The Carolina Panthers stunned the league by beating the Green Bay Packers. And yet, when ESPN released its latest NFL power rankings, Dave Canales' squad barely cracked the top half.
Despite climbing to 5-4 and taking down a legitimate Super Bowl contender, Carolina landed at No. 16, only three spots higher than last week’s ranking of No. 19.
For a team that’s now won four of its last five games and is in the thick of the NFC South title race, landing before a San Francisco 49ers team that’s devastated by injuries and a Jacksonville Jaguars squad that beat the Las Vegas Raiders by one point in overtime feels disrespectful. However, the Panthers have made a habit of proving people wrong this year.
Carolina Panthers are forcing their way into the national spotlight again
People didn’t believe in them at 1-3. Analysts wrote them off after their blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills. Carolina responded again and again.
Against the Packers, running back Rico Dowdle rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns, setting the tone with relentless energy and physicality. This reflected exactly what Canales has been preaching since his first day on the job.
Rookie kicker Ryan Fitzgerald drilled the game-winning 49-yard field goal as time expired. Still, the national media seems hesitant to give Carolina full credit.
ESPN’s write-up focused more on their “most important games remaining” than their recent surge, emphasizing Week 16 versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the potential deciding factor for their playoff aspirations.
Sure, that game matters. But Carolina’s present performance deserves recognition, not just projections.
Carolina isn’t just hanging around. They’re in position to make a real playoff push. The next two games — at home to the New Orleans Saints and on the road against the Atlanta Falcons — are both winnable. If the Panthers handle business, they could enter their Week 12 Monday Night Football showdown with the Niners sitting at 7-4, winners of six of their last seven.
If Carolina can split their late-season meetings with the Buccaneers, it could very realistically take the NFC South crown, something that would have sounded crazy two months ago.
The Panthers aren’t the prettiest team, but they win ugly. They make life hard for opposing quarterbacks. But they’re doing it with belief, balance, and a head coach who has already changed the team’s culture.
It’s time national outlets start recognizing that. ESPN can keep the Panthers buried in the middle of the pack for now. But if they keep winning and if that defense keeps locking down opponents, respect won’t be optional for much longer.