Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas
The Carolina Panthers now are a top 10 team, according to our latest Power Rankings.
The 2-0 Panthers jumped four spots to No. 8, but that's not necessarily a good thing. Carolina, especially since coach John Fox has been around, has thrived in the underdog role. The Panthers haven't fared nearly as well when big things were expected of them (see 2004 and 2006). They've got receiver Steve Smith back from suspension, but they no longer are under anyone's radar.
Fans may like the sudden attention that was well earned with victories against San Diego and Chicago, but the team isn't that thrilled about it.
"How about this buzz saw we're walking into?'' one member of the Carolina front office said in a phone conversation this morning.
Yep, that "buzz saw'' is the winless Minnesota Vikings, who host the Panthers on Sunday. Point taken. To stay in the top 10, Carolina's going to have to avoid the "buzz saw'' that New Orleans ran into against the Redskins.
The Saints were ranked No. 4 last week. Now, they're No. 12. But that leaves them five spots ahead of the Bucs, who jumped to No. 17 (from No. 20 last week) with a victory over Atlanta.
The loss didn't cost the Falcons much, at least in this poll. The Falcons tumbled only one spot to No. 26.
Sort comments by: Most Recent | First Posted
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Pat Yasinskas
Yasinskas joined ESPN.com in January 2008 after covering the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer for nine seasons. He began his journalism career with The Tampa Tribune in 1990.