CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you need any indication of how rough the Carolina Panthers season is going so far, just look at any NFL power rankings list.
After losing 37-15 to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5, the Panthers have hit rock bottom by being listed as the NFL's worst team at this point in the season by multiple NFL writers.
NFL.com, ESPN, The Athletic, Sports Illustrated, and Pro Football Talk, among others, have all listed the Panthers 32nd, or last, in league power rankings.
"Not to oversimplify, but the Panthers have lost 11 of their past 12 games and are 11-27 since 2020," wrote David Newton, ESPN writer. "This is a team in flux, so to suggest a playoff appearance seems a bit far-fetched."
The only major site that does not have the Panthers dead last is CBS Sports, who rank the Panthers ahead of the Washington Commanders.
Before Week 5, the Panthers were not too much up the power ranking ladder. Most of these sites had the Panthers ranked either 30th or 31st with only the Houston Texans falling consistently below, but the Texans have gotten a slight bit of love after winning their first game of the year against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In response to the first five meager weeks of play, Matt Rhule was fired as the Panthers' head coach. He finished his tenure in Carolina with an 11-27 record.
Steve Wilks, a defensive assistant coach, has been elevated to be head coach in Rhule's absence and will look to steer around this team that's headed in the wrong direction.
Part of Rhule's problems during his time with the Panthers was the lack of quality quarterback play. Baker Mayfield has not put up substantial numbers during his first month as the Panthers starting quarterback.
Through five weeks, Mayfield has averaged less than 200 yards a game and has thrown as many touchdowns as interceptions (4). To make matters worse, Mayfield suffered an ankle injury against the 49ers that will sideline him for two to six weeks.
In his place will be PJ Walker, a third-year player who surprisingly holds an undefeated starting record (2-0) despite throwing just two touchdowns to eight interceptions in his career. Walker will make the start against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Sam Darnold suffered an injury in the preseason that's left him inactive for the entirety of the season thus far. The timetable for his return is unknown but he could be an option if Mayfield is out for longer than expected.
Regardless, the Panthers have not seen solid quarterback play in years and that's contributed to their demise.
"The Panthers have had dreadful instincts in addressing the quarterback position since cutting ties with former MVP Cam Newton," wrote Dan Hanzus, NFL.com writer. "Sam Darnold was a bust in 2021, and Baker Mayfield has been just as bad (if not worse) as QB1 this year."
The Panthers Week 6 game matches them against a Rams team that's far from the form they showed last year on their way to winning the Super Bowl. This game could prove to be a momentum boost for the Panthers who are looking for any shred of relevance so far. After Week 6, the Panthers play several teams who are in much better shape and will be looking to get an easy win over Carolina.