If Washington is going to overtake the New York Giants in the NFC East, it would be prudent for them to win Sunday. But unfortunately for Jay Gruden's team, they're taking on Cam Newton and the undefeated Carolina Panthers.
Washington vs. Panthers 2015 picks and predictions: Carolina overwhelming favorite to stay undefeated
Washington is coming off an impressive win over the Saints, but seems to be no match for the unbeaten Panthers.
It has been a week littered with faux controversy for Newton, who came under scrutiny for unveiling an elaborate dance after he scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter of last week's win against the Tennessee Titans. The dance propelled the mother of a 9-year-old daughter to admonish Newton for in a letter to the Charlotte Observer.
But Newton says he will keep on dancing and the Panthers will aim to keep on winning. Newton’s counting stats are rather pedestrian -- 56.3 percent completion rate, 15 touchdown passes in nine games -- but he seems to make the winning plays on a weekly basis. Perhaps his greatest asset is his 6’6, 245-pound frame, which allows him to barrel through defenses like a fullback. Newton has rushed for 366 yards this season and scored six touchdowns.
Though Newton has been amassing a lot of the attention recently, the real story with the Panthers continues to be their stout defense. Carolina is tied for the NFL lead with 14 interceptions and has held opposing quarterbacks to a league-low 69.1 passer rating. That means Kirk Cousins is in for quite a test, just one week after he dismantled the porous New Orleans Saints defense to the tune of 324 yards and four touchdown passes.
Over his last three games, Cousins has thrown eight touchdowns and just one interception. But he’s shown a proclivity to turn the ball over throughout his career, and the Panthers will likely seek to exploit that Sunday.
After beating the Green Bay Packers two weeks ago, the Panthers have cemented themselves as the class of the NFC. The experts are nearly unanimous in picking Carolina to stay undefeated. Mike Golic is the only one on ESPN's 13-man panel who dares to side with Washington. At CBS Sports, it's a clean sweep for the Panthers.
All eight of our experts also expect them to beat Washington at home and improve to 10-0.
| Ryan Van Bibber | Stephen White | Joel Thorman | David Fucillo | Danny Kelly | Matt Ufford | PFT Commenter | OddsShark | |
| WAS vs. CAR | CAR | CAR | CAR | CAR | CAR | CAR | CAR | CAR |
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SB Nation presents: Cam Newton taunts the Titans with his dabbing
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