4 Washington players the Panthers should be concerned about
By Dean Jones
58. Washington -1.5. 4-10. CBS. Sunday, Dec 27. 87. 6-8. 4.05 PM ET
Which Washington players should the Carolina Panthers be concerned about?
There might be much at stake for the Carolina Panthers when they travel to the Washington Football Team for a Week 16 encounter against former head coach Ron Rivera. But that doesn’t apply to either the opposition or quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
It appears as if patience is running out quickly regarding the signal-caller, who failed to come through down the stretch once again for the Carolina Panthers in their narrow loss at the Green Bay Packers. Bridgewater is now 0-8 on game-winning or tying drives this season and another disappointing outing at FedEx Field on Sunday might be the last time he sees the field in 2020.
The stakes are high for Washington, too.
Victory over the Panthers would all-but clinch the NFC East title and the unlikeliest of playoff berths without a winning record. This might be down to the division being one of the worst in league history, but Rivera is clearly getting things sorted out across the organization much quicker than expected.
Here are four Washington players that the Panthers need to keep a close eye on when the two teams lock horns this weekend.
Player No. 1
Montez Sweat – DE
Montez Sweat is part of a formidable Washington defensive front that is littered with former first-round picks. The edge rusher has 14 sacks during his first two years in the NFL and his emergence as a three-down lineman who can impact the game considerably has been there for all to see this season.
Sweat might not get the limelight of Chase Young. But that doesn’t mean his production isn’t equally as important. The Mississippi State product boasts 10 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits, and 26 pressures to his name this season and if Carolina doesn’t come up with a plan to counteract this threat, then it could be a long afternoon for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
Not having left tackle Russell Okung in the lineup will only complicate matters further and Sweat will see this as a tremendous opportunity to boost his 2020 numbers after being snubbed for the Pro Bowl.