There won't be any parades for the Carolina Panthers' latest victory, which came against a Philadelphia Eagles team that's actively falling apart as we speak. Nevertheless, a win is a win—and this one helped give them a tighter grip on their lead in the NFC South.
Let's see if the triumph will get them a bump in the latest NFL power rankings from around the web.
Here's where they stand going into Week 7 . . .
USA Today
Rank: 10 (+1)
Author: Nate Davis
Take: It's truly wild that QB Bryce Young leads the NFL with 309.8 passing yards per game − same guy who never averaged better than 190 yards in any of his first three seasons.
NFL.com
Rank: 13 (+1)
Author: Nick Shook
Take: Bryce Young continues to thrive, Jalen Coker effectively returned to the offense after some time
away due to injury, Chuba Hubbard got rolling, and Carolina’s defense successfully limited the Tanner McKee-led Eagles to just 14 points in the Week 6 win. That’s called taking care of business. Despite Carolina sitting outside the top 10, I’m feeling very optimistic about the Panthers’ chances of winning the NFC South. They’re more consistent than they’ve ever been under Dave Canales and look the part of a playoff team that has been there before and intends to return.
ESPN
Rank: 15 (+3)
Author: Mike Kaye
Take: The Panthers are organically throwing to run. While the team would like to have a more balanced attack early, the offense is leaning heavily on its passing game to start fast and score points. The Panthers are averaging a league-worst 26.2 rushing yards in the first half. Defenses are then getting worn out against the passing attack, and running back Chuba Hubbard is taking advantage -- the offense averages a second-best 82.6 rushing yards in the second half. That production might not be sustainable, even with QB Bryce Young among the league leaders in passing yards.
Sports Illustrated
Rank: 13 (+7)
Author: Conor Orr
Take: Brad Idzik has unquestionably joined the field of Declan Doyle and Grant Udinski when it comes to young playcallers who will field a good number of permission slips this winter if current trends hold. Idzik used to chart tendencies for Dave Canales in Seattle and Tampa Bay, which is an obvious reason why the Panthers’ offense seems so delightfully unpredictable.
The Athletic
Rank: 15 (-)
Author: Chad Graff and Josh Kendall
Take: The Carolina quarterback was an afterthought in fantasy drafts. His average draft position was 176th, and he is now eighth among all players and fourth among quarterbacks in scoring (22.1). More importantly to the Panthers, he is sixth in the league in passing yards (1,549) and tied for seventh in touchdowns (11) while throwing just two interceptions.
Bleacher Report
Rank: 11 (+2)
Author: Mo Moton
Take: The Carolina Panthers are the best team in the NFC South a third of the way through the regular season. Many won't praise them for beating the Philadelphia Eagles, who were without starting quarterback Jalen Hurts and star running back Saquan Barkley and fielded a reshuffled offensive line, though Carolina has been without its starting cornerbacks, Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, due to injuries.
The Panthers are proving last year's NFC South title wasn't a fluke. Bryce Young is playing his best football, with 11 touchdown passes and just two interceptions. They're a legitimate playoff team this year and are slowly climbing in our power rankings.
Pro Football Talk
Rank: 15 (+3)
Author: Mike Florio
Take: Two years after being benched, Bryce Young is earning a big contract.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Where the Panthers stand in NFL power rankings going into Week 7
