Panthers in the power rankings before Week 14 vs. Atlanta

ANALYSIS: “It has been a tale of ups and downs for the Carolina Panthers.

Things started off with a bang in 2021, with the Panthers peeling off three straight wins. But as it turned out, those wins had more to do with Carolina’s opponents being bad than the team being good. Those three victories were followed by four losses.

Since then, things have gotten that much bumpier. An injured Sam Darnold gave way to P.J. Walker and then Cam Newton under center, and while Newton’s return to Charlotte was a fun story, his limitations as a passer became painfully evident. Newton was benched in Week 12 for Walker, but head coach Matt Rhule insisted that Newton will remain the team’s starter.”