Arizona Cardinals

Previewing The Washington Redskins vs. Carolina Panthers In NFL Week 15

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:26 p.m. ET

Fansided, Jacob Camenker/FanSided via Riggo's Rag

Nov 24, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys defeat the Redskins 31-26. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Redskins are in a critical three game stretch that will help them to see if they can make the playoffs. Here is a look at their Monday night game against the Panthers.

The Washington Redskins are currently in seventh place in the NFC. At a glance, that is most definitely a good thing. They are better than more than half the teams in their conference with a 7-5-1 record, but they sit just outside of the playoff race. They are on the outside looking in, and they need a little bit of help to get back into the picture.

Want your voice heard? Join the Riggo's Rag team!

That said, Week 15 is a good chance for the team to do it. They are taking on the Carolina Panthers (5-8) who have been a major disappointment this year. Just 365 days ago, the team was 13-0 and people were questioning whether or not the team could actually go undefeated. Now, they are entirely out of the playoff picture. They really have nothing to play for on Monday.

Because of that, the Redskins are going to have a chance to win this game. Still, the Panthers have a lot of talent and they could put up a very strong fight. With that in mind, here is an in-depth look at the Monday night matchup between the Redskins and the Panthers.

Dec 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) after the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Washington defeated Philadelphia 27-22. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

Redskins Passing Game vs. Panthers Defense

After the 2015 NFL season, there was no doubt that the Carolina Panthers had the best defense in the league. The team had one of the league’s best front sevens, and their secondary was in solid shape. They lacked a true No. 2 corner, but Josh Norman was going to be their top guy for a long time. Considering that he was one of the best cornerbacks in the league, this looked like a winning proposition.

Well, that never panned out. Panthers general manager Dave Gettlemen elected to part ways with Norman in the offseason after attempting to put the franchise tag on the talented corner. As a result, Norman landed in Washington and has played a big role on the Redskins defense. Meanwhile, the Panthers defense has suffered immensely.

The Panthers invested three draft picks in cornerbacks, and they have been forced to start two on the outside in recent weeks. James Bradberry and Daryl Worley have seen significant time on defense, and neither has been particu impressive. Because of this, the Panthers have the third worst pass defense in the league, giving up 272.4 yards per game.

That said, the Redskins should easily be able to take advantage of the Panthers weakness. Kirk Cousins has been on a hot streak, and his offensive line will give him ample time to find the open receivers. DeSean Jackson should have a chance to school the rookies with his deep routes and Cousins should be able to find him for a big touchdown at some point.

Meanwhile, Pierre Garcon and Jamison Crowder will also see favorable matchups. Garcon should lead the Skins in targets at the end of the day, while Crowder could do some damage over the middle of the field. The Panthers simply do not have the personnel to matchup effectively with Washington, and that will cost them dearly in this battle.

Dec 4, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Washington Redskins running back Robert Kelley (32) carries the ball as Arizona Cardinals safety D.J. Swearinger (36) defends during the first half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Redskins Rushing Game vs. Panthers Defense

While the Panthers secondary is significantly weaker that they were in 2016, their run defense has been relatively solid. The team actually ranks fifth in the league in total rushing yards allowed per game, only allowing 90.2 per contest. They have a strong group of defensive tackles that is led by pass rushing star Kawann Short, nose tackle Star Lotuleilei, high upside rookie Vernon Butler, and veteran run stuffer Paul Soliai. These four men will create a wall in front of the Redskins that may be tough to break through.

More from Riggo's Rag

With that said, this could end up being one of the tougher games of the season for Rob Kelley. Though Kelley put together some solid numbers against a good run defense last week, the Eagles simply do not compare to the front of the Panthers. They have multiple big-bodied guys who will look to neutralize Kelley’s physicality – his biggest asset. The tackles should be able to do that, and that could cause problems for the Redskins in terms of being balanced.

Making matters worse for the team, they do not know whether or not Spencer Long and Shawn Lauvao will be able to return for this contest. Long should hopefully be out of concussion protocol by Monday night, but head injuries are tricky to deal with. Meanwhile, Lauvao may still be hampered by the ankle that sidelined him last week. If those two are both out, the interior line will have even more trouble getting any sort of push against the Panthers front.

Overall, this looks to be an advantage for the Panthers. The Redskins are likely going to have to do most of their damage through the air on Sunday, which should not be too big of a problem.

Dec 11, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) looks to pass in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Panthers Passing Game vs. Redskins Defense

It is hard to believe that Cam Newton was the NFL MVP last season. Thus far in 2016, Newton has been mediocre at best, and he has not demonstrated the clutch trait that made him so dangerous for the Panthers last season. Newton has played in 12 games and has completed only 53 percent of his passes for 15 touchdowns and nine picks. Those are downright bad numbers, and he needs to improve if the Panthers want to win more in the future.

Against the Redskins, Newton will have a chance to do a bit of damage. The Redskins have had some issues at the cornerback position this season, as both Bashaud Breeland and Kendall Fuller have underwhelmed in recent weeks. Newton will have to target them early and often in order to post some good numbers. If he does not, then he will have to go up against his former teammate Josh Norman.

Norman has been superb this season and has easily been the best corner on the Redskins team. In this week’s matchup, Norman seems likely to cover Kelvin Benjamin for a majority of the day. Benjamin has endured a mediocre season due to Newton’s struggles, and it will likely continue if Norman is on him Sunday. Norman’s physicality will make him a good fit to cover Benjamin.

Elsewhere, Ted Ginn will probably draw Breeland in coverage on most plays. Newton will want to target that matchup, as Breeland could easily be beaten deep, given Ginn’s game-breaking speed.

Dec 11, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart (28) runs as San Diego Chargers inside linebacker Korey Toomer (56) and strong safety Jahleel Addae (37) and outside linebacker Melvin Ingram (54) and cornerback Casey Hayward (26) defend in the fourth quarter. The Panthers defeated the Chargers 28-16 at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Panthers Rushing Game vs. Redskins Defense

The Redskins actually fared relatively well against the run last week versus the Eagles. This week, I would not expect that to continue.

The Panthers have a pretty solid rushing attack that has been led this year by Jonathan Stewart. Though Stewart has only averaged 3.6 yards per carry this year, he has been a big part of the Carolina offense when healthy. In the matchup against Washington, he should be able to find some openings.

The Redskins simply lack the personnel to make Stewart’s day difficult on Monday. The strength of the Carolina offensive line is the interior, though their star center Ryan Kalil is out for the season. Still, they have a couple of strong guards in Andrew Norwell and Trai Turner, and the duo should get some push up front for Stewart.

At the end of the day, if the Panthers want to stay in it on offense, they will have to run the ball a lot. That will open things up for them in other aspects of the game and will make the pass rushers bite on play action. It also helps that the Redskins will be short on middle linebackers during the contest, as Will Compton and Su’a Cravens are both questionable.

Dec 4, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman (24) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Redskins 31-23. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Score Prediction

This is an extremely hard game to figure out. On the one hand, I love the advantages that Washington has in the passing game. They are going to be able to destroy the Panthers defense and make the team wish they had never gotten rid of Norman.

On the other hand, the Panthers will be able to render the Washington offense one dimensional. Their run stuffing unit is just too good, and they could exploit weaknesses on the Redskins defense as well. If Newton plays like he did last year, the Redskins could find themselves in trouble.

When it is all said and done, I have trouble picking against the Redskins in this circumstance. They have the momentum now and more to play for. I think they will just edge out the Panthers to notch an important win. And, of course, Josh Norman will get the last laugh.

Final Score: Redskins 21, Panthers 20

Next: Von Miller Offers High Praise Of Trent WilliamsThis article originally appeared on