NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 15

Previous: . carolina panthers. 1. team. 87. <p>Just when you think that the Carolina Panthers cannot impress any more than they already have, the team comes out and lays the lumber to divisional foe Atlanta. Not only did they beat the Falcons, no the Panthers effectively stole the Dirty Birds’ soul, rolled it up in a carpet and threw it off a bridge. After all, you’re not supposed to wax a divisional opponent, 38-0, especially not one who was thought to be your closest competition in the AFC South.</p> <p>Injuries, tough matchups, bad draws, none of it matters. The Panthers are the National Football League’s most balanced team, and at this point you might as well hand the MVP trophy to Cam Newton.</p> <p>Spinning forward, the Panthers’ final three games are against the Giants, the Falcons and Buccaneers, with the first two being on the road. If there’s a stumbling block, it’s probably the Giants. After all, this just feels like New York’s kinda scene. They back themselves into a corner, everyone counts them out, they pull off a miraculous upset and take a winnable division.</p> <p>But if we’re being logical and not writing Disney tales, all three games are winnable, and ones where Carolina will be favored. They are a realistic shot at running the regular-season table unscathed.</p>. (13-0)