Jimmy Clausen may miss another game for the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers’ quarterback Jimmy Clausen missed Sunday’s game, a 37-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, with a concussion, and it looks like he may not return for the team’s next game against the Browns in Cleveland. Clausen is not yet cleared to play,
but he will be re-evaluated later this week.
"I'm feeling a lot better than I did last week," said Clausen. "I'm just trying to keep resting as much as I can to hopefully get back to play next week."
Clausen was hurt on a quarterback sneak on 14 November in a 31-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cornerback Aqib Talib connected in a helmet-to-helmet hit on Clausen on the play.
Steve Smith took exception to the hit, saying that he “went head first into Jimmy”, and even took a 15-yard penalty after shoving Talib.
When asked if he thought the hit was illegal, Clausen was dismissive, "I'm not going to comment on that," he said. "It's a physical sport. Things happen, and that's just the way it goes."
The Carolina Panthers have the worst offence in the league, and are already without their number one quarterback, Matt Moore. He was knocked out for the season when he tore a labrum in his right shoulder in a 34-3 loss to the New Orleans Saints on 7 November.
With Clausen out, the team went with Brian St. Pierre against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. St. Pierre had thrown five career passes before that game, and was a stay-at-home dad after not signing with a team at the beginning of the season.
In the game, he threw an 88-yard touchdown pass to David Gettis, but he also threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter. Both were returned for touchdowns.
The Panthers are 1-9 and not going to make the play-offs, but if they want to avoid last place in the NFL, they’ll need Clausen to return to the field, and even that may not help them win.
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