CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers quarterback Derek Anderson never will be mistaken for Cam Newton, but with just over four minutes left in the first quarter of Sunday's 19-17 victory over Tampa Bay, he made a Newton-like move.
Not the 8-yard scramble for a first down. Newton probably would have turned that into 18 yards -- or more.
It's what happened afterward.
Anderson got up, turned sideways toward the east end zone and pointed with his right arm and forefinger while bending his left elbow toward his helmet to signal first down.
"That was for my guy," Anderson said of Newton's signature move.
His guy is Newton, who on Tuesday was involved in an automobile accident in which the two-time Pro Bowl selection suffered two small fractures in his lower back. The injury put Anderson in the spotlight with the Panthers needing a victory to remain in the hunt for the NFC South title.
Anderson wasn't spectacular, leaving points on the field in the first half, when he was 1-for-7 in the red zone. But overall he was efficient enough -- 25-for-40 for 277 yards and a touchdown -- to get Carolina its second straight win.
That, coupled with Atlanta (5-9) losing to Pittsburgh, left the Panthers (5-8-1) in position of being in first place in the NFC South if New Orleans (5-8) loses on Monday night at Chicago.
"It wasn't perfect by any means," Anderson said.
But if Carolina were to win the division, Anderson will have played a big role. He's 2-0 against Tampa Bay, having led the Panthers to a 20-14 victory in the opener when Newton was recovering from fractured ribs.
While Newton still gives Carolina the best chance to win, the Panthers are more than capable of winning with Anderson if need be in the final two games against Cleveland (7-7) and Atlanta.
"Cam is Cam and it's never ideal to lose your starting quarterback, but to have a so-called backup who is like a starter-caliber quarterback is something a lot of teams don't have the luxury of having," tight end Greg Olsen said.
Olsen was a big reason for Anderson's success in both wins. He had a team-high 10 catches for 110 yards in this game after leading Carolina with eight catches for 83 yards and a touchdown at Tampa.
"A guy like Derek Anderson is going to lean a lot more on his tight end as opposed to his legs," coach Ron Rivera said. "With Cam on some of those, he might have pulled it down and took off running."
Sometimes that's a good thing. Sometimes it's not. For Newton's long-term future, he'll have to lean on Olsen and others.
For the short term, the Panthers are more dangerous with Newton. While read-option plays were called, Anderson never was a threat to run. That never was more evident than the second half, when the Buccaneers stacked the front to stop running back Jonathan Stewart.
After rushing for 53 yards on 10 carries in the first half, Stewart was held to 20 yards on 12 carries in the second.
"I should have kept the one in the red zone," Anderson said as he recalled one read-option.
Anderson knows he could have done more. Rivera expected him to do more.
But he did more than enough even though the Bucs made it interesting with a late touchdown run by Josh McCown. Anderson even got the official to call a roughing-the-passer penalty to negate an interception.
"The dude grabbed my face mask," he said. "I got one out of three, so that's pretty good. I had been telling the official the whole game they were doing that."
Again, Anderson isn't Newton.
Newton doesn't say "dude," and he dresses up for postgame news conferences. Anderson wore basketball shoes, jeans, a sweater and a baseball cap.
Whether Anderson is called on to face his former Cleveland team, the one he led to a 10-6 record en route to the Pro Bowl in 2007, won't be known until later in the week.
Rivera said he won't make a decision on Newton's status until he has seen him on the field throwing for a practice or two.
Meanwhile, the Panthers know they can win with Anderson. Just don't expect a lot of first-down runs and Newton-like gestures out of him.
"I don't think he wants to major in that," said wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, who caught a 2-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to give Carolina a 16-10 lead. "He's been watching Cam way too much."
