NFL Power Rankings, Week 15: 49ers win thriller over Saints, Chiefs stake claim

25. Carolina Panthers (19)

During a week in which the Carolina Panthers could have used a big win to help the team feel better about the recent firing of Ron Rivera, the Atlanta Falcons made it look easy completing the season sweep of their rivals.

After losing for the sixth time in seven games, it’s crazy to think how quickly this Panthers team has gone from contender to pretender since Carolina appeared to be a lock for at least a playoff spot in the NFC.

Even more surprising, the Panthers seemed confident enough in Kyle Allen being their quarterback of the future, but another disappointing outing against the Falcons in which he finished with three turnovers shows this may not be the case.

For the second year in a row, Carolina will be viewed as a team with a ton of potential to be legitimate playoff contender, only to allow it all to go to complete waste since they will be watching the playoffs from home in January like most teams.

As much as the Panthers don’t want to hear it, this offseason is going to be a long fun filled with plenty of changes, including figuring out their next head coach, and their situation at quarterback.