Carolina (1-5) at Washington (4-2)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT, CBS
BetMGM NFL Odds: Commanders by 8
Against the spread: Panthers 1-5; Commanders 4-2
Series record: Washington leads 10-7.
Last meeting: Washington beat the Panthers 27-21, on Nov. 21, 2021, at Carolina.
Last week: Panthers lost to Falcons 38-20; Commanders lost to Ravens 30-23.
Panthers offense: overall (25), rush (22), pass (23), scoring (28)
Panthers defense: overall (29), rush (30), pass (23), scoring (32)
Commanders offense: overall (5), rush (5), pass (13), scoring (3)
Commanders defense: overall (22), rush (22), pass (19), scoring (22)
Turnover differential: Commanders plus-1; Panthers minus-4
Panthers player to watch
WR Diontae Johnson. After a slow week against Chicago, Johnson returned to form Sunday against Atlanta with six catches for 78 yards and a touchdown. Johnson remains Carolina’s top receiver and has been targeted 55 times with 29 receptions for 340 yards and three scores and his route running makes him a formidable task for Washington’s secondary.
Commanders player to watch
Rookie DT Johnny Newton. With Jonathan Allen done for the season because of a torn pectoral muscle, it will be up to the rotation of Daron Payne, Phidarian Mathis, Newton and newly signed Sheldon Day to fill the void. Newton, who said he has fully healed from offseason foot surgery, was picked 36th in the draft to have an immediate impact. It’s now his time to shine.
Key matchup
Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard vs. the Commanders run defense: Hubbard has averaged more than 100 yards rushing over the past four games and 5.9 yards a carry over the past five. He will face a Washington defense that ranks 29th in yards per attempt allowed. There is little doubt the Panthers will look to control the clock with a steady dose of Hubbard and Miles Sanders.
Key injuries
Panthers TE Tommy Tremble returned to practice this week after missing the Falcons game with a concussion. … Carolina is hoping to get RT Taylor Moton (triceps) and OLB Jadeveon Clowney (shoulder) back after both sat out last week. … RB Jonathan Brooks, DT Jaden Crumedy and DB Sam Franklin all returned to practice this week after being on injured reserve, but it’s unclear if any will be ready to play. … Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. is aiming to return after missing the game last week with a knee injury. … DE Dorance Armstrong is in danger of not playing after injuring his ribs against Baltimore. … Rookie LB Jordan Magee could make his NFL debut after injuring a knee during the preseason.
Series notes
Washington has won three of the past four meetings. … The Panthers have won three of their past four visits to the stadium in Landover, Maryland. … This is a matchup of the only two NFL teams Ron Rivera coached. Rivera was with Carolina from 2011-19 and Washington from 2020-23. … Carolina has lost four in a row and been outscored 108-54 during this skid. … Commanders S Jeremy Chinn spent the past four seasons and LB Frankie Luvu the past three with Carolina.
Stats and stuff
QB Andy Dalton is 1-3 this season as the Panthers starter but will continue to play ahead of 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, who was benched after two games. … WR Jalen Coker is emerging as a threat as Carolina’s No. 3 receiver and taking snaps away from 2023 second-round pick Jonathan Mingo. … The Panthers defense is allowing 33.8 points a game, which is the ninth most allowed by a defense in the Super Bowl era. … LB Trevin Wallace has 24 tackles, the most by any Carolina player in his first two games. … Carolina has allowed its opponents to score touchdowns on 75% of trips in the red zone, second most in the league. … K Eddy Piñeiro is 9 of 10 on field goals and has made all 10 extra point attempts. … The Commanders ran for a season-low 52 yards in their loss at Baltimore. … Rookie QB Jayden Daniels is the only player to throw for 1,400 yards and run for 300 in his first six games. … Daniels threw for a career-high 269 yards against the Ravens and had two TD passes to Terry McLaurin. … Robinson leads the team with 325 yards rushing and has run for five TDs. … TE Zach Ertz had a season-high 68 yards receiving against the Ravens on four catches. … Six-time All-Pro LB Bobby Wagner led Washington with a season-best 12 tackles last week. … Rookie CB Mike Sainristil picked off Lamar Jackson for the Commanders’ first interception of the season. … K Austin Seibert made three field goals and had one blocked against Baltimore.
Fantasy tip
Commanders RB Austin Ekeler could get the majority of the carries, even if Robinson is active and in uniform. But Robinson gets so many looks near the goal line that he should still be a candidate to start.
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