(My Sportsbook) - It's reality-check time in Charlotte and Green Bay.

For the Carolina Panthers, in spite of a 17-point loss at division rival Atlanta last week, this Sunday provides a chance to look in the mirror, stiffen the upper lip and remember that - in the words of Bill Parcells anyway - "you are what your record says you are."

And, at 8-3 through 11 games and tied with Tampa Bay for the NFC South lead, that's pretty good.

For the Green Bay Packers, meanwhile, still smarting from a 51-point prime- time beatdown in New Orleans, the weekend is an opportunity for the rest of the league to re-examine Cheesehead Inc. and ask, in the words of Dennis Green, if the Packers "are who we thought they were."

Because, at 5-6 and a game off the pace in the painfully mediocre NFC North, it doesn't seem so.

That said, the Packers can be buoyed by the fact that, among the 12 conference teams with a still-viable shot at a playoff berth, they have the easiest remaining schedule.

Green Bay's final five foes combine for an ugly 22-33 record, which, when the 8-3 Panthers are removed, plummets to 14-30 over a final foursome that includes Houston (4-7), Jacksonville (4-7), Chicago (6-5) and Detroit (0-11).

"Five games left to play and we're not out of anything. It's right in front of us," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "We need to win football games. We know that. That's our focus. We don't want to be in a position where we're watching other scores and so forth, and we still have that opportunity."

The road to postseason is significantly tougher for the Panthers, who'll head into the final quarter of the season against four teams now sitting at a collective 30-14 - easily the most difficult home stretch in the NFC.

Among those upcoming foes are the first-place Buccaneers (8-3), the AFC West- leading Denver Broncos (6-5), the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants (10-1) and the aforementioned Saints (6-5), who taxed the Packers for double-digit points in three of four quarters on Monday.

"I really don't think there are any teams in the NFL that are way below everybody else," said Carolina offensive tackle Jordan Gross.

"A whole organization might run things better or players might work well together or coaches might coach together better. But I was just as happy to beat the Lions as I would have been to beat the Titans when they were undefeated."

SERIES HISTORY

The Packers are 6-3 in the all-time regular season series with the Panthers, including a 31-17 home victory when the teams met in Week 11 of last season. Carolina won the previous meeting, 32-29, in Charlotte in 2005. The Panthers' only win in Green Bay all-time was a 33-31 nail-biter in 1999.

The Packers won the only postseason meeting between the two teams all-time, a 30-13 affair in the 1996 NFC Championship Game from Lambeau.

Panthers head coach John Fox is 1-3 against Green Bay in his career. The Packers' McCarthy is 1-0 against both Fox and the Panthers as a head coach.

WHEN THE PANTHERS HAVE THE BALL

Quarterback Jake Delhomme completed 17-of-24 for 206 yards, two scores and a 124.7 passer rating in his last start against Green Bay. In his starting career, when Delhomme has rating of 110 or better, the Panthers are 15-0. Incidentally, he passed for a season-high 295 yards last week. On the ground, streaking running back DeAngelo Williams aims for a fifth straight game with 100-plus yards and a TD. He has 469 yards (116.8 per game) and five scores in his last four outings, and the Panthers are 10-1 when he rushes for more than 80 yards. Williams has five 100-yard games this year after entering the season with just three. Backfield mate Jonathan Stewart has six rushing TDs, which ties him for second among rookies. Through the air, veteran wideout Steve Smith had eight catches for 168 yards last week, his best yardage total since he went for 189 against Baltimore in 2006. Smith had five catches for 116 yards in his only career game at Lambeau Field, and Muhsin Muhammad has five receiving TDs in his career against the Packers.

Forcing mistakes has been the signature of the Packers in 2008, making up for the fact that they've surrendered an average of 332.1 yards per week while gaining just 331.5. Green Bay's turnover margin is third in the NFC at plus-5, and two Packers - safety Nick Collins and cornerback Charles Woodson - share the league lead with five interceptions apiece. Combined, the two have five INT returns for touchdowns on the season, and Woodson picked off one pass in his last meeting with the Panthers. Safety Aaron Rouse, who had his first career interception against Carolina, had another on Monday against New Orleans. And up front, defensive end Aaron Kampman has 35 sacks since 2006, the second-most in the league. He leads the team with 7.5 in 2008.

WHEN THE PACKERS HAVE THE BALL

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been stellar in front of the home folks at Lambeau, completing 109-of-156 passes for 1,194 yards, seven TDs and a 101.8 passer rating. He's reached 100 or better on the rating scale in four of five starts at home, including three in row. Running back Ryan Grant has also thrived in Wisconsin, and aims for a third straight home game with 100-plus yards and a touchdown. He has 250 yards and two scores in his last two Lambeau appearances. Additionally, when Grant has 19 or more attempts, the Packers are 9-1. Meanwhile, wide receiver Donald Driver has a reception in a team-record 106 consecutive games. He has five career TD catches against Carolina. Also, Greg Jennings had eight catches for 101 yards and a TD last week. His 966 yards in 2008 are third in the conference. Finally, tight end Donald Lee had a career-high two TD catches in his last meeting with the Panthers.

Blowout by Atlanta aside, the Panthers are usually both stingy and opportunistic, holding foes to 20 points or less in six of 11 games while posting a plus-4 turnover margin that's among the best in the NFC. Resurgent defensive end Julius Peppers leads the team with nine sacks and had a sack and a forced fumble the last time he faced Green Bay. He is the franchise's all- time leader with 65 sacks and 25 forced fumbles, and has recorded all nine of his 2008 sacks in the last nine games. Tackle Damione Lewis added a sack of his own last week and veteran cornerback Chris Gamble forced a fumble. As a unit, the Panthers are allowing 302 yards per week.

FANTASY FOCUS

Offensive options abound for both teams. Delhomme is back to red-hot status and has willing weapons in Smith and Muhammad, as well as a recently unstoppable Williams in the backfield. For the Packers, Rodgers and Jennings should combine for yards and scores, though the INT is always a concern, especially against Carolina. Grant is also a must-play, especially if the Sunday weather up north turns frightful. Defensively, the Panthers are always a good play. But the Packers, still lumpy from a 51-point bruising, not so much.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

When in doubt, go with the home team. When still in doubt, go with the home team that's in more dire need of a win - both for the psyche and the standings - than the visiting opponent. Even though the Packers would still be within reach of the top spot with a loss, it says here that they'll rally the troops for a big effort in the chill at Lambeau.

My Sportsbook Predicted Outcome: Packers 28, Panthers 26