The list of teams that look like Super Bowl contenders in Week 8 is quite different than the list we started with at the beginning of the season.Halfway through the season, certain favorites have fallen. The defending NFC champion Carolina Panthers are the last-place team in the NFC South with a 1-5 record. The Denver Broncos haven't looked like defending Super Bowl champions in their 5-2 start, with only one of those wins coming against a team with a winning record.Intriguing contenders have broken out as surprise contenders in their stead. After the Dallas Cowboys picked in the top five of the draft, few would have counted them as a potential champion, but here they are on a five-game win streak and with one of the best records in the NFL at 5-1.Here's a look at the latest Super Bowl prop odds, perOdds Shark:The Week 8 slate is marked by another set of games that appear to be close. No game has a spread of more than a touchdown, per Odds Shark. Teams will have to earn their wins this week, as each matchup is fairly close.Do or Die for the Carolina PanthersSimply put, time is running out for the Panthers to salvage their season.At 1-5, Cam Newton and Co.'s margin for error has dwindled to nothing. As Bleacher Report's Chris Simms and Adam Lefkoe discussed on The Simms & Lefkoe Podcast, the Panthers probably need to finish 10-6 to have a shot at winning the division (the Panthers' discussion starts at the 9:20 mark):The problem for the Panthers has been late-game execution. As Jim Wyatt of Titans Online noted, Carolina is one of a few teams who have had every game come down to the fourth quarter; however, it can claim just one victory this season:That will have to change if the Panthers are going to right the ship in time to make a playoff run. The NFC South is much more competitive than it was last season,when the Panthers went 15-1 and no one else finished with a winning record.The Falcons boast one of the NFL's best offenses and sit at 4-3, while the Bucs have won back-to-back games to get to 3-3 heading into Week 8.Coming off a bye, the Panthers need this week to be the onewhen they put it all together, as they host the Arizona Cardinals as a 2.5-point favorite, per Odds Shark. Veteran leaders such as Greg Olsen are feeling the pressure after the mounting losses in the season's first half.Its been the story of our season penalties and self-inflicted wounds,Olsen said, according toScott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer. At some point, it needs to change. Because if not, you just continue to stand up here and say the same thing, and we all look ridiculous.Olsen might be the one speaking out, but it's someone on the defense who will need to step up. The unit has been tepid all season, ranking 20th in sacks per game and 30th in opponent yards per passing attempt.The good news is that the Panthers will play a Cardinals team that has been disappointing as well this season. The Cardinals are in the middle of the pack in terms of scoring at 22.7 points per game, and Carson Palmer has struggled with injuries all season to the tune of seven touchdowns and five interceptions.If the Panthers are going to turn things around, it will start this week at home. If not, things are going to get interesting in Carolina, as it's hard to remember a team that suffered such a fall from grace just one season after making the Super Bowl. Super Bowl Dark Horse to Watch: Green Bay PackersIt's obvious why the New England Patriots are the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowlthey've played at a dominant level that no one has matched this season.How often does the best team in football win the Super Bowl, though'Ultimately, the NFL postseason comes down to who can get hot and win the types of games that unfold in the playoffs.Looking across the landscape of contenders, the Green Bay Packers might be the team that can do that come postseason time.Usually, the Packers offense is firing on all cylinders in the regular season, and the biggest question is the defense. This year, you can flip that narrative.The defense ranks seventh in Football Outsiders' DVOA rankings, while the offense comes in at No. 10.For once, the Packers' offensive woes aren't on the offensive line, either. The team has struggled at times to protect Aaron Rodgers in the past, but Pro Football Focus highlighted the fact that Green Bay is among the league's elite at protecting the quarterback this season:The issues with the offense have been a lack of playmaking skills among the receivers and a general dearth of offensive creativity. However, Ty Montgomery has emerged as someone who can fill that void. Last week, he became the first Packers receiver with back-to-back 10-reception games since Sterling Sharpe, as the Packers beat the Chicago Bears 26-10.Green Bay will have a tough matchup this week against the Atlanta Falcons. Withinjuries to at least four players in the Packers secondary, containing Julio Jones, Matt Ryan and the Atlanta passing game is going to be difficult.Even with a loss in Week 8, the reality remains that no one in the NFL this season is truly complete. Sharon Katz of ESPN Stats & Info provided a visualization of that fact on Twitter:So picking a Super Bowl winner comes down towhich team willbest address its faults heading into the playoffs and peak at the right time.You could do a lot worse than forecasting a resurgence for Rodgers and the host of skill players for the Packers.
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