NFL playoff picks and predictions, Panthers vs. Seahawks 2015: Defending champs are the popular pick

The Seattle Seahawks are the favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. For that to happen, they'll first have to take care of business against the Carolina Panthers this weekend.

The Carolina Panthers weren't considered serious playoff contenders for most of the season. They went nearly the entire month of October and all of November without winning a game. Still, the rest of the NFC South struggled throughout the season, and when the Panthers returned from their Week 12 bye they won four of their final five games. Even the car wreck for Cam Newton couldn't derail their late-season run.

Perhaps no team finished the regular season as impressively as the Seahawks. They won their last six games without giving up more than 14 points to an opponent. The defense appears to be in championship form and the offense, while still lacking in some areas, can produce enough points to put opponents away. Russell Wilson has developed into a better playmaker in this third season while Marshawn Lynch remains as powerful a runner as ever. With home-field advantage, it's difficult to envision the Seahawks falling before the Super Bowl.

This is a rematch of the Week 8 meeting won by the Seahawks 13-9 in Carolina. Seattle has beaten the Panthers three times in the past three years by a total of 13 points. This Carolina offense is much better now than the one that took the field in Week 8. The line was a mess then, and it's now a group that has started the past six games together. That matters. But this is a huge challenge for a relatively young line with that Seattle crowd noise. It will be interesting to see how many false starts we have for Carolina. The Seahawks were without middle linebacker Bobby Wagner in the first game, but he's back. That's huge. He is key to what they do on defense. The Carolina defense has really improved over the past month as well. They finished 21st in scoring defense for the season, but in the past month they have been much better. The pass rush has come alive. They face a tough challenge in the Seattle running game. If they can slow that, and keep Russell Wilson in the pocket, they will have a chance. That's tough to do. Wilson is electrifying at times when he gets outside the pocket. The ends have to be aware of their rush lanes. Cam Newton doesn't have a bevy of weapons, but Kelvin Benjamin is a big target and Greg Olsen can create problems in the middle of the field. I would look for the Panthers to attack a lot inside with Olsen. And, of course, try and run it. Like Wilson, Cam Newton can be dangerous on the move. In the end, I think Seattle will pull this out to get to the title game. Like the last three between these teams, it won't be easy.