The 5-5 Carolina Panthers will play host to the 3-6 Washington Football Team in Week 11 at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers come into this game with a .500 record after a win at Arizona last Sunday improved the team to 5-5. Washington snapped a four-game losing streak last week after topping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Washington is 2-1 against NFC South teams this season.
Carolina and Washington have faced off 16 previous times. Washington leads the overall series 9-7 after winning the first six games between the clubs. Carolina has won seven of the last 10 contests, including last year’s Week 16 game (12/27/20).
The Numbers
About Carolina
- Carolina has held its opponents to 280.7 total yards per game this season, the 2nd fewest by any team. Opposing teams are averaging 4.82 yards per play against the Panthers, the 2nd lowest average in the league. Carolina has given up 16.7 first downs this season, the 2nd
fewest allowed by any team this season.
- Carolina’s 27 sacks are tied for 4th in the NFL. The Panthers are allowing the fewest passing yards per game in the NFL (173.7). Also is the fewest passing yards allowed through the first 10 games in team history.
- The Panthers have tallied eight interceptions by five different players this year – CB Stephon Gilmore (2x), LB Shaq Thompson (2x), CB Donte Jackson (2x) CB Jaycee Horn and FS Juston Burris.
- Carolina has eight different players with a forced fumble, tied for the 2nd most by any team in the NFL. The eight players to force a fumble this season are: LB Hasson Reddick (2x), CB A.J. Bouye, LB Frankie Luvu (ST), CB Donte Jackson, S Sean Chandler (ST), CB Keith Taylor, DE Brian Burns and S Jeremy Chinn.
- OLB Haason Reddick joined Carolina this offseason following a career-best 12.5 sacks last year with Arizona. His 7 strip sacks since the start of the 2020 season is a league best. Since the start of the 2020 season, Reddick’s 22.0 sacks tied for third in the NFL. In his first 10 games with the Panthers, Reddick has racked up a 9.5 sacks, 45 tackles, 11 TFL, 2 FF, 1 FR. He’s the only player in the NFL with at least 10 TFL, 1 FF, 1FR and 40 tackles. Reddick’s 9.5 sacks are most in the NFC and is his 11 TFLs are tied for 2nd most in the conference.
- Since being drafted by Carolina in 2019, DE Brian Burns’ 22.5 sacks leads all Panthers players. Burns has played in 41 career games. He ranks 2nd in franchise history in sacks through a player’s first 41 games, only trailing Julius Peppers (29.0 sacks, 2002-04). Burns’ 22.5 sacks are the most among the entire 2019 draft class and his 5 strip sacks are tied for the lead and his 49 QBHs rank 2nd.
- CB Donte Jackson has tallied 12 career INTs since being selected by Carolina in the 2nd round (55th overall) of the 2018 Draft. His 12 picks are the most by any player from his draft class. Jackson ranks 5th on the Panthers with 41 tackles in 2021 and is 1st with 8 passes defensed. Jackson led the team with 3 INTs in 2020. He added 11 passes defensed as well,
most on the team despite missing two games this season. In Panthers history, Jackson ranks 2nd in INTs and 5th in passes defensed by all players through their first three NFL seasons.
- Through 10 games this season, Carolina has started seven different lineups along the offensive line. T Taylor Moton is the only Panthers offensive lineman to start all 10 games this season, nine at RT and one at LT.
- Carolina has allowed just one sack over the last three weeks (8-10), the fewest given up by any team over that span. The Panthers have tallied 294 rushing attempts through Week 10, the 3rd most in the NFL.
- In his first game with the Panthers this season, QB Cam Newton accounted for 2 touchdowns in Week 10 at Arizona (1 passing, 1 rushing). Newton has 71 career rushing touchdowns and 43 career games with both a passing and rushing touchdown, both
the most by a quarterback in NFL history.
- Newton has played in 141 games since entering the NFL in 2011. Newton has accounted for the 6th-most total yards (passing + rushing) among all players through their first 141 career games since the NFL merger (1970). Newton has recorded six seasons of at least 3,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards, the most in NFL history.
- Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey has averaged 126.2 scrimmage yards per game this season, the 2nd-highest average in the NFL, only trailing RB Derrick Henry (136.4). McCaffrey is 45 receiving yards shy of 3,000 for his career. If he eclipses the 3,000 mark this week in his 57th career game, McCaffrey would became the fastest player in NFL history to get to 3,000 rushing yards and 3,000 receiving yards (current record is 66 games by Alvin Kamara).
- K Zane Gonzalez was 100% on field goal (4-4) and extra point attempts (2-2). Gonzalez has now made 16-consecutive field goals. He has not missed a field goal attempt since Week 4 at Dallas (10/3/21). Gonzalez has made 19-of-21 field goal attempts (90.5%) this season. His 19 field goals made are tied for 2nd most in the NFL. Gonzalez leads the NFL with 12 made field goals of 40+ yards (nine from 40-49, three from 50+).
About Washington
- The Washington Football Team defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 29-19 at FedExField. Washington defeated Tampa Bay for the first time since October 25, 2015. They improved their overall record to 12-10-0 against the Bucs. Washington defeated Tampa Bay QB Tom Brady for the first time since September 28, 2003. It is the second time the team has ever beaten the three-time NFL MVP.
- Washington held Tampa Bay to 273 offensive yards, the fewest the defending Super Bowl Champions have recorded this season and their fewest since Nov. 23, 2020. Their 220 passing yards are the fewest the team has recorded since Sept. 20, 2020. Washington held Tampa Bay to 14 first downs, the fewest they have allowed since Nov. 26, 2020.
- QB Taylor Heinicke completed 26-of-32 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown and a 110.4 passer rating. He also rushed three times for 15 yards. Heinicke’s 110.4 passer rating was his second-highest as a starter this season and his highest since Week 4 at Atlanta. It is
the second-highest passer rating by a Washington quarterback against Tampa Bay in franchise history. The highest passer rating ever recorded by a Washington quarterback against Tampa Bay was in Week 7 of the 2015 season when Kirk Cousins registered a passer rating of 124.7.
- RB Antonio Gibson has recorded 16 rushing touchdowns since the start of last season, the eighth-most among running backs in the NFL during that span. Washington is one-of-five teams that has two running backs who have each recorded 155-plus receiving yards this season.
- Terry McLaurin has been Washington’s top receiver during his first three seasons in D.C. McLaurin recorded 1,118 receiving yards in 2020. Reaching the 1,000-yard plateau this season, he would be the first Washington receiver to do so in back-to-back seasons since Henry Ellard reached the mark in three-consecutive seasons from 1994-96. McLaurin had six 100-yard receiving games through two seasons in Washington, tied for the second-most
through a players first two seasons. McLaurin needs five more 100-yard receiving games this season to pass Gary Clark for the most through a players first three seasons in franchise history.
- Jonathan Allen has recorded 20 QBH so far this season. Allen will aim to record a QBH for his 10th-consecutive week, adding to a career-long. His 20 QBHs so far this season are the third-most in the NFL. Allen has recorded 65-career QBH, the eighth-most by a defensive tackle within their first five seasons. With 11 more QBH this season, Allen will move past Geno Atkins for the seventh-most QBH by a defensive tackle through their first five seasons in NFL history. Allen has recorded 22.0 sacks since 2018, the seventh-most by a DT during that span.
- With 95 TFLs this season, Washington would break their single-season franchise record. The current record of 94 was set in 2018. With a Washington player recording five or more sacks in a single-game, they will set the club’s single-game sack record. Five players have compiled four sacks in a single game, most recently, DE Ryan Kerrigan on Sept. 14, 2014.
Connections
- Panthers WR DJ Moore and LB Jermaine Carter Jr. played collegiately at Maryland.
- Washington’s WR Adam Humphries played his collegiate years at Clemson from 2011-14. Humphries is a native of Spartanburg, SC and attended Dorman HS.
- Washington’s WR Dyami Brown played his collegiate years at North Carolina from 2018-2020. Brown is a native of Charlotte, NC and attended West Mecklenburg HS.
- Washington’s LB Cole Holcomb played his collegiate years at North Carolina from 2015-18.
- Washington’s DE James Smith-Williams his a native Raleigh, NC and attended Millbrook HS. Smith Williams played his collegiate years at NC State from 2015-19.
- Washington’s head coach Ron Rivera served as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers from 2011-19. In eight-plus seasons with the Carolina Panthers, Rivera guided the team to a Super Bowl appearance, an NFC Championship and three NFC South titles. In addition, he was named Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year award winner twice (2013, 2015).
- Washington’s Executive VP of Football/Player Personnel Marty Hurney served in numerous roles in the Carolina Panther’s front office over a span of 20+ years, including Director of Football Administration (1998), Coordinator of Player Operations (1990-2001), Interim General Manager (2017), and General Manager (2002-12; 2018-2020).
- Offensive Coordinator Scott Turner came to Washington from Carolina, where he served as quarterbacks coach as well as interim offensive coordinator in 2019. In 2018, Turner helped quarterback Cam Newton post a franchise-record 67.9 com- pletion percentage, despite playing through injury. The Panthers finished 10th in the league in net yards [373.3], the second-highest season average in club history.
Carolina vs Washington
All-Time Series: 16 total matchups | Washington leads the series 9-7
Last Regular Season Game: 12/27/20 | Carolinea 20 @ Washington 13
Series Record at Venue: Carolina is 4-3 in home games vs. Washington
Series Streak: Carolina has won 6 of the last 8 matchups
How to Watch
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET FOX: Kevin Kugler. Mark Sanchez. Laura Okmin
Live Stream: Panthers.com
Radio: WBT-AM 1110 AM in Charlotte market; On The Call: Mick Mixon, Jake Delhomme, Jim Szoke, Kristen Balboni
Per Release