The NFL season is now into Week 11 and as playoff races and divisions start taking shape, some teams will be in better position than others to make a postseason push and right now one of the top teams by situation is the Carolina Panthers, as Cam Newton has the team in striking distance of the division and a wild card spot after defeating the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
The Panthers have now won five straight games and are 6-3 and firmly planted in the number five spot in the conference for the first wild card spot and this hot stretch has also put the team right where they want to be with the Saints leading the NFC south. The Panthers still have two games against the Saints and on top of that, New Orleans is the team with all the pressure after starting off undefeated and dropping a couple games. The Detroit Lions are now leaders of the NFC North over the Chicago bears and the Green Bay Packers, while the Arizona Cardinals are in a great spot to at least make a playoff run, as they are 5-4 and right behind the 49ers for the sixth spot and the teams will play again this season at the end of the year and that could be a huge game.
The Detroit Lions are now looking like a solid playoff contender out of the NFC North after defeating the Chicago Bears for the second time this season and with the Green Bay Packers banged up, Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and company could be the strongest team left and they had another solid performance on Sunday. The Lions now have a leg up over the Bears after beating them twice and they will get another chance against Green Bay on Thanksgiving and the team is sitting pretty atop the division at 6-3 on the year.
The Chicago Bears and Packers are close in the division and there still are a number of matchups left that could dictate how things go, including on Thanksgiving and later in the season. The Cardinals have not looked great week in and week out, but they are in the hunt and with games against the Rams, Seahawks and 49ers still coming, they can play a factor in the division race depending on how things shake out.
The Carolina Panthers right now have the look of one of the hottest teams in football with five wins in a row and now they have a signature home victory to add to things as well. The Panthers defense has been dominant with Greg Hardy and Luke Kuechly and the team is ranked in the top five in both passing yards and rushing yards allowed per game and the defense has been one reason why the team has played so well. The last loss was against the Cardinals and now that doesn't look so bad and the team will play the Saints twice in three weeks coming up soon, meaning there is a chance that they could get closer in the division race as the season comes to a close.