The Carolina Panthers are the NFL’s lone unbeaten team. Can they win their final five games in order to become only the second team in NFL history to finish a regular season 16-0? Here’s a look at what lies ahead for Cam Newton and Co.
Week 13 at New Orleans: The Panthers will be rolling on extra rest for a road game against a defeated Saints squad that has lost three in a row and ranks dead last in football in terms of points allowed. Carolina beat the Saints earlier this year and blasted them 41-10 at the Superdome last December, which explains why Ron Rivera’s boys are a seven-point road favorite. Prediction: Panthers 31, Saints 24
Week 14 vs. Atlanta: The Falcons have lost four straight and five of six after a 5-0 start and were crushed by Carolina 34-3 in last season’s finale. At home, Carolina should roll. Prediction: Panthers 27, Falcons 18
Week 15 at New York Giants: New York is 5-6 and has lost three of its last four games, but the G-Men have actually been really good at home this year. They were riding a three-game winning streak at MetLife Stadium before nearly beating the perfect-to-that-point Patriots in Week 10. This should be close. Prediction: Giants 24, Panthers 23
Week 16 at Atlanta: That 34-3 Carolina victory last December came in Atlanta. No reason to think they won’t sweep the Falcons again in 2015. Prediction: Panthers 24, Falcons 20
Week 17 vs. Tampa Bay: If the Panthers are 15-0 and the Buccaneers have nothing to play for, this is probably a no-brainer. Carolina killed Tampa on the road earlier this year. But if the Bucs are trying to get into the playoffs and Carolina has already clinched everything, you never know what might happen in a divisional game like this. Prediction: Panthers 27, Bucs 17
As you can see, I think it’ll come down to the Giants game, which might be close to a toss-up. The good news is that while New York has the ability to go toe-to-toe with Carolina at home, the Giants have become very good at beating themselves. That helps. They could also lose either of those NFC South road games or the finale against Tampa but should roll at home against Atlanta. It won’t be easy, but I’d say they have at least a 30 percent chance of pulling it off.
Of course, even if that happens, the Patriots can attest that the playoffs are a different animal.
