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The 2025 Carolina Panthers are no strangers to knocking off Goliath. Before their Week 17 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, they had already upset the No. 1-seeded team in the NFC twice this season—with wins over the Green Bay Packers in Week 9 and the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13.
But No. 3 was simply not to be, as the Seahawks pulled off for a 27-10 victory. Despite sticking close for a little over three quarters, the Panthers crumbled in their final home game of the regular season to move to an even 8-8.
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So, where has this latest loss left Carolina across the power rankings?
Let's take a look . . .
USA Today
Rank: 15 (+1)
Author: Nate Davis
Take: A band that's alternated wins and losses since Week 7 … is due for a win − and, apparently, the NFC South trophy, this Sunday.
NFL Media
Rank: 15 (-1)
Author: Eric Edholm
Take: The NFC South has devolved into a race between two teams, Carolina and Tampa Bay, that are stumbling into this Saturday's showdown at Raymond James Stadium. Carolina edged out Tampa Bay a couple weeks ago, and in the wake of Sunday's defeat to Seattle, it's worth nothing that the Panthers have responded well from losses this season, going 6-1 in such games. They've also had some impressive road wins this season and had games where they've looked like contenders, but those are often followed by back-to-Earth outings. How do we fairly grade Bryce Young at this stage? Every time it feels like he's ascending to a new plateau, he drops down a notch or two -- and Sunday's game against a good Seahawks defense definitely brought the latter.
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ESPN
Rank: 18 (-2)
Author: David Newton
Take: As much improvement as [Bryce] Young has shown this season in helping put Carolina in position to make the playoffs, he has likely been too inconsistent for the organization to commit to him long term. He had a franchise-record 448 passing yards in Week 11 against the Falcons. He had a career-low 54 in Week 17. Young ranks 22nd in QBR (47.9) and completion percentage (63.2%, tied with the Giants' Jaxson Dart). The 2023 No. 1 pick has one more year left on his rookie deal, not including a potential fifth-year option.
Pro Football Talk
Rank: 16 (-2)
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Author: Mike Florio
Take: They’re poised to win the NFC South by default.
CBS Sports
Rank: 13 (-)
Author: Pete Prisco
Take: They play the Bucs likely for the division title Saturday in Tampa Bay. They better get more than 54 yards passing from Bryce Young -- which they did in the loss to Seattle -- or they won't be winning.
Sports Illustrated
Rank: 17 (-2)
Author: Conor Orr
Take: I think this Panthers team was two plays away from having this game tied in the final moments—or close to it. That doesn’t mean anything at the end of the day except for the fact that I might favor them a bit over Tampa Bay this weekend.
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The Athletic
Rank: 15 (-1)
Author: Chad Graff and Josh Kendall
Take: Dave Canales’ team missed a chance to win the NFC South for the first time since 2015, but it can still take the division with a win over Tampa Bay on Saturday (or with an Atlanta win over New Orleans on Sunday). If the Panthers do that, Canales will have completed one of the most impressive coaching jobs in the league after a 1-3 start.
Bleacher Report
Rank: 14 (-)
Author: Kristopher Knox
Take: The Panthers were overmatched by a white-hot Seattle Seahawks team on Sunday, but they'll have one more chance to claim the NFC South next week against Tampa Bay.
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Whether or not Carolina escapes with a division title and a playoff berth, the Panthers should feel good about the growth they've seen from their roster, and Bryce Young, specifically.
Capping their turnaround campaign with a division crown is obviously what the Panthers would prefer, but not many expected them to even have that opportunity when the season began.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: NFL power rankings: Where do the Panthers stand after Week 17 loss?
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