Green Bay — In Carolina, No. 1 wideout Kevin Benjamin tore his left ACL in mid-August. Quarterback Cam Newton never blinked, led his team to a 15-1 record, the NFC championship and will almost certainly win league MVP honors this weekend.
In New England, star wideout Julian Edelman missed seven games with a knee injury. Running back Dion Lewis and left tackle Nate Solder — a pair of high-level players — were both lost for the year, as well. Tom Brady simply soldiered on, led the Patriots to the No. 2 seed in the AFC and a berth in the conference finals.