Carolina Panthers

[J.J.]

Wow what a great team. Clearly the best team in the NFC hands down, only reason I've got them ahead of Seattle is because of the loss to Carolina earlier in the season.

Key players; Thomas Davis, Luke Kuechly, Kawann Short, Josh Norman, Greg Olsen and Cam Newton.

Honorable Mention: Kurt Coleman, Jonathan Stewart, Ted Ginn, Kony Ealy, Graham Gano, Star Lotulelei and Joe Webb.

Clearly Cam is well on his way to being the NFL MVP this season. Mind you this team is playing without #1 WR Kelvin Benjamin who has been out all season with a torn ACL. Ted Ginn who I personally thought was the biggest Ohio State bust in a long time has played the best football of his career after going from a WR down the depth chart to the team's #1 WR. Mike Shula(offensive coordinator) has done a great job with building an offense to Cam's strengths.

 

[Khalifa]

I really though Falcons were gonna pull something crazy the other night and get back some of their early season form. However I should have known better. The Panthers are monsters and I think should easily be favourites for the Superbowl. Defensively they just do work for the whole game and offensively you got Newton just shutting people up with how well he is going. I mean 8 touchdowns to 1 Intercept in the last 2 weeks should say enough alone. 10 intercepts for the season but 28 touchdowns. Love the way they play and I can only see Patriots (how healthy are they going to be though) and call me crazy but Bengals having the slightest of chances to beat them. None the less it is awesome to watch history be written as we speak (or this season haha).

 

[NSL]

call me crazy but Bengals having the slightest of chances to beat them. None the less it is awesome to watch history be written as we speak (or this season haha).

With no Dalton, and potentially no Eifert, the Bengals are all but done. They'll make the playoffs, but I don't see them beating anyone. The AFC is too strong right now. They will build though, and be back next year.

This year is the Panthers year, and it hurts me to say that. But, they're doing all the important things. They're not making mistakes, they protect the ball, they run the ball, they force turnovers, and all three sides of the ball have been top notch. Newton is definitely an MVP Candidate, but I worry he won't win because of the mystique around him. It would be nice to see him as a finalist at least.

Kuechly is a monster, and I'm looking forward to seeing a long healthy career out of him.

 

[J.J.]

Matching up against Seattle if the paths cross again would be a concern to me. They're a much better team than the first time they played Carolina. On any other team around the league Ted Ginn woukd be a #3 so him against Richard Sherman is a problem of it's own. Watch out for Philly Brown for the Panthers I think he is due for a breakout game. He had great catches in coverage on Sunday.

Falcons, I'm surprised by their fall too. They have to get more pieces in the offense involved. Regardless of if people want to admit it, they miss Tony Gonzalez - his presence on the field made defenses respect him which left Roddy White in singles or open. White's productivity has crumbled since Gonzo retired.