NFL Power Rankings: Entering Divisional Round of Playoffs
By Staff
87. <p>The Carolina Panthers find themselves in a bit of a precarious place right now. Carrying the National Football League’s best overall record into the playoffs is both a blessing and a curse.</p> <p>On the high side: they have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Teams recognize how balanced the Panthers are, giving Carolina a bit of a mental advantage.</p> <p>On the downside: should Carolina fall on Wildcard Weekend people who have doubted them all year will toss out the fraud card. They’ll be labeled as Paper Panthers, and all 15 wins from this past season will be poo-pooed by the haters of the world.</p> <p>Setting all of those mental gymnastics aside, this is still a king squad in what is, by far, the superior conference in the NFL. Cam Newton should be the league’s MVP and Luke Kuechly is the best linebacker in football. It’s been absolutely fascinating watching the Panthers overcome adversity throughout the season – Kelvin Benjamin going down in the preseason, Kuechly being out for the early portion of the year – and playing so soundly.</p> <p>The key is with the ground game. Jonathan Stewart should be back for Wildcard Weekend, and Cam can shake and bake with the best of them. The conference is stacked, but all roads run through Charlotte.</p>. (15-1). Previous: . carolina panthers. 1. team