As the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs approaches, there are bound to be upset bids when you least expect it, but the favorites will fight hard to maintain their reputations.
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Eight teams remain in the NFL playoffs, and the opening weekend of the playoffs was unsurprising for the most part.
Aside from the Baltimore Ravens upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers, all of the home teams were able to live up to expectations and advance.
The Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers are returning from their first-round byes and will each have home-field advantage this week for clinching division titles and byes.
Here is a power ranking of the eight teams as they continue on their quest for a Super Bowl.
8. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers still have a lot more to prove despite their hot streak that helped them win the NFC South, which was with a 7-8-1 record. They now have to take on the Seahawks in Seattle, and they are clear underdogs due to the difficulty of beating the Seahawks at their home field and the fact that they are the defending Super Bowl champions.
Quarterback Cam Newton has shown a lot of determination though since returning from a back injury that he sustained in a car accident. The Panthers defense has also caught fire, allowing just 59 points in their last five games. However, the Panthers have not exactly been battle-tested, even in the playoffs. They had what would be widely argued as the easiest matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, who were playing with a third-string quarterback among other injuries. Their four-game winning streak consisted of the Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints as their most difficult games.
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