In Week 6, with the Washington Redskins hosting the Carolina Panthers, plenty of players were familiar with each other.
Former Redskins were playing for the Panthers. Former Panthers were playing for the Redskins. And plenty of Maryland Terrapins made storylines.
Josh Norman was playing against his former team for only the second time.
Graham Gano, who holds both the longest field goal record for both the Redskins and the Panthers, saw his former employer again.
Oh and four different Terps, with College Park less than 20 miles away, made key plays from beginning to end.
Five of the six players had a significant impact on the outcome of the game.
Norman had his biggest game in quite a while for the Redskins. A first-quarter interception off a tipped ball and a forced fumble paired with a recovery gave Norman two of the Redskins' three takeaways. In addition, the former All-Pro responded to the criticism that many were giving him this past week.
Last week Gano connected on an NFL record-tying 63-yard field goal as time expired against the Giants. This week he missed an extra-point to rapidly change the pace of the game in the second quarter. Familiar with the turf at FedEx Field Gano only got one more chance, making a 32-yarder.
Vernon Davis, a former tight end for Maryland, gave the Redskins their first touchdown of the afternoon. Afterward, he chose the wrong section of the crowd to go jumping into.
That touchdown was set up by one of two fumbles by D.J. Moore. The rookie did not have a good game coming back to his college home. Both of his fumbles led to 10 points for the Redskins.
Torrey Smith was the other Terps wide receiver on the Panthers roster. He made it in for six and a two-point conversion. Most of his production though came in a big fourth-quarter drive for Carolina.
Big days in what was sure to be an emotional one for all of the players involved.
MORE REDSKINS NEWS:
- What Went Down: Report explains Norman's benching
- Rejected: Vernon makes 'FedEx Leap' into Panthers' fans
- Skins-Panthers: Good, bad, and the ugly
- Redskins-Panthers: Best moments from the Skins win