The Panthers came into Week 8 riding a four-game winning streak. Beating the NFC-leading 49ers in San Francisco would have proven to the world that they’re real contenders this season. Instead, they got demolished 51-13 and showed just how far they still have to go.
As expected, Carolina took a tumble in the power rankings as a result. Doug Farrar had the Panthers at No. 9 last week but they’re No. 11 now.
“It was nice while it lasted. Panthers backup quarterback Kyle Allen hadn’t been involved in a loss or thrown an interception through his first four starts this season, leading to all kinds of speculation about the future of the injured Cam Newton. Then, what happens to every young quarterback happened to Allen — he ran into a defense he couldn’t solve, and it all fell apart.”
Fans hoping that Newton can come to the rescue will have to wait at least one more week – Allen has been named the starter for Sunday’s game against the Titans.
In the mean time, coach Ron Rivera has a lot of things to figure out – especially what the most effective combination of offensive linemen is that he can put on the field.
