New York Giants running back Odell Beckham Jr. will lead a defense that has been criticized for allowing too many big plays, but there’s no denying the Panthers have a strong chance to win the NFC South.
It won’t be easy, but the Panthers could turn things around with a winning record, and a Super Bowl championship.
The Panthers are in good position to win a division title.
The Panthers are 5-0 since beating the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
They’ve won four of the last five games against the NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles, who are 0-5.
They are 3-0 against NFC West foes, beating the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos.
The New York Jets, meanwhile, have been on a roll since losing to the Arizona Cardinals, winning four of their last five.
New York has the NFL’s third-best defense, allowing just 38.6 points per game.
The Jets are averaging just 17.4 points per contest and allowing an average of 39.4 per contest.
The Bills have been one of the league’s better teams in that span, averaging 27.3 points per outing.
New York has won seven of its last eight games against division foes, including a win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
They also beat the Denver Broncos last week.
The Buffalo Bills are 5.5-point favorites to win their division and have the league leader in passing yards (4,724) and yards per game (31.6).
The Jets have the NFL lead in total offense (7,527 yards) and have scored 27 or more points in four of five games.
The defense is tied for fourth in points allowed (20.4), and the Bills have allowed an average under 24 points per week.
The Dolphins have the NFC’s fourth-worst scoring defense, giving up an average in the bottom half of the NFL at 23.8 points per matchup.
The AFC East is looking like a pretty tough one to win.
Miami is 5-1 against the AFC West, winning two of its past three.
The Patriots are 2-4 against the Patriots and have allowed 20 or more touchdowns in three of their past four.
The Baltimore Ravens are 2/4 favorites to defeat the AFC North’s No. 1 seed.
The Buffalo Bills could be the biggest underdog of all, but a win on Sunday could be enough to take them to the postseason.
The NFC North is looking tough.
The Dallas Cowboys are 4-1, winning six of their first seven games, and are averaging 37.8 yards per outing in that stretch.
They have scored 30 or more total points in each of their four games.
New Orleans is 4-3 in its last five, winning the past two matchups against the Eagles and Broncos.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford will be under pressure against the Bills defense.
Philadelphia is allowing an NFL-low 3.6 yards per attempt, while the Bills are allowing 3.4.
Bradford has completed just 39.6 percent of his passes this season.
Bradford’s passer rating is 106.8, which is second in the league.
Bradford is just 7-of-13 for 96 yards and a touchdown in the last two games against Buffalo.
Buffalo is a solid defensive team.
The Giants have allowed just 24.6 per game through three games, but have scored a league-high 14.4 yards per drive.
The Eagles are 2.4-point underdogs against Buffalo, but are allowing an impressive 3.5 yards per play.
The Dolphins are a tough team to beat.
Miami has the league lead in points scored (35), yards per contest (168.4) and total offense per game (.312).
The Bills are 6-0 this season and are ranked second in yards per rush, third in yards allowed per rush and fifth in yards after contact per rush.
Miami was the only AFC team to allow fewer than 100 yards rushing and pass attempts against Buffalo on Sunday night.
The division champion Rams will have to battle the Jaguars, who rank fourth in the NFL in points per play allowed (2.1).
Jacksonville has allowed an NFL high 30.6 rushing yards per opponent, and ranks third in total yards per effort (314.5).
The Jaguars are allowing 31.5 points per kickoff return, third-most in the AFC, and have been the league leaders in punt return yards allowed (14,717).
The New Orleans Rams are 3.8-point favorite to win Sunday night’s game, and the Panthers are a distant second at 2.3.
The Raiders are 1.5 point favorites.
