Cam Newton Vs Johnny Manziel: Car Crash Update, Carolina Panthers Quarterback To Start This Sunday Against Cleveland Browns

Cam Newton's car crash and two broken back bones won't keep the star Carolina Panthers quarterback from starting this week against Johnny Manziel and the Cleveland Browns. Carolina coach Ron Rivera has intimated that Newton, who rolled his car three times in a crash outside of Charlotte two weeks ago, will be under center for the Panthers as they try to beat out the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints to win the NFC South and make the NFL playoffs.

Newton missed last week's 19-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after a terrifying crash two weeks ago that saw Newton's car flip "two or three times" and pancake his truck:

Rivera told reporters on Friday that he was "very comfortable and confident" his star quarterback and former No. 1 draft pick will start against the 7-7 Browns. But Rivera did caution that the franchise quarterback is just waiting on the Panthers medicos to definitively clear him.

Ron Rivera is "very confident" Cam Newton will start. Awaiting final clearance from docs » https://t.co/yejcVqylfi pic.twitter.com/hOQdzb81gx

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 19, 2014

"Right now, everything is pointing in the right direction," Rivera said. "The reason I haven't said anything [definitive] is because of that one big thing, waiting for doctors to tell me they feel good about it."

"We'll have a good feel tomorrow," Rivera said, but added: "We feel very confident.'"

ESPN's David Newton reports that the quarterback "has shown no sign of pain or restrictions in his movement since taking the practice field Wednesday."

As NFL.com report, Newton suffered "two fractures to the transverse process in his back" from the crash, which followed Newton's best game for the Panthers season, where threw three touchdown passes, and ran for one himself.

The Panthers are currently 5-8-1, trailing the Saints by half a game for the NFC South lead and a guaranteed playoff spot. Were the Panthers able to do so, amazingly they would become the first team in the history of the NFC South to repeat as winner.

Will Johnny Manziel and the Cleveland Browns be able to stop Newton and the Panthers on Sunday?