Tag: panthers power rankings

Panthers fall 5 more spots in Week 15 power rankings

Following another humiliating loss to the Falcons (40-20) on Sunday, Doug Farrar has dropped Carolina five more spots.

The Panthers peaked in our Touchdown Wire power rankings not too long ago, reaching the No. 7 spot and threatening to move up into the elite tier of teams. A five-game losing streak has officially eliminated them from the playoff picture and made it clear they were never a contender to begin with.

Following another humiliating loss to the Falcons (40-20) on Sunday, Doug Farrar has dropped Carolina five more spots. The Panthers head into Week 15 at No. 23 in the rankings.

“. . . Nor was Allen’s day — he completed 28 of 41 passes for 293 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against an Atlanta defense that has been highly vulnerable through most of the season. The Panthers are due for a major offseason blow-up to rebuild, and this game made that very clear.”

If you’re looking for a silver lining, the Panthers have improved their position in the 2020 NFL draft. This latest loss has them in line to pick at No. 12 overall.

As for what they’ll do with that first-round pick – wherever it falls – it’s anybody’s guess. This current roster has more holes than a cheese grater. We also don’t know if Cam Newton will be back next year nor who will be coaching the team. The defense needs a serious infusion of young talent and the offensive line remains a mess.

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Panthers fall 3 spots in Week 14 power rankings

The Panthers look like they’re on their way to another second-half collapse.

The Panthers look like they’re on their way to another second-half collapse. Following Sunday’s disturbing loss to a toothless 3-9 Washington team, Carolina has now dropped four games in a row and five of the last six going back to the blowout against the 49ers.

As expected, this latest failure has hurt their position in Touchdown Wire’s weekly NFL power rankings. Heading into Week 14, Doug Farrar has them at No. 18, down three spots from last week.

“One week after a close loss to the Saints in which Carolina seemed like a team on the verge of doing something relevant this season, it all fell apart against a Redskins squad that has spent most of 2019 insisting on losing in the most agonizing ways possible. . . The Panthers have now lost four consecutive games, and this marks the second season in a row in which they’ve collapsed down the stretch — last season, they took a 5-2 record halfway through to a 7-9 finish. There comes a point where Ron Rivera and his staff have to be a bit concerned about their jobs.”

Looking ahead, it’s clear Rivera’s job will be in jeopardy once the regular season is over, no matter how the team finishes.

Owner David Tepper might be tempted to clean house and start over with a whole new front office. General manager Marty Hurney could survive any offseason purge given his relationship with Tepper. Nobody should feel too comfortable about their positions though, even Hurney.

Whoever winds up on top when the dust settles will have to make an extremely difficult decision about what to do with Cam Newton, who is going into the last year of his contract.

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Panthers come in at No. 15 in Week 13 power rankings

Doug Farrar at Touchdown Wire has Carolina at No. 15 in this week’s power rankings.

The Panthers came up just short against the Saints on Sunday. An upset win would have no doubt given them a big boost in our power rankings. Taking a Super Bowl contender down to the wire is commendable, though. Thanks to their gutsy showing in New Orleans, they actually moved up a spot.

Doug Farrar at Touchdown Wire has Carolina at No. 15 in this week’s power rankings.

“The Panthers did enough to upset the Saints — they really did. Kyle Allen completed 23 of 36 passes for 256 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. . . It was a heartbreaker for the Panthers, but they have to be encouraged by Allen’s development and the knowledge that through most of the game, they were able to hang with a team that appeared to be much better on paper.”

Indeed.

If nothing else, Allen has proven he’s about as capable as any other backup quarterback in the league these last few months. He may yet develop into a legitimate starter if he can consistently avoid turnovers and show the same poise he has against the Saints twice now.

It won’t help them in the standings any, but Sunday’s loss proved this team has enough talent to compete with the best in the NFL. A change of leadership at the top might be needed for them to reach their full potential, though.

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