JEFF ALLEN GAME PREVIEW: CAROLINA at WASHINGTON
Tonight’s NFL Week 15 Monday Night Football offering features two teams fighting for their playoff lives and will
have huge playoff implications in the NFC. At 5-8, the defending NFC champion Carolina Panthers are on a
respirator and would need to win out and get tons of help to even get a sniff at a playoff spot. Washington cannot
win the NFC East but with Tampa Bay’s loss at Dallas last night, the door is wide open for a possible wild card
spot. In all likelihood, the 7-5-1 Redskins will need to win out to also secure a playoff spot.
The line opened at Washington -4.5 and was quickly bet to 6/6 1/2. The high/low opened at 51 and has been bet
down to 50. There are 7’s starting to show at some houses offshore and in Las Vegas so shopping is a must as
always. It will be football weather at Fed Ex field with temperatures in the low 30s and light winds for the 8:30 PM
EST kickoff on ESPN.
Last year’s Super Bowl losers have not fired all year. Turnovers, bad play and injuries had the team behind the
eightball by the end of September and the club has been unable to recover. Quarterback Cam Newton has come
nowhere close to duplicating last year’s MVP form. Last year’s league leading rush offense has dropped to 15th
(102 ypg) as injuries have decimated the offensive line throughout the year leaving no continuity. The Carolina
defense is still staunch against the run but has fallen off the map to No.32 and last versus the pass things in part
to stop corner Josh Norman defecting to Washington after being unable to come to terms on a contract extension.
Washington was not expected to do much this year but a big run during weeks 3-6 has put the Skins within striking
distance of going to the playoffs. Through a set highly beneficial circumstances for the player, QB Kirk Cousins was
paid and has earned (4045, 68%, 23-9) the extension he’ll certainly be given in the off season. Rob Kelly (587) and
Matt Jones (460) are versatile change up backs when healthy. TE Jordan Reed (640, 5 Tds) is one of the league’s
elite and Jamison Crowder has has a breakout year as the Skins top wideout. The defense, even with Josh Norman
playing shutdown corner is in the bottom third of every league defensive metric … No.24 against the run, No.22
against the pass and No.36 overall.
The Skins have won and covered four straight at home, they’re 3-1 as a home favorite. The key here is whether or
not Carolina comes to play as the Redskins are 6-1 when they hold opponents to 27 points or less. Carolina is just
1-5 on the road this year but have four straight in the series including a 44-16 in in Charlotte last year that saw
Washington turn the ball over five teams and generate just nine first downs. Jeff Allen’s off a 4-0 NFL Sunday and
looks to close the show on an unbeaten NFL week with an easy winner here. Get Jeff’s play on thus game at his
home site of www.vegascoresandodds.com