4 key Panthers matchups to watch at Washington in Week 16

What are the key Carolina Panthers matchups to watch at Washington?

The Carolina Panthers will be coming up against a familiar foe during their final road game of the 2020 season. Sunday’s trip to the Washington Football Team promises to be another stiff challenge for a roster that still seems to have some fight left if their performance at the Green Bay Packers last time out was any indication.

This didn’t bring a win after failing to come through down the stretch once again. But it does leave plenty of reasons to be encouraged regarding the Carolina Panthers and their chances moving forward.

They have some exciting young pieces to build around on both sides of the ball and if Carolina can bring in the right sort of reinforcements this offseason, it might lead to a turnaround in their fortunes in 2021.

Let’s take a look at four key Panthers matchups to keep a close eye on as they go in search of victory at FedEx Field this weekend.

Matchup No. 1

Matt Rhule vs. Ron Rivera

The old meets the new.

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule goes up against the man he replaced in Carolina in Week 16. Ron Rivera enjoyed a glittering spell with the franchise that might have come with a period of struggle towards the end, but few will ever forget the quality seasons in the mid-2010s that almost came with an elusive first Super Bowl.

Rivera deserves a tremendous amount of credit for what he achieved during his time with the Panthers. And it is clear he’s got Washington heading in the right direction despite overcoming significant personal adversity in recent months.

Few would argue that Rivera isn’t deserving of a postseason berth in 2020 after all he’s been through. How ironic it would be if this feat was achieved by securing victory against the team that fired him a little more than a year ago.