher, Person reports that the Panthers will likely be without running back Jonathan Stewart, cornerback James Bradberry, and defensive tackle Vernon Butler.