LANDOVER, Md. _ In the highly anticipated face-off between Cam Newton's Carolina Panthers offense and former Carolina star corner Josh Norman and Washington, Newton finished on top.
Newton threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-15 victory over Washington on Monday night.
With the score tied at 3, Newton took a hit on a sore shoulder that irked him all week. But on the following series, Newton shined. He marched Carolina downfield and capped the eight-play, 84-yard drive with a 30-yard touchdown to a wide-open Ted Ginn Jr. _ right in front of Norman _ a putting the Panthers up 10-3 at the end of the first quarter.
After veteran safety Kurt Coleman picked off Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins on a seam pass and returned it 37 yards to end the first quarter, Carolina drove for a 23-yard field goal that made it 13-3.
It was Coleman's second interception in as many weeks and his 11th as a Panther.
Washington made it 13-9 with a 5-yard touchdown punch-in by Robert Kelly. The extra point was no good.
The Panthers couldn't have started the second half any better.
Wes Horton strip-sacked Cousins and recovered the fumble on the first play of the third quarter, and Carolina got the ball back on the one. A 1-yard play-action pass by Newton to fullback Mike Tolbert earned a touchdown after a Tolbert stretch, and the Panthers led 20-9.
Gano, who finished four of five on field goals, knocked in a 23-yard field goal late in the third quarter to improve the Panthers' lead to 23-9.
Dustin Hopkins kicked a 26-yard field goal to bring Washington within 11 points.
Then Gano's lone miss, a 38-yarder that was wide left with 5:37 left to play, allowed Washington to cut the lead to eight after getting held eight on a 34-yard field goal with 3:44 to play.
But when it came time for Gano to put the game away, he did. With 1:07 left to play, he hit a 41-yard field goal to bump the Panthers up 26-15.
