Five teams with worse records rank ahead of Panthers in ESPN Power Rankings

[KB_fan]

More power rankings info, courtesy of Panthers.com

PANTHERS POWER UP: With a shout-out to Cam Newton and the defense, Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com vaults the Panthers into the top 10 in his latest power rankings at No. 8. Carolina moves up five spots to No. 13 in Mike Florio’s rankings for Pro Football Talk.

POWER SHORTAGE: A couple of other power rankers aren’t as quick to hop about the bandwagon. Frank Schwab at Yahoo.com has Carolina at 19th – below four 0-2 teams - while Elliot Harrison at NFL.com moves the Panthers up just one spot to No. 14 while moving the division rival Atlanta Falcons up eight spots to No. 10.

[Seltzer]

You want to be the best, you've got to beat the best.  So far we've beaten bottom feeders.  We have the talent, but until we start knocking off top 10 teams, we're sitting right where we deserve to sit.  Games 5-8 give us a chance to put up or shut up.

This.  Games 5-8 are going to define this team until our late season showdowns with the Dirty Birds.  Even going 4-0 (which we still need to do) will be somewhat dismissed by the national media as games we should win.  And honestly, they're right.

Fair or unfair, the Panthers were considered trespassers in last year's playoffs.  I am not one to buy in too much to the no respect thing, but I truly can't remember a team that made the divisional playoffs in consecutive years that has been dismissed like we have been.

Regardless, the truth remains that unless we make a good showing in Games 5-8, we are not going to be seen a true contender and most fans outside the Carolinas will still consider us mediocre.  Newton is going to have to make a Super Bowl before some in the national media will give him respect.