Well, here we again.
Let’s see where the Carolina Panthers stand across this week’s power rankings following their humiliating 47-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints this past Sunday . . .
USA TODAY
Author: Nate Davis
Rank: 31 (-)
Take: “Adding injury to insult, Pro Bowl DE Derrick Brown – arguably Carolina’s most valuable player – might now miss the entire season with a knee injury.”
NFL.com
Author: Eric Edholm
Rank: 32 (-)
Take: “All the offseason moves the Panthers made were, in some way or another, geared toward helping QB Bryce Young thrive and making the team more successful. Yet, in Week 1, the product somehow looked even worse than what last season’s 2-15 squad put forth. Carolina allowed 47 points to a Saints team that scored 24 or fewer in all but five games in 2023. The Panthers scored 10 points (after staking the Saints a 30-0 lead), which was below their paltry 13.9-point average last year. And to bring the fiasco full circle, one of Carolina’s best defenders, Derrick Brown, is now out with what could be a season-ending injury. Thinking that wasn’t the kind of first game Dave Canales imagined when he went to bed last Saturday. There’s a lot to fix and not much time to get it done. Before you ask, yes, the Bears still have more to gain from the trade that enabled the Panthers to add Young: They own Carolina’s second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Pretty rough.”
ESPN
Author: David Newton
Rank: 32 (-)
Take (on best newcomer performance from Week 1): “If there was a small bright spot in an embarrassing 47-10 loss at New Orleans, it was first-round pick [Xavier] Legette. After a training camp in which he was at best the No. 4 wide receiver, Legette had a team-leading four receptions. They were for only 35 yards, but the Panthers had 161 total yards passing. It’s encouraging that Legette was getting open for QB Bryce Young.”
CBS Sports
Author: Pete Prisco
Rank: 32 (-)
Take: “Just when we thought it couldn’t be worse than last season, it was against the Saints. This team isn’t good and Bryce Young is an issue.”
Pro Football Talk
Author: Mike Florio
Rank: 32 (-)
Take: “At this rate, David Tepper will be throwing drinks on himself by Columbus Day.”
Yahoo Sports
Author: Frank Schwab
Rank: 32 (-1)
Take: “Nothing about the Panthers looked good in Week 1. But the real concern is Bryce Young. The problem with Young last season was there were so few ‘wow’ moments from the first overall draft pick. But it was OK to give him a fresh start in his second season with a better cast. And the first game of his second season looked even worse. That should be really, really scary going forward for the Panthers.”
