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Carolina Panthers rise in Week 3 NFL power rankings despite 0-2 start

The Carolina Panthers are moving up despite losing to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2.
Jeremy Brener|
Arizona Cardinals linebacker Zaven Collins hits Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young.
Arizona Cardinals linebacker Zaven Collins hits Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers are still winless going into Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season, but there is hope after a comeback effort in a loss against the Arizona Cardinals.

Sportsnaut writer Matt Johnson conducted his power rankings, which had the Panthers moving up two spots from No. 32 to 30.

"Kudos to Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers for rallying in Week 2, making the Cardinals sweat out what was originally a 27-3 game late in the third quarter. It still ended in a loss, but this is the version of the Panthers that showed up and fought in nearly every game in the second half last season. The talent still isn’t there to win much, but at least Dave Canales’ team fights," Johnson wrote.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray scrambles out of the backfield against the Carolina Panthers
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray scrambles out of the backfield against the Carolina Panthers. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The only teams ranked below the Panthers were the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins, who are both 0-2 after tough losses to start the season. The Panthers are also 0-2 and suffered a difficult loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, their 19 unanswered points in the final 17 minutes or so against the Cardinals hold hope for what's to come.

The Panthers are still struggling, but they are turning a corner. They don't need to have everything figured out at this point during the season, but they are finding ways to compete.

If the Panthers can stay competitive, they should be in a good spot as the season continues to roll along.

The Panthers return to the field on Sunday to take on the NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET inside Bank of America Stadium. Fans can watch the game on FOX.

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner breaks out of the backfield against the Carolina Panthers
Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner breaks out of the backfield against the Carolina Panthers. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via 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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