What Makes the Carolina Panthers a Scary Playoff Contender?

The Carolina Panthers will head into the NFL’s final regular season game knowing they’ll have more games to play in January, thanks to a 22-19 victory over the Buccaneers Sunday. According to The Ringer, the key to the Panthers’ late season success has been a return to an eclectic and efficient running game. Despite Cam Newton’s up-and-down play as a passer, the Panthers topped the league in rushing yards, and ranked second in yards per attempt and rushing touchdowns between Weeks 8 and 15. The uptick in the running game is owed not just to running backs Jonathan Stewart and Christian McCaffrey, but also to Newton himself, who has had several tremendous games on the ground. The Panthers will head to Atlanta this weekend, with playoff seeding on the line.