Quarterback Kyle Allen will start his fifth consecutive game this weekend when the Carolina Panthers visit the San Francisco 49ers, coach Ron Rivera announced Monday.
The Panthers (4-2) have won all four games with Allen under center this season, with the 23-year-old completing 80 of 122 passes (65.6 percent) for 901 yards and seven touchdowns without an interception.
“The more he plays, the more comfortable he gets, the more his confidence builds,” Rivera said. “You see good, quick decisions, you see quick feet. And that’s been huge and probably the one thing I appreciate — knock on wood — is that he’s learning to protect the ball better.”
Fellow quarterback Cam Newton is still working his way back from a foot sprain sustained in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Cam’s going to continue his rehab,” Rivera said. “… We’re not putting any pressure on Cam. He’s done a great job doing the things that we’ve asked of him. He’s gone above and beyond as far as working with our quarterbacks and helping them along the way.”
Newton completed 56.2 percent of his passes for 572 yards with one interception in the first two games of the season. The 2015 NFL MVP was also limited to five carries for minus-2 yards and no touchdowns.
