A career outing from Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore and a thrashing at the hands of the Detroit Lions solidified the Carolina Panthers as the NFL’s only winless team after five weeks of play. So, you may be getting a sense of where this post is going.
Here is where the Panthers stand across the power rankings heading into Week 6:
Touchdown Wire
Author: Jarrett Bailey
Rank: 31 (-2)
Take: “They got morally dismantled by the Lions and are the last winless team in the NFL. Plus, Bryce Young’s group of XFL receivers aren’t exactly helping. We knew it would take time to see success in Carolina, but this is embarrassing.”
USA TODAY
Author: Nate Davis
Rank: 32 (-1)
Take: “The NFL’s only winless team just turned it in its worst defensive performance (42 points allowed) of the season. Its reward? A trip to Miami. Woof.
NFL.com
Author: Eric Edholm
Rank: 32 (-1)
Take: “Anyone who took solace in the fact that the Panthers actually led in each of their first four losses was forced to admit after the fifth defeat that they were trying too hard. First, the bad news: This team isn’t making the playoffs. No 0-5 team ever has, and Carolina gets the Dolphins in Miami this week. Now, the worse news: The Panthers don’t own their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which would be the first overall pick at the moment, and the quarterback they traded that pick to draft this year, Bryce Young, is struggling. He’s turned the ball over at least once in each of his four starts, has taken 12 sacks and is averaging 5.2 yards per attempt. The Panthers would surely like to see more from him — and quickly.”
ESPN
Author: David Newton
Rank: 32 (-1)
Take (On the team’s fantasy surprise): “[Miles] Sanders was signed during the offseason to be the every-down back and a dual-threat player. He’s been anything but. Sunday’s loss at Detroit was a sign his role is being diminished after he had one fewer snap than backup Chuba Hubbard. In five games, Sanders has only 191 yards rushing and is averaging a career-low 3.1 yards per carry. He has only 15 catches for 81 yards. He’s definitely trending downward.”
CBS Sports
Author: Pete Prisco
Rank: 32 (-1)
Take: “So much for the idea that Bryce Young would make this team a contender. They are far from it at 0-5 after five weeks.”
Pro Football Talk
Author: Mike Florio
Rank: 31 (-)
Take: “David Tepper might have failed the S2 test regarding whether to put stock in the S2 test.”
