Unfortunately for the Carolina Panthers, a winning streak was simply not meant to be. After a triumphant victory against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3, the team fell short of knocking off the Cincinnati Bengals in a 34-24 loss this past Sunday.
So, how far did they fall across the power rankings?
Let’s take a look at where the Panthers stand heading into Week 5 . . .
USA TODAY
Author: Nate Davis
Rank: 25 (-2)
Take: “They head to Chicago this week. Better lock the hotel safes and stadium lockers given the Bears will try to steal a win after already swiping WR DJ Moore and the No. 1 pick of this year’s draft.”
NFL.com
Author: Eric Edholm
Rank: 31 (-)
Take: “Once again, benching Bryce Young for Andy Dalton looked like the right decision, as Dalton kept the chains moving all game against the Bengals and played well, even with a tipped-pass interception. He has limited the sacks (zero on Sunday) and helped stretch the field, two things Young was unable to do, which has given receivers such as Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette a chance to showcase their skills to a greater degree. Johnson dropped a would-be TD on the opening drive, but he’s come alive with Dalton under center. The run game also showed more juice, although a leaky Bengals defense was partly responsible for that. Still, the entire operation looks better, even as the Panthers remain in the infancy stages of their rebuild. ”
ESPN
Author: David Newton
Rank: 31 (-)
Take (on team’s biggest issue on defense): “Injuries could be the answer here, because LB Shaq Thompson is now out for the rest of the season with a torn Achilles, and the Panthers were already down three starters — DE Derrick Brown (knee), DT Shy Tuttle (foot) and S Jordan Fuller (hamstring). But pressure was a concern heading into the season, and it was magnified Sunday against the Bengals. QB Joe Burrow was pressured on just four of 32 dropbacks, the third-lowest he has faced in his career. Carolina has no one outside of LB Jadeveon Clowney who can consistently get to the QB.”
CBS Sports
Author: Pete Prisco
Rank: 31 (-2)
Take: “The Andy Dalton bump came to a halt because the defense had issues against the Bengals. But the offense is better with Dalton than when Young was in the lineup.”
Pro Football Talk
Author: Mike Florio
Rank: 31 (-2)
Take: “Yes, Week 3 said more about the Raiders than it did about the Panthers.”
Yahoo Sports
Author: Frank Schwab
Rank: 31 (-1)
Take: “The Panthers’ offense still looked viable in Andy Dalton’s second start, despite Sunday’s loss to the Bengals. Carolina won’t win many games but Sunday showed it’ll remain competitive.”