NFL Power Rankings Week 9: Philadelphia Eagles make a statement vs JAX

7. Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers are one of the best teams in the NFL, and arguably the hardest team in the entire league to prepare for week after week.

With a linebacker-sized quarterback lined up under center and a recently revamped offensive scheme thanks to new offensive coordinator Norv Turner, very few teams are capable of getting quality reps in during the week before a trip to Carolina, and even fewer have the proper personnel to neutralize arguably the most unusual offensive threats in the entire league.

No wonder the Panthers have had a winning record in three of the last five season?

And pretty soon, that record could rise to four of six thanks to the legitimate MVP-level contributions performances of the man, the myth, the legend Cam Newton.

Now capable of beating people with both his arms and legs, Cam has arguably the best collection of weapons of his career this year with the surprisingly effective crew lead by Devin Funchess, Christian McCaffrey, and our old friend Torrey Smith, with a defense capable of closing out close games in commanding fashion. If they can continue to keep the momentum going and weather a pair of late-season bouts against the New Orleans Saints, there may not be a team in the entire nation who can take down the Panthers.