Way-too-early 2021 NFL Power Rankings: Rams, Packers, Chiefs chasing Buccaneers

After losing two games to start the season, the Carolina Panthers reeled off three victories in a row and were suddenly looking competitive with a record of 3-2. Making this start even more impressive was the fact that they had lost their best player in Week 2 when Christian McCaffrey went down with an injury.

Unfortunately, it was a short-lived run as the Panthers lost their next five games and only found success in two more contests the rest of the way. In the end, they were 5-11 and it wasn’t the start to his NFL career that Matt Rhule had hoped for.

Having said that, Rhule rose to prominence for his ability to build a program so it was never expected that he would come in and turn things around right away. Instead, he’s expected to build up his roster and change the culture in Carolina. While it might not seem as though they accomplished much, they were a competitive team for the most part — including their showing in Week 9 when they took the Kansas City Chiefs to the wire in a 33-31 loss.

There’s still a lot to figure out, including whether or not they want to continue to roll with Teddy Bridgewater but they believe in the guy steering the ship.