April 20, 2025 12:34 AM PDT
What a difference a year makes.At this time last autumn, the were 3-8-1. Today, they roam as the NFL's lone unbeaten jewel.Surging toward home-field advantage in the NFC, Carolina's storybook season is a league-wide reminder that blowing up the machine isn't always the answer. It was just a few years ago that every Ron Rivera pre s conference was a referendum Reggie Jackson Jersey on his job status. Today, Carolina's coach faces a more enviable question: Can his turn 12-0 into aperfect season?It's completely po sible with two games left against the flat-lining plus tilts vs. the and frisky Bucs. None of those teams are playing near the level of Carolina, a club with no obvious weakne s heading into Week 14.Barring an epic collapse, the are on track to salt away home-field advantage before Christmas. They can a sure themselves a first-round bye as early as Sunday with a win over Atlanta along with lo s or tie by the and .Can anyone derail Carolina's magic carpet ride? Let's take a look below.*This is our weekly look at the NFC playoff picture. The . We on Monday. *Cardinals coup d'tat?Arizona currently occupies the No. 2 seed and will clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie Stephen Piscotty Jersey against the on Thursday night. If they pull off the victory and Seattle falls to the , the are your NFC West champions.We don't see the uneven or as a threat to steal a first-round bye, not with the way Arizona is playing. Bruce Arians has done an outstanding job getting his players up for every game. Winners of six in a row, the Cards are Carolina's primary problem in the NFC.Arizona's offense scores points in waves, ripping through defenses with a weapons-rich attack on pace for the best offense in franchise history. Three games ahead of the , a division crown is certain barring an apocalypse in the desert.The have talked all season about not getting enough respect, so they won't like this one bit:The have the talent and composure to end Carolina's season and seal up 50. No team is more impre sive on tape, no matter how the seeding plays out.Surging Seahawks in spoiler mode?They won't win the West, but Seattle has the power to do major damage in January.Playing their best football all year, the (7-5) face a cakewalk schedule down the stretch with games against the , and before taking on a team that might rest their starters in the finale.If the season ended today, Seattle would wind up facing Green Bay in the wild card as the NFC's sixth seed. That would serve as a juicy rematch of last year's Liam Hendriks Jersey NFC title game, but this team would struggle to top today's version of the 'Hawks. is playing out of his mind, while rookie runner is operating as Beast Mode 2.0 for a team loaded with veteran talent and a flock of young stars-in-the-making.Don't discount Seattle's playoff experience, either. Coach Pete Carroll hasn't panicked during his team's ups and Glenn Hubbard Jersey downs -- and neither have his players. Like last year, this gang is peaking at the right time.The NFC East: A terrible aby sI won't waste your time on . There is no better argument for re-seeding the postseason than an NFC East horror show destined to give birth to a 7-9 -- or even 6-10 -- division winner. Gro s.Northern nobodies?The (8-4) would win the North and the (8-4) would make the party if the playoffs started today. Neither feel like a threat to reach the . Currently notched as the fifth seed, Minnesota's been blown out twice in the past three weeks and face remaining games against the , , and . fans complain about a lack of attention, but they can Chris Hatcher Jersey clam it: This team has injury i sues and holes all over the place.Minnesota's season-ending tilt with Green Bay is bound to decide this division unle s the -- the NFC's third seed -- pull ahead with games against the , and Cards.Cinderella in pewter?Outside of the Bucs, the rest of the NFC borders on garbage. Losing six of their last seven, the spiraling would need a miracle to make the playoffs with two games left against the . They also play the and , but this feels like an 8-8 team that just went about it in a weird way.Tampa is plenty of fun with at the helm. It's a shame if they're bumped in favor of some warmed-over NFC East corpse, but the Bucs have the chance to steal a wild-card spot if they can blow up the , , and . If Carolina rests players in Week 17, this schedule is a dream.
What a difference a year makes.At this time last autumn, the were 3-8-1. Today, they roam as the NFL's lone unbeaten jewel.Surging toward home-field advantage in the NFC, Carolina's storybook season is a league-wide reminder that blowing up the machine isn't always the answer. It was just a few years ago that every Ron Rivera pre s conference was a referendum Reggie Jackson Jersey on his job status. Today, Carolina's coach faces a more enviable question: Can his turn 12-0 into aperfect season?It's completely po sible with two games left against the flat-lining plus tilts vs. the and frisky Bucs. None of those teams are playing near the level of Carolina, a club with no obvious weakne s heading into Week 14.Barring an epic collapse, the are on track to salt away home-field advantage before Christmas. They can a sure themselves a first-round bye as early as Sunday with a win over Atlanta along with lo s or tie by the and .Can anyone derail Carolina's magic carpet ride? Let's take a look below.*This is our weekly look at the NFC playoff picture. The . We on Monday. *Cardinals coup d'tat?Arizona currently occupies the No. 2 seed and will clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie Stephen Piscotty Jersey against the on Thursday night. If they pull off the victory and Seattle falls to the , the are your NFC West champions.We don't see the uneven or as a threat to steal a first-round bye, not with the way Arizona is playing. Bruce Arians has done an outstanding job getting his players up for every game. Winners of six in a row, the Cards are Carolina's primary problem in the NFC.Arizona's offense scores points in waves, ripping through defenses with a weapons-rich attack on pace for the best offense in franchise history. Three games ahead of the , a division crown is certain barring an apocalypse in the desert.The have talked all season about not getting enough respect, so they won't like this one bit:The have the talent and composure to end Carolina's season and seal up 50. No team is more impre sive on tape, no matter how the seeding plays out.Surging Seahawks in spoiler mode?They won't win the West, but Seattle has the power to do major damage in January.Playing their best football all year, the (7-5) face a cakewalk schedule down the stretch with games against the , and before taking on a team that might rest their starters in the finale.If the season ended today, Seattle would wind up facing Green Bay in the wild card as the NFC's sixth seed. That would serve as a juicy rematch of last year's Liam Hendriks Jersey NFC title game, but this team would struggle to top today's version of the 'Hawks. is playing out of his mind, while rookie runner is operating as Beast Mode 2.0 for a team loaded with veteran talent and a flock of young stars-in-the-making.Don't discount Seattle's playoff experience, either. Coach Pete Carroll hasn't panicked during his team's ups and Glenn Hubbard Jersey downs -- and neither have his players. Like last year, this gang is peaking at the right time.The NFC East: A terrible aby sI won't waste your time on . There is no better argument for re-seeding the postseason than an NFC East horror show destined to give birth to a 7-9 -- or even 6-10 -- division winner. Gro s.Northern nobodies?The (8-4) would win the North and the (8-4) would make the party if the playoffs started today. Neither feel like a threat to reach the . Currently notched as the fifth seed, Minnesota's been blown out twice in the past three weeks and face remaining games against the , , and . fans complain about a lack of attention, but they can Chris Hatcher Jersey clam it: This team has injury i sues and holes all over the place.Minnesota's season-ending tilt with Green Bay is bound to decide this division unle s the -- the NFC's third seed -- pull ahead with games against the , and Cards.Cinderella in pewter?Outside of the Bucs, the rest of the NFC borders on garbage. Losing six of their last seven, the spiraling would need a miracle to make the playoffs with two games left against the . They also play the and , but this feels like an 8-8 team that just went about it in a weird way.Tampa is plenty of fun with at the helm. It's a shame if they're bumped in favor of some warmed-over NFC East corpse, but the Bucs have the chance to steal a wild-card spot if they can blow up the , , and . If Carolina rests players in Week 17, this schedule is a dream.