Coming into the 2026 season, the national media wasn’t exactly high on the Carolina Panthers.
In our Week 1 powers rankings roundup, the Panthers were in the 20s on every ranking. Most of that is due to the team having one of the toughest schedules in the league, but it’s also due to a lack of belief in Bryce Young.
Well, at least for now, the haters have been proven right. Bryce Young actually played well in Week 1, but the defensive performance was shockingly terrible. Now, let’s see how the 59-37 Week 1 loss has impacted the power rankings.
Where the Panthers Are Ranked in NFL Power Rankings
- NFL.com: 27 (-4)
- Sports Illustrated: 22 (-2)
- ESPN: 26 (-3)
- CBS Sports: 25 (-2)
What National Pundits Are Saying About the Panthers’ Power Ranking
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“Panthers fans find themselves in an awkward situation in which they can tout Bryce Young’s strong performance and improvement on previous showings … but also must reconcile the fact that their defense surrendered 59 points and 552 yards of offense. The latter is untenable, no matter how well Young and the offense perform.” – Nick Shook (NFL.com)
“Again, this may be indicative of how porous Chicago’s defense might turn out to be, but Bryce Young played an excellent game on Sunday. His ability to make deadly throws from nearly any body position has increased with his confidence. He now looks much more like Bama Bryce than ever before.” – Conor Orr (SI)
“The No. 19 pick gave up a first-quarter sack to Bears pass rusher Montez Sweat, but Freeling settled in at right tackle as the shootout loss moved along. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Freeling allowed three total pressures on 41 pass plays. He allowed that 7.3% pressure rate despite being asked to block individually on 70.7% of his pass plays. Freeling was a starting left tackle throughout his final season at Georgia, and those outings made up the bulk of his college workload. Moving to the opposite side isn’t easy, and Freeling, despite a hiccup, adapted well for a solid debut.” – Mike Kaye (ESPN)
“The offense did its part in the loss to the Bears. But the defense was run on all day and gave up 59 points. That’s embarrassing.” – Pete Prisco (CBS Sports)
Panthers Must Prove Week 1 Was a Fluke
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The Panthers almost certainly won’t give up over 500 yards and 59 points every week. With that being the case, the offense was definitely encouraging and should keep the team in plenty of games.
The Panthers just need to hope the offensive performance is close to the baseline and the defensive performance isn’t. The hope is also that Bryce Young has actually taken a step forward and 2024 and early 2025 Bryce are not going to reappear.
