It’s now or never for Teddy Bridgewater at Washington in Week 16

Teddy Bridgewater’s big test at Washington

This is no longer the slam dunk that many expected for the Carolina Panthers earlier in the campaign. Washington and their former head coach Ron Rivera can clinch a playoff spot with victory at FedEx Field in Week 16 and it promises to be another stern test of Teddy Bridgewater’s credentials, to put it mildly.

Washington has a dominant defensive front that is loaded with first-round picks. The likes of Montez Sweat, Chase Young, and Ryan Kerrigan are incredibly difficult to stop and with Da’Ron Payne and Jonathan Allen anchoring the interior, this unit is as good as it gets.

Couple this with a secondary that is giving up a shade over 200 yards-per-game through the air on average, and it’s not hard to see why Bridgewater might struggle in this one. He’s been sacked seven times over the last two contests and if Carolina’s protection doesn’t live up to their end of the bargain, it could be another long afternoon for the signal-caller.

Drafting a potential franchise quarterback might be a forgone conclusion if Bridgewater doesn’t show the necessary improvements over the next two games. With a new general manager coming into the organization and the possibility of Joe Brady getting a head coaching job this offseason, the writing is firmly on the wall.

4 Panthers players who should retire after the 2020 season

Which Carolina Panthers player should consider retiring from the game once a hugely eventful 2020 campaign finally comes to a conclusion?

It’s now or never for Bridgewater. And nobody will be more aware of that than the man himself.