Abandon hope all ye who enter here, especially Carolina Panthers fans.
Here’s the latest damage across the power rankings for the reeling cats following their Week 14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
USA TODAY
Author: Nate Davis
Rank: 27 (-2)
Author’s take: “Absent deposed OC Joe Brady, they’re now rotating QBs Cam Newton and P.J. Walker. Maybe once Sam Darnold is ready to return, and Matt Barkley is up to speed, everyone can play a quarter. Varsity letters for the whole group!”
Touchdown Wire
Author: Nick Wojton
Rank: 26 (-)
Author’s take: “So the Panthers kept things interesting. Both QBs Cam Newton and PJ Walker saw playing time vs. the Falcons with Newton starting and seeing the bigger load. And it’s going to continue. Regardless, Carolina turned the ball over too often and couldn’t get the needed stop late as the Falcons took the 29-21 win.”
NFL.com
Author: Dan Hanzus
Rank: 28 (-3)
Author’s take: “Cam Newton lawn darts or P.J. Walker hospital balls? This is the choice facing Matt Rhule, whose self-made QB quandary has swallowed up this Carolina season. The Panthers all but excused themselves from the NFC playoff picture with Sunday’s dispiriting home loss to the Falcons that featured three QB turnovers and extensive playing time for both of Rhule’s underwhelming options under center. On Monday, Rhule told reporters that it’s a “possibility” Sam Darnold is back in the mix once he recovers from his shoulder injury. Decisions, decisions, decisions.”
ESPN
Author: David Newton
Rank: 26 (-)
Author’s take: “The offensive rating sums up just where this team went south and what will prevent it from being successful the remainder of the season. Sunday’s loss to Atlanta was a microcosm of the year in that quarterbacks Cam Newton and P.J. Walker combined for two interceptions and a lost fumble that led to 13 of Atlanta’s points. Coach Matt Rhule called Newton’s two turnovers “catastrophic,” and there’s been a lot of that since a 3-0 start with Sam Darnold. The offensive numbers do not lie.”
Our final take:
If you thought head coach Matt Rhule bungled the quarterback position before, then he’s really outdoing himself at the moment.
On Monday, Rhule told reporters he’s prepared to move ahead using both Cam Newton and P.J. Walker. That’s an intriguingly (bad) strategy considering it won’t give Newton an even flow of the offense, regardless of what’s left in his tank. Also, Walker is, well, not great anyway.
Good luck with that approach, though. That’ll certainly bode well for a three-game losing streak heading into a final stretch that includes Buffalo, New Orleans and two meetings with the Super Bowl champs.
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