It's common that the Carolina Panthers play well enough to lead in the fourth quarter. But what they did Sunday was unusual. The Panthers actually held onto the lead, beating Washington, 21-13, on the road. They can thank their young quarterback and a stout defense for that.
In a battle of multi-dimensional young quarterbacks, it was Carolina’s Cam Newton who exited victorious over Washington’s Robert Griffin III. It wasn’t exactly the shootout or explosive game many probably hoped for, given the quarterbacks, but it was an efficient one for at least one of them.
Newton, who has struggled in his sophomore season, did enough right -- 201 yards passing and 37 rushing -- to get the win. He also threw for a touchdown and ran for another. Griffin was off-target with his passes and was sacked four times. He managed 268 total yards but didn’t throw a touchdown pass or get in the end zone. Actually, he did both but each was negated by a penalty.
Newton took care of the ball, with no fumbles or interceptions. He was efficient and hit the big play when needed and burrowed through for a 1-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter.
The win also provided Carolina (2-6) with needed confidence and sent Washington (3-6) into a long two weeks as it enters its bye week.
When the game turned: The Redskins had a first down at Carolina’s 40-yard line late in the third quarter, trailing 14-6. The drive stalled at the Panthers’ 46 early in the fourth, but they pinned Carolina at its 9-yard line. It didn't matter. On the next play, Newton connected with a wide-open Armanti Edwards for an 82-yard pass play. The Panthers scored two plays later for a 21-6 lead.
Highlight moments: Edwards’ play qualifies as a huge highlight and you have to credit the Panthers for a well-designed play. They caught the Redskins in a cover-3 and cleared out CB Josh Wilson with a deep post by the outside receiver. DeAngelo Hall bit up in the flat on the tight end and LB London Fletcher dropped to the hash. Edwards ran a wheel route behind the tight end. With Hall coming up and Wilson on another receiver, Edwards was wide open. ... The Panthers' first touchdown came with a little help from the officials. With 33 seconds left in the first quarter, RB DeAngelo Williams ran around the right end and turned the corner. The line judge inadvertently blew the whistle before Williams reached the end zone. Redskins LB Perry Riley pulled up on the play and was adamant afterward he would have dove at Williams’ feet had he not heard the whistle. Referee Carl Cheffers told a pool reporter that, “Yes, the line judge blew his whistle. We had a lot of discussion about it. We just felt when the whistle blew, that the player would have scored a touchdown. So, we tried to piece together if we had to spot -- by rule, we would have to put him down when the whistle blew, and we tried to decide where that spot would be, and we felt that spot would be in the end zone.”
Top-shelf performances:
- Panthers DE Charles Johnson -- 2 sacks, 5 tackles
- Panthers DE Greg Hardy -- 1.5 sacks, 7 tackles
- Panthers QB Newton -- 13 for 23, 201 yards and 1 TD; 8 rushes for 37 yards and 1 TD
- Redskins RB Alfred Morris -- 13 rushes, 76 yards
- Redskins QB Griffin -- 23 for 38, 215 yards, 11 rushes for 53 yards
What they said about the two drives for 90-plus yards
- Panthers QB Newton on the 98-yard drive before halftime: “It was a way for us to impose our will and just to make a big impact going into this game. They had a lot of momentum because they converted a couple fourth downs. We were trying to get first downs to change field position. We found a way and got a touchdown in the end.”
- Panthers coach Ron Rivera on the 91-yard fourth-quarter drive: “I don’t know if I would call it a game-changer, but it helped us. It gave us a mental and physical boost. At that point, we had grounded out defensively for an eight-minute period where they had the ball. It was a really big deal for us.”
What they said about the Redskins’ season
- Redskins coach Mike Shanahan: “We have to evaluate players and see where we’re at. Obviously, we’re not out of it statistically. Now we find out what kind of character we have and how guys keep on fighting throughout the rest of the season."
- Redskins LB Lorenzo Alexander: “That’s what our record says, we’re 3-6. Good teams find a way to win in the fourth quarter, and we haven’t been able to do that all year.”
- Redskins QB Griffin: “The media will say your record is what you are, but I just don’t feel like our record is what we are.”
Numbers you should know: The Panthers had two touchdown drives of 90-plus yards in a game for the first time in franchise history. … The Redskins became the first team in NFL history to have a rookie QB and RB -- Griffin and Morris -- rush for at least 500 yards in a season. … The Redskins are 14-27 under coach Mike Shanahan. … The Panthers won for the first time in five weeks when taking a lead into the fourth quarter….With four sacks Sunday, the Panthers have 10 sacks in the past two games combined and have 24 this season.
Injury update: Redskins -- WR Santana Moss left the game in the fourth quarter with a concussion. He will be evaluated during the next two weeks as the Redskins don’t play again until Nov. 18. Panthers -- WR Kealoha Pilares exited in the second half with a shoulder injury. Coach Rivera was uncertain how bad it was after the game.
Going forward: Redskins -- They have a much-needed bye week before embarking on a three-game stretch in the NFC East vs. Philadelphia, at Dallas and vs. New York. The Redskins are in bad shape at 3-6, but even two wins in those three games would do wonders for their confidence. This no longer is about the playoffs, but the direction of the team. Panthers -- After a morale-boosting win, Carolina has consecutive home games vs. Denver and Tampa Bay before playing at Philadelphia.
John Keim covers the Redskins for the Washington Examiner. Follow him on Twitter @CBSRedskins or @John_Keim.
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Carolina Panthers from blogger Shawn Krest, follow@CBSPanthers.
