With a dominant upset victory over the Detroit Lions, the Carolina Panthers are on the rise—both in the quest for an NFC South title and across this week’s power rankings.
Let’s see how far the Fighting Wilkses have risen as we head into Week 17.
Touchdown Wire
Author: Mark Lane
Rank: 23 (+4)
Take: “The Panthers are the closest thing to a create-a-team out there, and they have managed to pull off a few surprise wins. If not for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers getting a win on Christmas Day, the NFC South race would be a lot more interesting. Carolina could still ding the Bucs in Week 17 and spoil the Saints in the season finale.”
USA TODAY
Author: Nate Davis
Rank: 19 (+4)
Take: “Who would have thought they’d become so good at running the ball after trading RB Christian McCaffrey? Saturday’s team record 320 rushing yards marked Carolina’s sixth effort of at least 160 on the ground since CMC’s trade prior to Week 7.”
NFL.com
Author: Dan Hanzus
Rank: 19 (+5)
Take: “The Panthers manhandled the previously red-hot Lions in Charlotte, piling up a franchise-record 320 rushing yards in a 37-23 win. Carolina had more than 100 ground yards within its first two possessions and piled up 240 by halftime in a game that featured wide-open running lanes for D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard. The blowout win was an emphatic bounceback effort for a Carolina team that managed just 21 rushing yards in Week 15’s loss to the Steelers. The NFC South is likely on the line in Sunday’s showdown with the division-leading Bucs.”
ESPN
Author: David Newton
Rank: 21 (+5)
Take (On the team’s defining moment): “The Panthers were 1-4 under Rhule when he was fired. They have gone 5-5 under Wilks and can capture the NFC South title by winning their final two games, at Tampa Bay and at New Orleans. Under Wilks, the Panthers have found an identity as a smashmouth team that was apparent Saturday, when Carolina rushed for a single-game team-record 320 yards en route to a single-game team-high 570 total yards in a victory over the visiting Lions.”
CBS Sports
Author: Pete Prisco
Rank: 21 (+4)
Take: “They ran their way to a much-needed victory over the Lions. If they win the next two, they will be a playoff team.”
Pro Football Talk
Author: Mike Florio
Rank: 23 (+1)
Take: “With each win, it’s getting harder for David Tepper to not hire Steve Wilks.”
