There are plenty of exciting games on tap in Week 13. There are three different games that feature two teams currently in playoff position, and three more between teams that are each within a game of a playoff spot. The battle between Carolina and Washington is not one of those games.

The Panthers are now just 5-6 after last week's loss to the Saints ran their losing streak to three in a row. The Saints clinched an NFC South title with Thursday's victory over the Falcons, so Carolina's only path to the playoffs is via the wild card, and even that would likely require them to both win out and get a whole lot of help. 

Washington is technically still alive in the playoff race at 2-9 because the Cowboys and Eagles can't find a way to win games. But with an offense that can't move down the field and a defense that can't seem to stop anybody, it's likely they'll be eliminated over the next two weeks. 

A lack of playoff implications doesn't quite make the game meaningless, though. We still get a chance to evaluate Kyle Allen and Dwayne Haskins. We still get to see Christian McCaffrey try to run wild and end up with the most total yards in the history of the NFL. Before we break down Sunday's game, here's how you can follow the action in real time. 

How to watch

Date: Sunday, Dec. 1 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC)
TV: CBS | Stream: CBS All Access
Follow: CBS Sports App

Preview

It's difficult to imagine Washington finding a way to stop Christian McCaffrey in this game. 

CMC leads the NFL in touches, total yards, and total touchdowns, as well as rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. The only games where he has failed to reach 100 total yards are the two games the Panthers played against the Buccaneers, who have had the best run defense in the NFL for most of the year. Given Washington's struggles against the run, the Panthers figure to lean heavily on McCaffrey, who has paid off their faith time and again throughout the season. 

On the outside, D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel have strong matchups against a Washington secondary that has been easily burnable outside of Quinton Dunbar. Greg Olsen seems well set up for success as well, given that Washington ranks 31st in DVOA on throws to tight ends. Kyle Allen has predictably struggled under pressure, though, so if the Washington defense can win the battle at the line of scrimmage they could force him into some turnovers and give their offense short fields to work with. 

In Dwayne Haskins' three starts, Washington has scored just 45 combined points, a pretty strong indication that he is not necessarily prepared for life as an NFL starter. Haskins has completed just 54.6 percent of his passes at an average of only 6.1 yards per attempt, and it seems wildly unlikely he'll find success against what has been one of the better pass defenses in the NFL for much of the season. That's especially true given that James Bradberry will likely shadow Terry McLaurin, forcing Haskins into using his secondary and tertiary targets, with whom he is far less comfortable. 

The Carolina run defense has been below-average for much of the year and has yielded 100 or more yards in all but two games this season. Washington interim coach Bill Callahan has displayed a clear preference for basing his offense around the run game, and he's now got Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice both healthy. That didn't necessarily help all that much against the Lions last week, though, and it seems likely that they'll have to stake themselves to a quick lead in this game in order to continue pounding the run. Given their struggles moving the ball with Haskins under center, that seems somewhat unlikely.

Prediction 

Coming off a strong offensive performance against an excellent New Orleans defense, the Panthers could hardly be better set up for success against a Washington team that struggles against both the run and the pass. Christian McCaffrey should run wild against a squad that ranks 21st in DVOA against both the run and the pass, as well as 30th in DVOA against short passes. Kyle Allen should also be able to pick up Washington's non-Quinton Dunbar corners, who have been among the friendliest to opposing receivers in the NFL. 

Dwayne Haskins has yet to show he can be trusted to move his offense down the field, and his No. 1 wideout, Terry McLaurin, is likely to see shadow coverage from excellent Panthers corner James Bradberry. Washington would prefer to lean on the run game to move the ball, but has been held to just 140 rushing yards combined in the past two weeks. Carolina has been far more effective against the pass than the run but with Washington's defense unlikely to get stops of its own, that may not matter in this one.

Pick: Carolina 29, Washington 13