2017 NFL Power Rankings Week 10: Los Angeles Rams continue to impress following bye

7. Carolina Panthers (11)

After two tough losses in a row to the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears, it’s been great to see the Carolina Panthers bounce back with two wins in a row, with the latest coming on Sunday at home against the Atlanta Falcons. When seeing how the NFC South is shaping out, this was a huge win by the Panthers to keep up with the New Orleans Saints, as this division race could turn out to be one of the most exciting in the NFL to follow in the second half of the regular season.

One of the main reasons why Carolina was able to hang on for the 20-17 win over Atlanta was due to a strong performance on the ground after the offense finished the day with 201 rushing yards. In fact, the Panthers were pleased to see rookie Christian McCaffrey finally come up big in the ground game after finishing with 66 rushing yards to go along with a trip into the end zone.

Yes, everyone knows it’s unfair to criticize McCaffrey since he’s been used more as a receiver, but also one of the main reasons why the Panthers were so high on him in this year’s NFL Draft was because of his ability as a duel threat. With more performances like this, Carolina will have a much better shot at keeping up with New Orleans, or one of the playoff spots in the NFC.