Washington Redskins vs. Carolina Panthers: Spread Info, Line and Predictions

The Washington Redskins benched Rex Grossman after an embarrassing four-interception outing, and they will try to knock off a promising young Carolina Panthers team on the road with John Beck.

Cam Newton threw three interceptions of his own and had no touchdown passes in last week's game against the Falcons, but even as a rookie, he has the resolve to bounce back this week.

Newton is the best quarterback involved in this game, and while the Redskins have the defensive edge, Beck in a shootout with Newton will draw a losing result for the Redskins.

Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

When: Sunday, Oct. 23, at 1:00 p.m. ET

Watch: FOX

Spread: Carolina (-3)

Take the Panthers. The Redskins are obviously going to draw a ton of play here, but avoid the temptation to go with the Redskins just because they got off to a hot start. The team is imploding and the fact that the Panthers are at home makes the Redskins far too risky to have faith in.

Over/Under: 43

Go with the under. The Redskins average under 20 points a game, and the Panthers aren't going to score at will. The Redskins have had trouble establishing their ground game, and if the Redskins defense shows up at all, the under is bound to hit.

Washington Redskins Injuries

Byron Westbrook, CB, (hamstring) out.
Trent Williams, T, (ankle) out.
Chris Cooley, TE, (finger) out
Oshiomogho Atogwe, S, (knee) questionable.
Phillip Buchanon, CB, (neck) questionable.
Anthony Armstrong, WR, (hamstring) probable.
Tim Hightower, RB, (shoulder) probable.
DeAngelo Hall, CB, (toe) probable.

Carolina Panthers Injuries

Omar Gaither, LB, (knee) doubtful.
Jordan Pugh, S, (head) doubtful.
Jeremy Shockey, TE, (personal) probable.
Greg Olsen, TE, (toe) probable.
Thomas Williams, LB, (head) probable.

Follow the link for a full NFL.com injury report.

Fantasy Big Plays

Steve Smith: While Steve Smith's production has fallen off in recent weeks, he's still a viable fantasy option. As Cam Newton bounces back, we can expect Smith to return to the dominant receiver he was at the beginning of the season.

While he may never accrue 150 yards in a game again this season, he's certainly worth a start this week.

Fred Davis: With John Beck entering the lineup, having a dependable tight end like Fred Davis on the field is going to be instrumental in his development. Davis had 95 yards last week; with the run game struggling as it is, you can expect Davis to be targeted early and often in this matchup.

Cam Newton: It's not time to hit the panic button yet. Cam Newton isn't throwing for over 400 YPG anymore, but he's not worthless by any means. He's got the raw ability to take over football games, and a dud for a game last week has to be expected from the rookie every once in a while. The last thing you want to happen is to watch him torch the Redskins—which is a possible if not likely scenario—after prematurely benching him.

Keys to Redskins Win

Get the ground game going early. Every running back on the roster is hit or miss, but the Redskins can't abandon the run game just because it isn't working. Forcing Beck to take it upon himself to win this football game will result in a sure failure.

Contain Cam Newton. While nobody expects the Redskins to duplicate what the Falcons did to Newton last week, they need to make him uncomfortable. Brian Orakpo and the Redskins defense have to force him to stay in the pocket. A big day from Newton is semi-acceptable. If he produces a monster day, the Redskins have no chance.

Keys to Panthers Win

Attack John Beck. With Trent Williams out, this becomes much easier. Charles Johnson has an opportunity to add to his already-impressive five sacks, and a rattled Beck gives the Redskins no shot at victory.

Be aggressive with Cam Newton. In two of his first three games, Newton had 46 attempts. He produced 432 yards in one of those games and 374 in the other. Newton had an off-game, but there is no reason to put a governor on the offense.

Prediction

Panthers 20, Redskins 16.