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Panthers land in upsetting area of NFL power rankings with one caveat

The Carolina Panthers hope to be better than where they are in the NFL power rankings.
Jeremy Brener|
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young reacts after the game against the New York Giants.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young reacts after the game against the New York Giants. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers are going into the season with some optimism inside the building, but low expectations outside of it.

CBS Sports writer Pete Prisco conducted a recent power rankings where the Panthers came in at No. 27.

"Bryce Young showed major improvement late last season, so it will be interesting to see if it carries over. They line is good in front of him and adding receiver Tet McMillan will help," Prisco wrote.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young walks off the field after the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young walks off the field after the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers | Allison Lawhon-Imagn Images

The only teams ranked below the Panthers are the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints.

The Panthers have a bleak outlook because they have yet to prove themselves in the win column. The three-game improvement was promising from 2023 to 2024, but getting from five wins to eight in 2025 won't be as easy.

The Panthers are certainly capable of that goal, especially if Young and the offense grows in the second year of the Canales era, but they still have a long way to go.

The defense also needs to make some improvements because allowing the most points per game in the NFL at 31.4 is not a strong recipe for winning football games. For context, the Dallas Cowboys surrendered four fewer points per game than the Panthers and they ranked 31st in the league in points allowed.

The Panthers need to chip away at their deficit from them and the rest of the league, but if they can make slow, consistent strides, they will slowly find their way out of the back of the pack.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young rushes against the Houston Texans
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young rushes against the Houston Texans. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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