Landover, MD (My Sportsbook) - Jason Campbell threw a 66-yard touchdown pass to Chris Cooley for the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter, as the Washington Redskins posted a 17-13 victory over the Carolina Panthers at FedEx Field.

Campbell notched his first NFL victory in his second career start, throwing for 118 yards and two scores with an interception on 11-of-23 passing. Ladell Betts ran for 104 yards on 24 carries for the Redskins (4-7), who snapped a two-game losing streak and won for only the second time in their last seven games.

"We really needed this," said Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs. "It is a real morale booster for all our guys. It's really a tribute to them, and the fact that, after everything we've been through it was a tribute to their character. I feel like today was our style of football, and it was good to get back to that."

Jake Delhomme completed 23-of-38 passes for just 168 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for Carolina (6-5), which had a two-game winning streak stopped.

The Panthers fell one game behind New Orleans for first place in the NFC South, as the Saints beat Atlanta on Sunday.

"I talked to the team all week about it," Carolina head coach John Fox said about not overlooking the Redskins. "They beat a Jacksonville team here that's a good football team and they beat a Dallas team here that's a good football team. They're capable, and we obviously didn't play well enough to win today."

Carolina took a 13-10 lead midway through the fourth quarter on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Delhomme to Steve Smith, and Richard Marshall picked off a deep pass by Campbell on the first play after the ensuing kickoff.

But the Washington defense forced a three-and-out and the Redskins got the ball back at their own 20 with 5:51 remaining.

Campbell needed four plays to put his team back in front. After two Betts carries and an incomplete pass, Cooley caught a short pass, broke a tackle and raced 66 yards to the end zone for the go-ahead score.

"That was a huge play in the game," Fox added. "They probably got about one- third of their offense on one play. We had people in good coverage, but we missed a couple of tackles and he went the distance."

The Panthers failed on two chances with the ball in the final minutes. They quickly moved into Washington territory with their first series after the score, but came up short on 4th-and-6 from the 33-yard line when Sean Taylor tackled Drew Carter two yards shy of a first down. After a punt, Delhomme was picked off by Taylor in the final minute to seal the contest.

After a lackluster first half that had Carolina ahead 6-3, neither team managed much offense in the third quarter until the Redskins caught a break when a Panthers punt went just 11 yards to give Washington a first down at the Carolina 36.

Campbell took advantage of the short field and directed a seven-play drive for the game's first touchdown. T.J. Duckett keyed the series with a 19-yard run and Campbell finished it with a four-yard touchdown pass to Antwaan Randle El to give Washington a 10-6 lead in the closing seconds of the third quarter.

The Panthers, who had just 16 yards and no first downs in the third period, answered with a 74-yard drive that ate up more than seven minutes for the go- ahead score.

Carolina had only one play of more than nine yards on the 15-play series and converted four third downs. The last came on an eight-yard touchdown reception by Smith, who made a leaping catch in the back of the end zone and the video review upheld the call to give the Panthers a 13-10 edge with 7:55 to play in the fourth quarter.

Smith managed only five catches for 34 yards. The Panthers played without running back DeShaun Foster, who sat with an elbow injury. Rookie DeAngelo Williams ran for 63 yards on 17 carries in his place.

"For us to be able to hold [Smith] down -- he's ruined some people in this league -- I felt like our defensive guys did a great job there," Gibbs added.

Carolina struck first on a 42-yard field goal by John Kasay, as a 28-yard run by Williams ignited a nine-play drive that stalled at the Washington 24.

After a trio of three and outs to start the game, including one that followed an interception of Delhomme, the Redskins followed the field goal with their first sustained drive. However, Nick Novak's 37-yard field goal try hooked left in the first minute of the second quarter.

The defensive struggle continued as neither offense picked up a first down again until Washington mounted a drive from its own 45 and Duckett converted 3rd-and-1 with a two-yard run midway through the quarter. The Redskins moved close enough for a 42-yard field goal from Novak, tying the game with 4:35 to play in the first half.

Washington's next series ended in a punt and it appeared to be deflected, as the ball traveled just two yards to give Carolina possession at the Washington 44 with 13 seconds left before the intermission.

Two quick plays put Kasay in range and he drilled a 51-yard field goal for a 6-3 Carolina edge at the break.

Game Notes

Betts notched his second 100-yard game of the season...The teams combined for nine punts in the first half...Keyshawn Johnson had six catches for Carolina and needs three to reach 800 for his career...Washington improved to 7-1 all- time against Carolina, but Gibbs notched his first victory against the Panthers...Seven of the eight games in the series have been decided by four points or less.