CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Panthers coach Ron Rivera said hes awaiting final clearance from team physicians before officially naming Cam Newton the starter for Sundays game against the Cleveland Browns.That clearance is expected to come Saturday.Right now, everything is pointing in the right direction, Rivera said Friday. The reason I havent said anything (definitive) is because of that one big thing — waiting for doctors to tell me they feel good about it.Newton practiced Friday for the third straight day and Rivera said he feels very confident and comfortable that the fourth-year quarterback will start Sunday, 12 days after a two-vehicle wreck left him with two lower back fractures.Rivera said he expects Newton to start as long as he keeps going. Good things have happened and weve done a lot of positive things.He said the only way Newton wouldnt play is if he suffers an unforeseen setback this weekend, but added the quarterback has had no ill effects waking up every morning this week.The 25-year-old Newton said Thursday he feels pain-free.The Panthers have increased Newtons workload every day this week to make sure hes ready to play. That includes having him run the football, which will be a part of the game plan.He did a lot of turning and twisting today, Rivera said. We put a lot of pressure on it. We had to do some things on purpose just so we could see. He seems to be right on track.Newton enters the weekend 3-8-1 as the teams starter this season.Derek Anderson filled in last week for Newton and threw for 277 yards and one touchdown, leading the Panthers to 19-17 win over Tampa Bay. Anderson is 2-0 as the teams starter with both wins coming against the Buccaneers (2-11).Newton had one of his best games of the season on Dec. 7, two days before he flipped his 1998 Dodge truck one block from the teams stadium on the way in to watch film. He completed 21 of 33 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns lead the Panthers to a 41-10 victory at New Orleans. He also ran 12 times for 83 yards and a touchdown, the majority of those rushes on designed running plays.It adds another dimension, Rivera said. He and (Anderson) are similar, but they are different. Cam obviously is a better runner. They both bring a lot to the table. What Cam does is he adds that extra dimension, the ability to run.That was big for us against New Orleans. He had a really good rhythm. Were hoping to recapture some of that. As long as we can continue to do those things and he can do them well, hell stay out there.Rivera said if there is one concern about Newton it is making sure he is protected in the pocket, particularly on blindside hits. Newton has been sacked 36 times in 12 games.NOTES: Rivera said running back DeAngelo Williams will likely miss his third straight start with a broken bone in his hand. Jonathan Stewart is expected to start against Cleveland.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL Tom Rathman Super Bowl Jersey . He also had some help Monday night.Hibbert scored a season-high 29 points to help Indiana beat the Utah Jazz 97-86 Monday night, ending the Pacers six-game losing streak. Jerick McKinnon Super Bowl Jersey . 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"We understand what we do well. If we all do what we do well, well make our team stronger," Crawford said.ST. LOUIS -- Ryan Miller was supposed to be the piece the St. Louis Blues needed to make a deep playoff run and perhaps at long last win a first Stanley Cup. The highly-decorated goalie was among those falling fall short for a franchise smarting from another early exit, and he might not be back. The team scheduled availabilities for general manager Doug Armstrong, coach Ken Hitchcock and players for Tuesday. Hitchcock deflected questions about the 34-year-old Miller, wholl be an unrestricted free agent, after the Blues were eliminated Sunday in Chicago. The Blues could opt to go with prospect Jake Allen, called the franchise goalie of the future by Armstrong when the Miller deal was made. "I dont get into long-term stuff. Thats Dougs department," Hitchcock said. "He played good for us. Im sure theres some goals that hed like to have back, just like any goalie would. We win as a team and lose as a team." Asked how he played, Miller said: "Im going to sit down and think about that. Not good enough, I guess." The Blues were among the NHLs best before a six-game losing streak to end the regular season landed them with a tougher first-round draw. For the second straight year they were knocked out in four straight by the defending Stanley Cup champion after taking a 2-0 series lead. Last season, it was the Kings. This time, it was Chicago. It was small consolation that before the Blackhawks four-goal third period in Game 6, the difference was razor-thin. The first five games were decided by one goal, discounting an empty-netter by the Blackhawks in the final minute of Game 3. "Youve got to bring your game every night, every shift, every period," captain David Backes said Sunday. "I sound like a broken record here. Finding ways to win those close games, they did and we didnt." Miller was acquired from Buffalo on Feb. 28 along with forward Steve Ott in a deal that cost the Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak, forward Chris Stewart and a fiirst-round pick in 2015.dddddddddddd He made $6.25 million last season. "Ive just got to take things as they come right now," he said, adding, "I guess Im free to go to my sister-in-laws wedding." Miller would like to stay, but acknowledged he wasnt sure how the Blues "feel about me." He had a 2.70 goals-against average and .897 save percentage in the series. Hitchcock wasnt pinning the teams failure on the goalie. He noted the Blackhawks split the defence on the go-ahead goal and the Blues surrendered a breakaway on the third goal, which he called "a back-breaker." Just as important, they couldnt capitalize on scoring chances. St. Louis was 2 for 29 on the power play in the series. "Ill take more than my share of the blame," Backes said. "Im counted on to produce and I didnt produce. Ill think about that a lot this summer and drive the engine going into next year." Injuries factored into the early exit. Backes missed two games with stiffness in his neck after an illegal hit by Brent Seabrook, who was suspended for three games. T.J Oshie also wasnt quite himself coming off a blow to the head late in the regular season and Patrik Berglund was no factor coming off a shoulder injury, scoreless and minus-7 in four games. Vladimir Tarasenko was a breakout star early in the series and had four goals, one of them forcing overtime with 6.4 seconds to go in Game 3. But he was scoreless the last two games. The Blues defence got burned on an ill-timed change in the pivotal Game 5, leading to Jonathan Toews overtime winner. Barret Jackman was minus-5, Jaden Schwartz minus-4. Backes, Oshie, Ott and Roman Polak were all minus-3. "We all need to look in the mirror and assess how we did and we didnt do, and take that gut check," Backes said. "No offence to you guys," he added to reporters, "but these interviews are getting a little sickening to have in April and not in June." ' ' '