PREMIUM
Rogers' *10* NFL Game of the Week >> Coming off MASSIVE 7-1 Sunday!
(NFL) Carolina vs. Washington,
12/19/2016 3:30 PM, Score: 26 - 15
Point Spread: 7.00 | -120.00 Carolina (Away)
Result: Win
Point Spread: 7.00 | -120.00 Carolina (Away)
Result: Win
The set-up: The 5-8 Carolina Panthers, last year's NFC champions, head to Washington Monday night to take on the 7-5-1 Redskins. Carolina is coming off a 28-16 victory over San Diego but its playoff hopes were all but ended by a disastrous two-game West Coast trip in which its defense allowed 75 points in losses at Oakland and Seattle. The Panthers would need a miracle to return to the postseason, sitting three games out of the final playoff spot in the NFC with three to play. The Redskins currently own the final wild card spot in the NFC but a loss here would drop them behind the both the 8-6 Packers and Bucs.
Carolina: The Panthers have won four of their last seven games but they would have to win their final three games and receive quite a bit of help to land in the playoffs. It's a complicated, if not impossible, path to the postseason. Cam Newton has been dealing with a sore throwing shoulder that limited him in practice this week and has only 15 TD passes after tossing a career-high 35 last season, when he was the league MVP. The defense has surrendered 91 points and 1,177 yards during the team's last three games but Carolina did enter Week 15 having amassed a league-best 39 sacks.
Washington: QB Kirk Cousins has delivered for a second straight season, completing 67.5% for 300.4 YPG (2nd-best) with a 27-9 ratio and 100.7 QB rating. Here at home, he owns 27-to-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio since last year. The Redskins were glad to have extra time because of the Monday night game. That might give linebackers Su'a Cravens (elbow) and Will Compton (knee sprain) time to recover from ailments, while special teams player Mack Brown entered the concussion protocol based on a hit last week against Philadelphia. Washington is also glad to be home after three straight on the road, where they've won three in a row while averaging 33.0 PPG.
The pick: Washington has all the motivation but ember, the Panthers are way better than the team's 5-8 record and ran play loose with little on the line. The Panthers will remember that they handed the Redskins a 44-16 beating last season, forcing five turnovers (the Redskins suffered their worst loss of the 2015 against Carolina). The Panthers have won the past four meetings between the two teams and Cam Newton has seven TD passes and zero interceptions in three meetings versus Washington. Take the points and make Carolina a 10* play.
Carolina: The Panthers have won four of their last seven games but they would have to win their final three games and receive quite a bit of help to land in the playoffs. It's a complicated, if not impossible, path to the postseason. Cam Newton has been dealing with a sore throwing shoulder that limited him in practice this week and has only 15 TD passes after tossing a career-high 35 last season, when he was the league MVP. The defense has surrendered 91 points and 1,177 yards during the team's last three games but Carolina did enter Week 15 having amassed a league-best 39 sacks.
Washington: QB Kirk Cousins has delivered for a second straight season, completing 67.5% for 300.4 YPG (2nd-best) with a 27-9 ratio and 100.7 QB rating. Here at home, he owns 27-to-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio since last year. The Redskins were glad to have extra time because of the Monday night game. That might give linebackers Su'a Cravens (elbow) and Will Compton (knee sprain) time to recover from ailments, while special teams player Mack Brown entered the concussion protocol based on a hit last week against Philadelphia. Washington is also glad to be home after three straight on the road, where they've won three in a row while averaging 33.0 PPG.
The pick: Washington has all the motivation but ember, the Panthers are way better than the team's 5-8 record and ran play loose with little on the line. The Panthers will remember that they handed the Redskins a 44-16 beating last season, forcing five turnovers (the Redskins suffered their worst loss of the 2015 against Carolina). The Panthers have won the past four meetings between the two teams and Cam Newton has seven TD passes and zero interceptions in three meetings versus Washington. Take the points and make Carolina a 10* play.
