Carolina and Washington recorded huge wins in Week 10 to bolster their respective playoff bids. The Panthers destroyed the NFC-leading Arizona Cardinals by 24 points while Washington recorded a 10-point upset win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Who will emerge with another win in the Washington vs Carolina Week 11 clash?
Washington Football Team installed as +3.5 underdogs
Washington finally snapped its four-game losing skid with a stunning 29-19 win over the reigning Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Taylor Heinicke led the way for Washington, completing 26 of 32 passes for 256 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.
Heinicke made sure Washington held on to the famous win, engineering an epic 19-play drive in the fourth quarter which lasted 10 minutes and 26 seconds. Antonio Gibson capped that drive with a rushing touchdown with 29 seconds left on the game clock to seal the win for Washington.
Washington kept its playoff hopes alive with the win as Ron Rivera's men improved their record to 3-6. The victory came at a very huge price, though, as star defensive end Chase Young suffered a season-ending knee injury. The 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year tore the ACL in his right knee during the second quarter when he tried to rush around Bucs left tackle Donovan Smith.
Young's injury is a huge blow for Washington, who was already missing starting defensive end Montez Sweat. He suffered a broken jaw against the Denver Broncos on October 31 and is still sidelined for the next 3-5 weeks. With Young and Sweat out, Washington will start Casey Toohill and James Smith-Williams at the end positions. Rookie Shaka Toney will be their primary backup.
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Carolina Panthers enter Week 11 as -3.5 favorites
Cam Newton made a triumphant return to the NFL, leading the Carolina Panthers to an impressive 34-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10. Newton played a key role in the win even with limited snaps, leading Carolina to two touchdown drives in the opening stages of the first quarter to build a 14-0 edge.
Newton made his presence felt on his first play of the contest, running for a touchdown on third down to give Carolina a 7-0 lead. Newton made it a two-possession game just minutes later, throwing a two-yard touchdown pass to Robby Anderson. It was smooth sailing for the Panthers the entire contest as they evened their record to 5-5.
The Panthers will look to sustain the momentum of that huge win when they take on the Washington Football Team in Week 11. That game will be a reunion of sorts with Newton and the Panthers taking on their former coach Ron Rivera. For the Panthers to grab the victory, they will need to continue their excellent play on the defensive end.
The Panthers' defense set the tone for the Week 10 win, recording an early fumble recovery, a pick and a key fourth-down stop that gave Carolina good field position against Arizona. Haason Reddick stole the show for the Carolina, sacking Colt McCoy that caused the fumble. He now has 9 ½ sacks this season.
Writer's Prediction
Carolina wins and covers the spread.
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