The Carolina Panthers stunned the league by beating the Green Bay Packers. And yet, when ESPN released its latest NFL power rankings, Dave Canales' squad barely cracked the top half.
Despite climbing to 5-4 and taking down a legitimate Super Bowl contender, Carolina landed at No. 16, only three spots higher than last week’s ranking of No. 19.
For a team that’s now won four of its last five games and is in the thick of the NFC South title race, landing before a San Francisco 49ers team that’s devastated by injuries and a Jacksonville Jaguars squad that beat the Las Vegas Raiders by one point in overtime feels disrespectful.