NFL Power Rankings, Week 8: Packers bounce back, Seahawks stumble

By Randy Gurzi | Oct 26, 2020

Oct 25, 2020; Houston, Texas, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Jamaal Williams (30) celebrates with quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

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2020 NFL Power Rankings Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

team. 87. . . Previous: 18th. Carolina Panthers. 19

Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule deserves a lot of credit for what he has done this season without Christian McCaffrey. Their offense was supposed to run through the electric running back but in Week 2, he suffered an ankle injury that resulted in him being placed on the IR.

With Run CMC out, Carolina went from 0-2 to 3-2 after wins over the Los Angeles Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, and Atlanta Falcons. Then, they started to slow down as they lost the past two to the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints. In this one, the Panthers looked for the first time like a team that really missed McCaffrey.

Veteran Mike Davis has been playing very well in his absence but in Week 7, he was held to just 12 yards on seven carries. He wasn’t alone in the struggles as the Panthers managed just 37 total yards on the day.

Their inability to run put the game in Teddy Bridgewater’s hands and while he played well, he didn’t do enough. Bridgewater was 23-of-28 for 254 yards with two touchdowns and no picks but he came up just short against the team he played for the past two seasons. If we are looking for a silver lining, though, the Panthers did still hold their own against two teams that are in the conversation for NFC contenders, which means they’re not too far away themselves.

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