After Sunday night’s 40-7 loss to the Seahawks, Panthers coach Ron Rivera told reporters that quarterback Cam Newton had been benched for one series for a dress code violation as the team traveled to Seattle.
That one series became one play, and that one play went like a lot of the others did for the Panthers on a disastrous Sunday night. Derek Anderson’s pass on the first play of the game went off the hands of Mike Tolbert and it was intercepted by Seahawks linebacker Mike Morgan, leading to a quick field goal for the Seahawks.
Newton replaced Anderson the next time the Panthers had the ball and played the rest of the game, but that didn’t stop the Panthers from getting run out of the stadium.
Word of Newton’s dress-code violation was reported on the NBC broadcast of the game, then confirmed by Rivera after the game. Rivera said the decision to not start Newton was solely his own, and that he wanted to treat Newton like he would treat every other player on the team.
In his postgame press conference, Newton told reporters he was benched for not wearing a tie to the stadium and said he didn’t have a proper/shirt tie combo to wear as the team traveled to Seattle. The Panthers spent the week in Northern California after playing the Raiders last week.
