Look Around the League
Week 13 is here and the NFL is all about the playoffs as teams are scrambling to make the elite group of the top teams in the league. They realize that they have to win now if they have any chance of winning the Super Bowl.
The Carolina Panthers are already in the playoffs as they have yet to lose a game on the season. They are also the front runners to get home field advantage in the NFC. If anyone wants to beat the Panthers they have to do it in Charlotte. This week the Panthers play the New Orleans Saints, who do not have a shot at the playoffs. The Saints are listed as a seven point underdog at home. The Saints have never been an underdog of a touchdown or more in the Drew Brees era.
The Arizona Cardinals are chasing the Panthers for home field advantage and they are also road favorites in division play this weekend. They face the St. Louis Rams who are in a must win situation if they have any hopes of making the playoffs. The most likely scenario is that the Rams are playing spoilers for the rest of the season.
In the AFC there is a three-way race for the top spot. The New England Patriots hold a slim one game lead over the Denver Broncos and the Cincinnati Bengals in the standings. The Patriots host the Philadelphia Eagles at home and are (-9) point favorites, despite suffering plenty of injuries. The Bengals travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns and the Broncos will head to San Diego to take on the Chargers.
This is the week that upsets can really change the playoff picture as teams fade away and look forward to the NFL draft, while the contenders focus on a run to the championship!
