Written by Matt Clapp at Bloguin
1. New England Patriots (10-0; Last Week- No. 1)
For the second straight week, the Patriots were challenged, but still found a way to get the win.
The Pats certainly look beatable, but with just six games remaining, their 16-0 chances still look decent. And those chances will look much better if New England can beat the 8-2 Broncos on Sunday night in Denver.
2. Carolina Panthers (10-0; Last Week- No. 2)
Every week you wonder if the Panthers have peaked, and every week they seem to only look better.
Cam Newton has been fantastic. Five touchdown passes — and no interceptions — on Sunday gives him 20 on the season, and he also has six touchdowns on the ground.
3. Arizona Cardinals (8-2; Last Week- No. 3)
Two impressive wins in a row over good teams on Sunday Night Football as part of a four-game winning streak. Carson Palmer finds himself in the thick of the MVP conversation.
Looking ahead on the schedule, the Cardinals host the Packers in Week 16, in what could be for the No. 2 NFC seed and a first-round bye.
4. Cincinnati Bengals (8-2; Last Week- No. 4)
If we eliminated the third quarter, the Bengals would’ve had a 31-13 win over the Cardinals, instead of a 34-31 loss.
The Bengals now have two favorable games on paper (vs St. Louis and at Cleveland) before what is shaping up to be a pivotal game against the Steelers in Week 14.
5. Denver Broncos (8-2; Last Week- No. 6)
The Broncos don’t win that game in Chicago with 2015 Peyton Manning playing. Brock Osweiler wasn’t quite as stellar as his numbers in the box score would say, but he was efficient, and that’s all the Broncos are going to need out of their quarterback most of the time given their elite defense.
Now, to beat the Patriots, Osweiler and the Denver offense are likely going to need to make some big plays.
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