The Carolina Panthers did what they should have done this week, shutting down a sore-shouldered Cam Newton for the season. After Newton’s performance against New Orleans – obviously hurting, obviously compromised – that was really the only choice to make.
So here are three things I find interesting about Sunday’s starter, Taylor Heinicke, and two suggestions:
u25aa Heinicke is a vertically challenged quarterback (he’s generously listed at 6-foot-1). Of course, that’s never hurt Drew Brees. Heinicke more closely models himself after another NFL quarterback, though — Russell Wilson. As he told me once of Wilson: “He gets his playmakers the ball, he doesn’t make a lot of bonehead plays.