NFL power rankings Week 8: Carolina Panthers continue circling the drain

The Carolina Panthers may not be the worst team in the NFL, but they're not making a compelling case to that end.

LANDOVER, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 20: Andy Dalton #14 of the Carolina Panthers talks with head coach Dave Canales of the Carolina Panthers prior to the game against the Washington Commanders at FedExField on October 20, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. / (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

The Carolina Panthers may not be the worst team in the NFL, but they're not making a compelling case to that end. After another loss, this one as uncompetitive as the first two weeks of the season, the current power rankings in the NFL are once again unkind to the team.

Vinnie Iyer's weekly power rankings are out for Week 8, and Panthers fans will have to scroll for a while once again to find their team. At 1-5 and with a -133 point differential in 2024, that should not be a surprise. What may be a surprise, however, is that they're not 32nd.

That honor goes to the Cleveland Browns, although 31st, which is where the Panthers currently sit, is not much better. Iyer was brutal in his assessment, "The Panthers are having a complete offensive breakdown now regardless of the QB, and it doesn't help that their defense can't stop anything anymore as an injury-riddled mess."

Andy Dalton threw two interceptions and only mustered up 93 yards in three and a half quarters. His first-drive pick six effectivly ended things, as the Panthers were near the red zone when he flipped an errant screen pass right to Dante Fowler and failed to make the tackle. Bryce Young came on for three plays (a run, a short pass, and a screen) in relief near the two-minute warning.

Things don't look good at all for the Panthers right now, as Iyer so aptly pointed out. The excitement on offense that came when Dalton was inserted is long gone. He has four interceptions in the last two weeks. The defense, missing virtually every playmaker not named Jaycee Horn, is as porous as any unit in the league.

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