The Panthers wanted Cam Newton to give them three straight days of pain-free practices, and he did. But Friday afternoon, coach Ron Rivera was still unwilling to name his starting quarterback for Carolina’s pivotal matchup with Cleveland.

“But I am willing to say he did really well today in terms of the amount of stress we put on him. He’s most certainly on track,” Rivera said. “He’s done a nice job. He’s got a good handle of what we want to do with everything. I liked the way he practiced. Everything’s positive.”

The only thing keeping Rivera from officially pegging Newton as Sunday’s starter is Saturday morning. That’s when he’ll meet with trainers for a final checkup, and as long as he continues to feel good, he’ll get the go-ahead.

If and when Newton takes his first snap Sunday, it will be 12 days since he fractured two bones in his back during a car accident about two blocks from Bank of America Stadium. The injury itself can’t get worse, but Newton may have to deal with a significant amount of pain depending on if and where he gets hit. He won’t take a pain-killing shot before the game.

Backup Derek Anderson is prepared to fill in, if needed, but in a must-win game, it’s highly probable the Panthers will win or lose with their most important player.

“If there’s any concern on my part, if he starts, we’ll have to make a decision in terms of protecting him. But right now, everything’s pointing in the right direction,” Rivera said. “He had a good day today, and we’re excited about how he’s going to feel tomorrow. We think it’s going to be good.”

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