Panthers Rise in Power Rankings

ESPN.com has released their weekly Power Rankings.  The Carolina Panthers actually fell three spots to number 17, even after their week 5 victory over the New Orleans Saints.  Apparently, losing your starting quarterback for the season counts for more than defeating a winless team by 3 points.  With QB Jake Delhomme down for the season, it appears obvious that the pundits at ESPN.com don’t have much faith that David Carr can lead this team to success.  However, the attitude in the locker room for the Panthers was upbeat after the victory, and Carr played well enough to win.  If the Panthers can get into the playoffs, anything is possible.
Carolina is going to have a tough road, however, even playing in the NFC.  The Panthers are already down in their division, and will need to win consistently to win the NFC South.  Their chances for the Wild Card are very much alive, as that chase has yet to really even take shape.  However, a really good Green Bay team hurts their chances quite a bit, and every Wild Card hopeful in the NFC for that matter.  The Bears are too talented to not make the playoffs, or so it would seem at the moment.  If Green Bay wins the NFC North, the Bears must be considered the favorites to take the Wild Card.  So the Panthers better get in gear if they want to avoid another disappointing season.

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