Panthers coach Ron Rivera: I’d have taken shot that concussed Cam Newton, too

Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera and quarterback Cam Newton arrived in Charlotte within a few months of each other in 2011, and Rivera is always going to err on the side of protecting his quarterback.

That said, Rivera – a Chicago Bears linebacker for nine seasons – would have done the same thing Falcons linebacker Deion Jones did Sunday. Jones drilled Newton at the goal line on a 2-point conversion run in the fourth quarter of Atlanta’s 48-33 victory.

The helmet-to-helmet hit – legal because Newton was acting as a runner and Jones did not lead with the crown of his helmet – sent Newton to the locker room, where he was diagnosed with the first known concussion of his NFL career.

“It’s a judgment call,” Rivera said Monday. “It’s right at the goal line. It’s one of those things. If I was playing, I would have taken the shot.”

Jones’ shot has left Newton’s status for the Oct. 10 game against Tampa Bay in question.

Newton was at Bank of America Stadium on Monday to meet with the team’s medical staff. He remains in the concussion protocol and won’t be able to play until an independent neurologist clears him.

That timetable can vary greatly from player to player.

Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly missed three games last season while in the concussion protocol, but former cornerback Josh Norman played in the 2015 opener at Jacksonville after sustaining a concussion in the final preseason game.

Rivera didn’t want to speculate on Newton’s recovery time – or say much of anything about the status of the reigning league MVP.

“It really is tough to answer the questions. It’s hard. I don’t want to say something that could go against what the trainers are saying, or the doctors for that matter,” Rivera said. “So I’ll just kind of wait and go from there.”

The NFL and the NFL Players Association are investigating the Panthers for their handling of Newton after he took several shots to the head in a Week 1 loss at Denver. Newton was allowed to stay in the game for the potential game-winning drive despite a violent hit by safety Darian Stewart that left Newton on the ground for about 30 seconds.

Sunday’s hit by Jones was different because it looked like it could have been avoided.

Newton slowed down before reaching the goal line, just as he did last season at New Orleans before Saints linebacker Michael Mauti leveled him before he scored on a run.

Newton said after the Saints game he deserved the punishing hit for “taking that foot off the gas.”

He also vowed not to do it again.

“There was probably a lot of people that wanted to see that happen,” Newton said last year. “I’m going to talk to my father, and he’s probably going to tell me what I already expect: I deserved it.”

Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula said the 2-point conversion play was a quarterback draw on which Newton could have gotten to the end zone more quickly.

“I don’t know if he saw (Jones). The guy was out there in man coverage (on running back Fozzy Whittaker), and (Newton’s) eyes were looking inside,” Shula said. “You’d like to think we could get in there a little bit quicker.”

Derek Anderson replaced Newton and led the Panthers to touchdowns on his first two drives. Anderson’s final two series ended with Robert Alford interceptions, including one that Alford returned 30 yards for the put-away score.

Shula said he will begin game-planning this week as if Newton will be the starting quarterback, and will tweak it as necessary if he’s ruled out.

Anderson’s only two starts since in six seasons as Carolina’s No. 2 quarterback both came against Tampa Bay, and both were in 2014 while Newton was injured. Anderson won both games – and might have a chance to try to make it 3-for-3 against the Bucs.

“We’ve got two quarterbacks that can start anywhere in this league,” tight end Ed Dickson said. “It’s tough to replace a guy like Cam because he does so many versatile things. But having D.A. in there is no slouch.”

The Panthers were expected to contend for the NFC title again this season, but are 1-3 for the fourth time in Rivera’s six seasons.

“If we can’t get (Newton) back this week – we hope he gets better as fast as he can. But we’re aiming to win the game,” Dickson said. “We’re in a little bit of a spiral right now. So we’ve got to get back to what we do.”

This story was originally published October 3, 2016 at 6:48 PM with the headline "Panthers coach Ron Rivera: I’d have taken shot that concussed Cam Newton, too."