The Carolina Panthers played the worst game they’ve played since their 17-3 loss to the Chicago Bears last season, and frankly heads should roll after this ludicrous display of “football”. The Panthers managed to make it believable that they could somehow come from behind and win in the end, but their incompetence reared its ugly head with two mind boggling plays on second and third down of their final drive, and in the end Washington was able to squeak by with a much deserved 23-17 win.
I know me saying this won’t get anything accomplished, but to be frank Ron Rivera should lose his job over this. The game was over in the first quarter when he punted on 4th and 1 instead of trusting his offense to pick up one yard, and that lack of confidence wafted in the air like a stale fart for the rest of the afternoon.
The offense was good enough to win today. Aside from a few exceptionally stupid play calls, Cam Newton and co. balled out against Washington. The defense and special teams, on the other hand, were absolutely wretched. The team was totally unprepared to face an inferior opponent, and honestly after eight years of this shit it’s time for a change.
David Tepper, if you’re reading this—fire Ron Rivera and get someone who has the guts to actually take risks when his ass isn’t on the line. Otherwise, we’ll just have to settle for continued mediocrity year after year. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m sick and tired of doing that.
What do you think, Panthers fans? Sound off with your comments!
Live updates
FINAL SCORE: Panthers 17 - Washington 23
4th quarter
And of course, the pass is incomplete on 4th down. Ballgame.
Aaand Cam overthrows Funchess in the end zone. 4th and 5. The game relies on this play.
Cam overthrows CMC in the end zone. 3rd and 5.
Cam goes over the middle for CMC and a modest gain. 2nd and 5. Timeout taken by the Panthers.
Newton bulldozes his way to the 22 yard line for a first down.
Cam finds Smith for a 9 yard gain. 3rd and 1.
Cam finds DJ Moore for a first down gain down to the Washington 33 yard line.
The call is overturned and ruled incomplete.
Cam finds Olsen for a nine yard gain. The play is under review.
Two minute warning.
Newton finds Olsen for another first down in Washington territory.
Cam’s pass to Wright is complete for three yards.
Cam finds CMC for a big gain and a first down.
Samuel returns the kickoff to the 16 yard line.
FIELD GOAL WASHINGTON: Hopkins nails the 29-yarder to put Washington up by six. Panthers 17 - Washington 23
The defense forces an incompletion and the FG unit will come out.
Huge 3rd down here. Panthers have to force a FG attempt to have any hope of a comeback win.
Peterson with another 10 yard gain. The defense is very bad today.
Adrian Peterson shreds the defense for another first down.
Big penalty on Addison - facemask on Alex Smith - gives Washington 15 yards.
TOUCHDOWN PANTHERS: Cam finds Torrey Smith for a two-yard touchdown pass. The Panthers go for two and convert. Panthers 17 - Washington 20
Cam runs and gets to the two yard line. First and goal.
Cam finds Smith again for another 8 yards.
Cam finds Smith again for another first down.
Funchess is straight up Mossing people out here today. Hell of a game from him.
Newton finds Torrey Smith for a first down in Washington territory.
DJ Moore takes the handoff from Cam and picks up a first down after a big gain of 18 yards.
FIELD GOAL WASHINGTON: Dustin Hopkins drills a career-long 56-yard field goal to restore Washington’s lead to 11. Panthers 9 - Washington 20
Panthers hit Smith and force a fumble that’s picked up by Trent Williams. It’s 4th down.
Panthers jump offside on 3rd and 12 and now it’s 3rd and 7.
Kuechly tackles Reed after a five yard gain.
Panthers bailed out by a holding call after Adrian Peterson runs for 15 yards.
END OF 3RD QUARTER: Panthers 9 - Washington 17
3rd quarter
The defense needs to find a way to get off the field.
Smith finds Quick for another first down.
Kawann Short gets called for a neutral zone infraction on 3rd and 7. It’s now 3rd and 2.
But we can’t have nice things. First down.
After two plays it’s 3rd and short. A stop here would be good.
FIELD GOAL PANTHERS: Graham Gano connects to pull the Panthers within 8. Panthers 9 - Washington 17
Cam throws to CMC over the middle but it’s only good for three yards. 4th and 3.
An offside penalty on Washington gives the Panthers five free yards. 3rd and 6.
Cam’s pass to Funchess is incomplete after hitting off his hands. 3rd and 11.
CMC loses a yard on first down. 2nd and 11.
Cam keeps it himself and picks up a first down. Panthers on the Washington 21 yard line.
DJ Moore with the catch for nine yards. His second straight catch that didn’t result in a fumble. Progress, folks.
Cam runs through the middle of the field for a 15-yard gain and a first down. Offense is moving, finally.
Cam finds Funchess for a first down.
Panthers gain 7 yards on a screen to Greg Olsen. 3rd and 3.
Thomas Davis with a breakup on the pass intended for Jordan Reed. Panthers take over on downs.
Washington calls a time out but still brings the offense back out.
Washington leaves the offense on the field. (Take notes, Ron.)
Bradberry with a pass break up to force a 4th down.
Smith evades pressure and finds Paul Richardson for a first down.
Peterson picks up three yards on first down. 2nd and 7.
Smith finds Brian Quick for a first down.
Peterson picks up eight yards and Washington have 3rd and 2 now.
The Panthers chase Smith and force him to throw it away. 2nd and 10.
Gano squib kicks it and Washington returns to the 32-yard line.
HALFTIME: Panthers 6 - Washington 17
2nd quarter
Panthers force a punt, but a holding penalty on the Panthers puts the ball inside the 5 yard line. Just take a knee and end this madness.
After a conference by the officials, intentional grounding is called on Alex Smith.
And Washington takes over at the Panthers 33-yard line. And they get the ball to start the second half. This is a disaster, simple and plain.
The Panthers go three and out on the drive because they are being coached by idiots. Every single decision maker for this team should be fired immediately.
LOL and of course the first play is CMC up the middle for one yard.
Washington downs the punt at the three yard line.
The Panthers get a sack on third down and will get the ball back with around 85-ish seconds left. Hopefully they can take advantage of that.
Ron Rivera is getting outcoached by Jay Gruden.
Two minute warning.
We’ve reached Peak Panthers, y’all. Devin Funchess just Moss’d the DB, and then Gano shanks an extra point. You can’t make this stuff up.
TOUCHDOWN PANTHERS: Cam finds Funchess in the end zone, who makes a great catch to come down with it. Gano’s XP is no good. Panthers 6 - Washington 17
Newton finds Moore in the middle of the field and HE DIDN’T FUMBLE THIS TIME.
Cam bulldozes his way through the defense for a 13-yard gain and another first down.
Newton finds CMC on 3rd and 2 for a 13-yard gain and a first down.
This game could be going better imo.
FIELD GOAL WASHINGTON: Hopkins is good from 49 yards. Panthers 0 - Washington 17
The Panthers stop Washington short on 3rd down and they will attempt a 47-yard field goal.
The Panthers defense swarms Alex Smith and sacks him. Shaq Thompson with the play.
And Smith finds a wide open Paul Richardson on 3rd and 10 for a 19 yard gain. What is going on with this defense? It’s like they didn’t prepare.
Luke Kuechly stops Perine behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of two.
Smith finds Reed for a first down. Sigh.
Donte Jackson makes a nice pass breakup on 2nd down.
Beautiful play action slant to DJ Moore and... he fumbles it and Washington recovers. Sigh.
Cam finds Funchess for a big gain on first down. Panthers have the ball at their on 46-yard line.
Somehow the Panthers get a block in the back penalty on a fair catch, which sets them back 10 more yards.
And they get it! Smith’s pass to Reed falls incomplete.
It’s 3rd and 11. The Panthers need a stop here.
Washington with a big play that’s called back for holding.
LOL and of course Cam throws an interception to Josh Norman. You can’t make this stuff up.
Cam is taken down after a keeper and it’s now 3rd and 16. I hate this team sometimes.
END OF 1ST QUARTER: Panthers 0 - Washington 14
1st quarter
Cam fumbles after facing pressure but it’s recovered by Greg Van Roten.
Newton throws complete to Olsen for eight yards and another first down.
Newton throws a screen to Manhertz after a breakdown in protection and gains two yards.
Newton finds Devin Funchess for another first down.
Cam finds Greg Olsen for a 15-yard gain and a first down.
Samuel with a nice return but of course it’s ruined a holding penalty.
TOUCHDOWN WASHINGTON: As expected, the Panthers can’t stop them from scoring. The XP is good. Panthers 0 - Washington 14
The Panthers force Washington into a 3rd and goal situation, but I’m not confident that it matters much tbh.
Adrian Peterson has found the fountain of youth against our defense. He runs it to the 7 yard line and it’s first and goal for Washington.
You probably knew this already, but they can’t. Vernon Davis is wide open again and they pick up another huge gain.
The Panthers defense has Washington in 3rd and short again. Let’s see if they can stop them this time.
Washington goes for it on 4th and inches and they get it on an Alex Smith sneak.
Jordan Reed makes a nice grab on 3rd down but he’s just short of a first down. Captain Munnerlyn makes the tackle to hold him short.
Washington have good field position after a 40 yard punt is fair caught.
Aaand it’s 4th down. Palardy back out to punt again. Sigh.
Cam gets taken down after a fake to CMC and the Panthers are now facing 3rd and long. This could be going better.
Cam overthrows Chris Manhertz and it’s 2nd and 10.
Kickoff sails out of the end zone and the Panthers will start from the 25.
TOUCHDOWN WASHINGTON: Alex Smith finds Vernon Davis WIDE OPEN in the end zone for a 22-yard score. Comical defending there. The XP is good. Panthers 0 - Washington 7
DJ Moore fields the punt and then fumbles it. Washington recovers. Sigh.
Alex Smith throws incomplete to Kapri Bibbs and Washington will punt after a three-and-out.
Adrian Peterson carries on 2nd and 10 and picks up eight yards. 3rd and 2.
DJ Moore could have done better to down that at the one-yard line, but he did not.
Palardy’s punt bounces into the end zone and Washington will take over at the 20.
Michael Palardy is out to punt. Bummer.
Cam pitches to CMC out wide and he comes up just short of the 1st down. It’s 4th and 1.
CMC is cut down at the line of scrimmage. 3rd and 2 for the Panthers.
CMC picks up eight yards on 1st and 10 and the Panthers are in 2nd and short again.
Newton fakes an option pitch to CJ Anderson and picks up five yards and a first down.
McCaffrey takes the handoff and runs for nine yards. 2nd and 1.
The kickoff bounces into the endzone for a touchback.
The Panthers lose the coin toss and Washington defers. The Panthers offense will be up first.
The Panthers take on Washington today at 1 p.m. ET. Stay tuned for live updates throughout the game!
Pregame
The Panthers are 3-1 thanks to the mighty leg of Graham Gano, who nailed a 63-yard field goal to give the Panthers a win over the Giants last week. Now, the Panthers hit the road where they will try to win their third straight game and boost their record to 4-1 on the season. Standing in their way is Washington, who currently stand atop the NFC East with a 2-2 record.
Here’s all the information you need to follow the action as it happens live.
Game day information
What: Carolina Panthers at Washington
When: Sunday, October 14 at 1 p.m. ET
Where: FedEx Field (Landover, MD)
TV: FOX; Kenny Albert, Charles Davis (Coverage map)
Radio: Panthers radio (local); Mick Mixon, Jim Szoke, Eugene Robinson, Kevin Donnalley
Spanish Radio: Panthers radio (local); Jaime Moreno, Luis Moreno Jr
Weather: 62°/51° / Partly Cloudy / 4 mph S wind / 20% precip. (Complete forecast)
Miscellaneous information
Mobile app
You can download the official Panthers app to get live score updates during the game straight to your phone. Also, if you live in the NC/SC market you can listen to the live radio broadcast of every game with the app. You can find the Panthers app in your phone’s app store or you can download the app here.
Online Streaming
If you don’t live in the Panthers television market, you can stream all NFL preseason and regular season games on demand if you purchase NFL Game Pass. It’s a little pricey at $99, but it also includes access to All-22 film. If you’re just desperate to watch the Panthers game there is a 7-day free trial, but sign up at your own risk if you’re one of those people who forgets to cancel before the free trial is over.
*Note: You cannot watch regular season games live with this option. You have to wait until after the games are over before you can stream them. You can find more information here.
TV Replays
NFL Network will air condensed replays of a selected group of regular season games throughout the week. To see if/when the Panthers’ game will be replayed, you can check NFL Network’s television schedule for more information.
Roaring Riot Watch Parties
If you’re unable to watch the game via live tv or streaming, or if you prefer to watch in the company of fellow Panthers fans, check out the Roaring Riot to see if there is a watch party in your area. Membership is not required to get in the door, but if you’re interested in purchasing a membership you can find all the information you need here.
Uniforms
The Panthers will wear white uniforms for this game.
Odds
If you’re into that sort of thing, you can find info on NFL game odds by clicking here.
Stay tuned for a live update thread when the game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday!
Panthers next four opponents
Week 7: at Philadelphia Eagles; Sun, Oct 21, 1 p.m. ET
Week 8: vs Baltimore Ravens; Sun, Oct 28, 1 p.m. ET
Week 9: vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Sun, Nov 4, 1 p.m. ET
Week 10: at Pittsburgh Steelers; Thu, Nov 8, 8:20 p.m. ET