NFL Power Rankings, Week 5: Cowboys free-falling, Bills stay perfect

Carolina Panthers’ first-year head coach Matt Rhule got his first win of the season in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Now, he followed it up with another solid win as they knocked off an NFC rival in the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 31-21. And while that win is respectable, the score makes it look like this game was more competitive than it really was.

The Panthers were in control from the start as Teddy Bridgewater had his best game as the starter for Carolina. He finished with 276 yards passing and two scores while adding another 32 yards on six rushes and an impressive 18-yard run for six. With Christian McCaffrey out, Mike Davis has proven to be a good replacement with 84 yards and a score on 16 rushing attempts.
Defensively, they forced one turnover — a fumble by Kyler Murray — but for the most part, it was all about being in the right place to limit the Cards offense. Murray was 24-of-31 and had three touchdowns but managed only 133 yards through the air.

Rhule is trying to build a run-first offense that controls the clock and a defense that makes the opponent earn every yard. This week, that was exactly what we saw on the field and it moves them to 2-2 on the year.