8. Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers have been one of the most interesting and fun teams in the NFL this season. They've been interesting but frustrating at the same time. When you have a team like this that you don't know what you're getting on a week-to-week basis, it's difficult to put a bunch of faith behind them. But the Panthers' win against the Los Angeles Rams has us higher on them than we've been all year long.
7. Detroit Lions
The Lions somehow already have five losses this season, but you can't count this team out as a true contender in the NFC. They have business to take care of here in the home stretch of the season, and they are another team with a very slim margin for error. The Lions have proven they can score points in bunches, but the tough thing with this team is that they've also proven they can give them up in bunches. They are too inconsistent defensively right now.
6. Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles pride themselves on overcoming adversity. If you watched the in-season version of Hard Knocks on HBO or Max, you would have heard head coach Nick Sirianni talking about how much his team "needed" the adversity they've faced in the past couple of seasons. Obviously, the Eagles are not playing great offensively right now, but I think they truly believe they can flip a switch in January. And history tells us they're probably not wrong.
5. Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are one of the most complete teams in the NFL that just so happens to play in the best division in football this year. The way we've seen Seattle play at their best this season, it's hard not to buy this team as a true contender in the NFC. But at their worst? Well, we saw what the Sam Darnold-led Vikings did in the postseason last year. The Seahawks need Darnold to be efficient down the home stretch and not let the carriage turn into a pumpkin.