Bryce Young delivered, but Carolina Panthers get no bump in new NFL power rankings

Carolina is still in the same spot after beating Atlanta as they were after losing to New Orleans.

Nov 16, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) prepares to enter the field before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Heading into Sunday's NFC South matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons, we asked which version of the Panthers would show up.

Would it be the gritty, tough defense and strong run game five-win Panthers? Or would the totally helpless, fall apart and get blown out Panthers show up instead?

The answer was a third scenario we hadn't considered - and one Carolina fans hadn't seen since the end of last season.

The Panthers team that showed up was the one where Bryce Young acts as a flamethrower, torching the defense in every direction and using all of the weapons at his disposal in the process. Young threw for a new franchise record 448 yards to go with three touchdowns in the win over Atlanta.

We had assumed this win would give Carolina at least a modest bump in the latest NFL power rankings from Sportsnaut, but they're still at No. 19, the same as last week.

Panthers stuck at 19 in power rankings

"Bryce Young delivered. A week after being the reason the Carolina Panthers lost, the third-year quarterback turned back the clock in Atlanta by performing like the Heisman Trophy winner who tore up SEC defenses. Even beyond Young’s 448 passing yards and 3 scores, it was the timing of his biggest drives that should be remembered from this game. Carolina now has six wins for the first time since 2018."

Nov 16, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts to a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It's a tough crowd - so tough that we went looking for other power rankings where the Panthers might get a bump - but they were also in the same spot as last week in Sports Illustrated's rankings based on Super Bowl odds.

This is a little frustrating because we felt the big break-through from Bryce Young was worth at least a few spots' rise. However, we can understand if some analysts are skeptical about giving this team a significant rise given how inconsistent they have been this season.

Things are about to get a whole lot tougher for this team, as well. Next up they visit the juggernaut 49ers on Monday Night Football, followed by a home game against the Rams, who look alot like the best team in the league right now.

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