With an 18-10 defeat at the hands of the New Orleans Saints, the Carolina Panthers dropped the 11th game over their last 13 outings. So, where does that put you across the power rankings?
Well, almost right at rock bottom, apparently . . .
Touchdown Wire
Author: Nick Wojton
Rank: 27 (-)
Author’s take: “No spoiler for the Panthers this week. The Saints kept their playoff hopes alive with a 18-10 win over the Panthers. Carolina lost this one in the trenches against New Orleans in a game that wasn’t exactly the prettiest in terms of offense. QB Sam Darnold started, for what it’s worth, and it went as expected for the Panthers.”
USA TODAY
Author: Nate Davis
Rank: 29 (-1)
Author’s take: “What is it with 26-year-old feline franchises that have lost 11 of 13?”
NFL.com
Author: Dan Hanzus
Rank: 30 (-)
Author’s take: “If the Panthers hoped Sam Darnold’s return to the lineup would pump some end-of-season optimism into the building, well, we’re not there yet. Darnold was under constant siege from a stout New Orleans front that piled up seven sacks and had no problem passing through Carolina’s turnstyle offensive line. Darnold started the game with nine consecutive completions, but he faded with the rest of the Panthers attack, culminating with an ugly game-sealing pick in the final minute of an 18-10 loss. Carolina needs a total upheaval of its offensive line before it makes any final judgement on the quarterback playing behind it.”
ESPN
Author: David Newton
Rank: 27 (-)
Author’s take: (On a New Year’s resolution for the Panthers.)
“Invest in an offensive line. I’m not saying Sam Darnold is the answer at quarterback for the Panthers. I don’t think he is. But there’s no way to truly know considering how often he’s under duress. No quarterback should have to endure the lack of protection that Darnold has been under since joining the NFL, first with the New York Jets and now with Carolina. He has been sacked 2.67 times per game since 2018 and 3.3 times per game this season with the Panthers. No wonder he has been seeing ‘ghosts’ since 2019.”
CBS Sports
Author: Pete Prisco
Rank: 26 (-)
Author’s take: “This thing went bad after a fast start to the season. The offensive line is as bad as any in the league, and it shows every week.”
Pro Football Talk
Author: Mike Florio
Rank: 27 (-)
Author’s take: “Fans should start referring to him as “Matt Rule,” since they want him to get the ‘h’ out of here.”
Our final take:
Well, we proposed it as a very real possibility about a month ago and now it’s probably about to happen. The Panthers are right on the precipice of finishing the 2021 campaign with seven straight losses.
Carolina has plenty a problem to fix this offseason—from their quarterback carousel, to their feeble offensive line and to the toxicity of the culture head coach Matt Rhule has reportedly bred. So, let’s just get this over with in Tampa Bay, fellas, and call it a year.
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