This one shouldn't be difficult.
The Carolina Panthers are 14-1 and had won 18 consecutive games prior to their defeat at the hands of division rivals the Atlanta Falcons.
After beating a couple of weak opponents like the Jaguars, Texans, Saints, and Buccaneers early in the season, the Panthers would start to rack up wins over the major contenders, engineering a comeback victory over the Seahawks on the road, and staving off comeback efforts from both the Colts and Packers in consecutive home games.
The Panthers then put up three blowout performances, embarrassing the Titans, Redskins, and Cowboys in their next three matchups, two of the three coming on the road. The streak was threatened by the rival Saints in Week 13, but the Panthers escaped New Orleans with a 41-38 win.
It was after this game that the Panthers then started to tone down the "fun antics" that the team had in past games and started playing with a more serious demeanor. They responded to the change well, shutting out the Falcons 38-0 in Week 14.
Despite a heated battle between Panthers CB Josh Norman and Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. and a near 28-point comeback, the Panthers beat the Giants on the road 38-35 and kept the undefeated streak intact. Again the Panthers buckled down and coach Rivera had a talk with Norman about his demeanor.
The Panthers would head into Atlanta with 14 wins and a shutout win over these same Falcons two weeks ago already under their belt. The Panthers had already clinched a playoff spot, a division title, and a first-round bye at this point. All that was left to play for was an undefeated season and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Falcons were looking to end the undefeated season and (at the time) fight for a playoff spot. An inspiring performance from Falcons QB Matt Ryan and WR Julio Jones would be enough to upset the Panthers and put them at 14-1 heading into the season finale.
It should be no question that the Panthers are a favorite to make the Super Bowl for the first time since taking Tom Brady and the New England Patriots to the wire in 2004. Back then, Steve Smith and Julius Peppers were still Panthers, and quarterback Jake Delhomme was the inspirational story of the year. But there are still many questions to answer in this team's march to January.
As head coach, Ron Rivera said, winning hides a team's flaws. Because the Panthers were undefeated through this past Sunday, no one was talking about the problems present on the team.
The team's No. 1 wide receiver, second-year talent Kelvin Benjamin, was lost before the season even began with a torn ACL. That fact alone put doubts in many, as this left quarterback Cam Newton the likes of Jerricho Cotchery, Ted Ginn Jr., and rookie Devin Funchess to throw to for the season. After running back Jonathan Stewart went down with injury, the team was left with Fozzy Whittaker and Cameron Artis-Payne at the running back position. Save for a few stars, the secondary is still very suspect. After the loss of Bene Benwikere for the season, the team has had to rotate injured Charles Tillman and unretired Cortland Finnegan at the second cornerback position opposite Josh Norman.
Newton has played like the MVP, and it would be a shock to many if he didn't finish this season with that title. Even with Stewart's injury, Newton's legs have provided a second dimension to his developing passing game. Newton is actually 30th in the league in rushing yards as a quarterback and averages over 41 yards a game on the ground. Despite not having the flashiest numbers through the air, he has led the Panthers to the best record in the league thus far.
Running back Jonathan Stewart answered the questions about him, currently seventh in the league with 989 rushing yards despite missing two games due to injury. The offensive line has turned into one of the league's best, headlined by veteran center Ryan Kalil. Greg Olsen continues to be a top five tight end in the league. Even fullback Mike Tolbert continues to be a big part of the team in a league where fullbacks are rarely utilized anymore.
The wide receivers have stepped up to the scrutiny about them, as Ted Ginn Jr. has filled in admirably as the team's #1 option. Even receivers like Devin Funchess and Corey Brown have played serviceable roles and have answered the call when they're needed.
The defensive line, led by veteran Charles Johnson, has continued to hold down the fort when the offense is struggling. The evolution of Kawann Short and Kony Ealy into top tier defenders has bolstered the defensive attack. Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis continue to be the best 1-2 linebacker combo in the league. Even with this stout defense as a solid unit already, the secondary got an enormous boost with the breakout season of cornerback Josh Norman. The fourth-year player has dueled with the likes of Julio Jones (twice), Allen Robinson, T.Y. Hilton, Dez Bryant, DeAndre Hopkins and Odell Beckham Jr., and has more than kept them all in check.
This team has the making of a Super Bowl contender all around and have few holes in their makeup. With an MVP-caliber quarterback and a Super Bowl-caliber defense, a championship is not far out of reach for the Panthers.
