NFL Week 5 power rankings: Panthers only slip 1 spot after home loss to Bengals

Carolina looks much more competitive with Andy Dalton starting, no matter what the final score said.

Tim Weaver | 0 Minutes Ago

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 29: Ja'Marr Chase #1 of the Cincinnati Bengals carries the ball past Troy Hill #13 of the Carolina Panthers during the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium on September 29, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. / (Photo by Matt Kelley/Getty Images)

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Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers lost by 10 points to the Cincinnati Bengals at home on Sunday. And yet, in the locker room afterward you might have assumed that they had taken the reigning Super Bowl champions down to the wire and only lost by a last-second field goal. Afterwards, Jaycee Horn spoke of a different vibe in the locker room, while Diontae Johnson called it a different feeling.

It's called confidence, and it's something that these Panthers had been missing for far too long. With one of the league's best offensive lines protecting a suddenly-strong backfield of Andy Dalton and Chuba Hubbard, these Panthers believe they can at least hang with anybody around the NFL. That will give them a much better chance to beat their opponents going forward.

This team is clearly far different from the one we saw in Weeks 1-2, and that's reflected in this week's power rankings from Vinnie Iyer at The Sporting News. Despite the loss, the Panthers only slipped one spot, down from 27 to 28.

The Sporting News on 1-3 Panthers

"Andy Dalton and Chuba Hubbard have given the offense much-needed pop under Dave Canales, but it's difficult to make up for a depleted defense when facing an explosive team like the Bengals. They unfortunately will get a good look at Caleb Williams in Chicago next week with Bryce Young on the bench."

The oddsmakers have the Bears favored by four at home, but we have a distinct feeling it's not going to go down that way. Right now it looks like this Panthers team could surprise a lot of people, especially NFL teams that aren't already contenders.