The standings can only tell us so much about how good an NFL team is compared to the competition. That's especially true this early in the season, where only a handful of plays may separate an 0-3 team from a 3-0 team.
Power rankings are among the best tools we have to measure a team's worth—and we have an intriguing set to digest today from former Carolina Panthers beat writer Jourdan Rodrigue at The Athletic. She has all 32 teams organized into five different tiers based on how well their plans are going this season.
The Panthers are in the middle of the pack in her rankings, coming in at second from the top in Tier 3. That group includes teams that are "messy," but have their long-term view intact.
Rodrigue writes:
Carolina would be a surefire
Tier 2 team (the big issue being their defense, of course) if not for injuries. From Nic Scourton and Taylor Moton to Jaycee Horn, to Mike Jackson and Devin Lloyd, to Damien Lewis and Jalen Coker, key players across the entire roster are either very banged up or lost for the season. Still, if the long-term plan is to figure out what they truly have in QB Bryce Young — who is generally playing very well despite facing a league-high pressure rate, and seems to have a great partnership with first-year play caller Brad Idzik — then the Panthers are right on track.
The mounting injuries are definitely a concern, but there's nothing the Panthers can do about that.
While it would be nice to finish the year with a second straight NFC South title, only three things really matter for this team for the rest of the season.
First, Carolina has to climb out of the basement in run defense—where they're currently giving up more yards than any other team in the league. Second, they also have to improve a pass rush that's much more expensive than it was last season and start turning pressures into sacks.
Most of all, the Panthers need to come to a decision on starting quarterback Bryce Young. If he continues to play the way he has so far, especially with terrible pass protection, then giving him a long-term deal should be a no-brainer.
If that happens, then this season should be considered a victory—no matter where they might finish in the standings.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers land in 'messy' tier for team utility rankings
