Carolina Panthers schedule: 3 Best, 3 worst parts of the 2020 slate
By Zach Wilson
No. 2 Best: Week 16 – at Washington Redskins
As much as this may be the easiest game on the Panthers’ schedule, Carolina fans have ulterior motives for their excitement towards this game. Ron Rivera spent nine seasons as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers and made the playoffs in four of those. After a trip to the Super Bowl in 2016, Rivera’s Panthers didn’t make a ton of impact in the league, leading to his eventual firing.
Of course, on New Year’s Day of 2020, Rivera was hired as the head coach of the Washington Redskins, another team in the midst of a rebuild.
This game won’t feature two powerhouses fighting for the last Wild Card spot or two teams who are atop their divisions. Instead, it should highlight two teams near the bottom of the NFC.
Now, I do want to highlight that Rivera, as much as he irritated Panther fans with his consistent reservation defensively or drive to simply hold leads rather than extend them, he should still receive a warm reception by Panther fans. However, with the first meeting taking place in Washington, the Carolina faithful will have to wait.
This should be one of the few games where betting lines favor Carolina and it should also be fun to hopefully watch the Panthers take down their long-time coach. This will be the first sighting ever of Ron Rivera vs. the Carolina Panthers and it takes place in Rivera’s first season away.