Best NFL games of Week 13: Wentz, Eagles face off in Seattle

3. Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints

We expected the Falcons to be atop of the NFC South at this point of the season but it’s been an up and down year for Dann Quinn’s side. Instead, we have the Panthers and Saints, both 8-3 and fighting for the division crown with just five games left to play. There are major implications for this game and it’ll be one of the best late afternoon matchups you’ll watch this season. I can bet my money that this won’t disappoint.

When you look at the Panthers, they don’t come off as an exciting team but they continue to win games. They’ve strung together four straight and are quietly one of the better teams in a strong NFC this season. The defense is starting to come alive and the offense has held strong even with the loss of key offensive weapons. Greg Olsen’s return is still iffy but Christian McCaffrey is coming into his own and Devin Funchess has thrived with a bigger workload. All things revolve around Cam Newton under center and the former MVP can lead this team to a deep postseason run.

The Saints finally hit a roadblock last week against the Rams and ended their eight-game winning streak. It’s been an incredible run this season and it’s far from over. It’s never easy to play on the West Coast, especially with how well the Rams have played this season. The Saints are still very much in the postseason race and they’d rather come back to reality with a loss now then later on in the playoffs.

I’m excited to see how the Panthers defense matches up with Drew Brees and the offense. The Rams them to just 20 points and only ten in the first half last week. Slowing down the young weapons in Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara isn’t easy but if you can, the Saints are a normal team.

The winner of this game takes sole control of the NFC on their way to a potential first-round bye in the playoffs.