Where the Panthers stand in NFL power rankings going into Week 10

The Carolina Panthers are on a roll . . . as in rolling down a hill with nothing to slow them down. Having lost three straight games, Carolina's "lead" in the NFC South is in peril—and a loss in Week 10 would hand over the top of the division to the New Orleans Saints . So, have they also fallen down the power rankings after their Week 9 loss to the Denver Broncos ? Let's take a look across the web . . . USA Today Sports Rank: 23 (-1) Author: Nate Davis Take: With two of their next three against divisional foes and no games against opponents with winning records for the rest of the month, it's time to get right. NFL Media Rank: 20 (+1) Author: Nick Shook Take: There was a glimmer of what I thought the Panthers would be in 2026 during the middle portion of Sunday’s loss, a stretch in which Carolina snagged an interception, turned it into a touchdown, then scored another touchdown out of halftime to take a 14-13 lead. That version disappeared after a wacky, controversial interception ended the Panthers’ bid to extend their lead, at which point the Broncos returned the favor by scoring two touchdowns and creating a margin just wide enough to sink the Panthers. The defense understandably hasn’t improved after dismissing DC Ejiro Evero, and while Bryce Young entered a flow state during the Panthers’ stretch of offensive success, he’ll need to be that quarterback for the majority of games going forward for the Panthers to prove they’re worth taking seriously. ESPN Rank: 19 (-2) Author: Mike Kaye Take: The Panthers have lost three consecutive games. And while they're still in contention for another NFC South title, they need to right the ship immediately. That will be a challenge with a makeshift secondary and a struggling offensive line. The Panthers haven't won in New Orleans since the 2022 regular-season finale. It's time to end that skid or face the consequences of falling behind in the division race. Running back Chuba Hubbard needs to continue to be the model of consistency to give Carolina a leg up on the Saints. CBS Sports Rank: 20 (-2) Author: Pete Prisco Take: Three straight losses has changed the look of this team. Injuries have really impacted them on defense. Sports Illustrated Rank: 24 (-4) Author: Conor Orr Take: The Zapruder film tracking whether or not Sean Payton actually threw a challenge flag in a win over the Panthers is just incredible. For the record, I don’t think he did!  The Athletic Rank: 21 (-1) Author: Chad Graff and Josh Kendall Take: There have been a few impressive moments for the Panthers this season and enough strong performances from Bryce Young to offer encouragement. Plus, they play in a terrible division (in which they’re still tied for first place). But they have a below-average offense and defense, based on EPA per play, ranking 18th and 27th respectively. Bleacher Report Rank: 18 (-) Author: Brent Sobleski Take: ...Carolina's pass rush continues to struggle, suggesting its defensive problems extended beyond Evero's coaching. Injuries have also been a significant factor. To be clear, the Panthers' overall effort on that side of the ball hasn't been good enough. The coaching change didn't move the needle, though. Instead, Carolina finds itself in a downward spiral. Fortunately, the Panthers play in the NFC South with three winnable games coming up next on the docket. Follow  @ThePanthersWire  on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.