The Carolina Panthers are 3-7-1 on the season ... and still in the running for the NFC South lead. It's the worst division in football, with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons currently tied atop the division with just four wins on the year. Carolina, despite massive struggles on both sides of the ball, is more than capable of taking control and winning the division.
How to watch Panthers vs. Vikings 2014 online: Time, TV schedule, radio and live stream
The Panthers and Vikings will face off in Week 13, with the former actually fighting with some playoff implications.
First, the Panthers have to beat bad teams, and Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings would seem to qualify. Minnesota is nowhere near a playoff berth even if it's slightly ahead of Carolina in the standings at 4-7. With the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions slugging it out for the NFC North, Minnesota might already be thinking about next season.
The Panthers being as bad as they are is a huge surprise. There’s not a whole lot different about this team in comparison to last year, but they’re near the bottom of the league in most of the major statistical categories. The really surprising thing is the defense, which was among the league’s top three units last year. Now, the Panthers rank 26th against the pass with 254.9 passing yards allowed per game, and 21st against the run with 119.1 rushing yards allowed per game.
Cam Newton is slipping after a career year last season. The 25-year-old signal caller has just 12 touchdowns to go with 10 interceptions and a QB Rating of 80.3. Newton also hasn't been as effective running the ball as he has been in years past, with only two rushing touchdowns to his name.
Minnesota, with its 29th-ranked pass offense and 13th-ranked rush offense, will have trouble exploiting those defensive deficiencies, however.
How to watch
Where: TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
When: 1 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Announcers: Chris Myers, Ronde Barber
Online streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile
Odds
The Vikings are 2.5-point favorites, according to OddsShark, with an over/under of 42.5 points.
Further reading
For more on the Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. If you want more on the Panthers, check out Cat Scratch Reader.
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