NFL Power Rankings: Philadelphia Eagles keep hope alive in Week 13

17. Carolina Panthers

Boy, what’s happened to the Carolina Panthers?

After breezing through the first few months of the 2018 season, Ron Rivera‘s squad has skidded to a complete stop in the month of November, droppings three straight games to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Detroit Lions, and the Seattle Seahawks.

Once, the Panthers looked like a sure-fire playoff team, but now, they may not even make the postseason with their division essentially a foregone conclusion thanks to the New Orleans Saints dominant string of blowout wins.

Sure, the Panthers are still sitting very much within postseason striking distance at 6-5, but after losing three straight, can anyone really expect them to bounce back with upcoming games against the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, and the Saints again still on the schedule?

Fast forward one month, and the Panthers could very well be 7-8 with the postseason out of reach.

But at the same time, they could also be 9-6 going into a Week 17 bout against the Saints with serious playoff implications on the line.

Will Cam Newton finally develop into a true dual-threat quarterback capable of doing some serious damage both in the pocket and on a scramble? Will the Panthers’ defense be able to hold it down and return to their previous postseason form? Only time will tell, but you can never really know what to expect when the Panthers take the field for any given game.

The New York Giants even gave them a game back in Week 4.