On The Prowl 9/22: Power Rankings and Game Grades

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. NEWTON GETS STYLE POINTS: In a more unique set of power rankings, Cam Newton earned the top grade in Sports Illustrated's weekly "Quarterback Podium Style Rankings," highlighting both his impressive performance on the field and color-coordinated effort in the press conference. READ MORESHORT, NORMAN TOP PLAYERS OF WEEK 2: In their weekly series, Pro Football Focus graded defensive tackle Kawann Short and cornerback Josh Norman as the best players at their position across the league for Week 2. READ MORE NEWTON'S FLIP A 10.0 WITH FANS, BUT NOT WITH GYMNASTIC EXPERTS: Newton's flipping touchdown earned praise from fans and the top spot on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays, and now gymnastic experts weigh in on the athletic feat. READ MORE PANTHERS RECOGNIZED FOR FAN EXPERIENCE: Carol Roth of Entrepreneur.com praises the Panthers for their efforts to provide a great fan experience: "the team has created a pre-eminent customer-centric football culture that embraces all fans. The Panthers organization has a motto of putting fans first, which means that even if you are a transplant to Charlotte that cheers for a different team or are in town to root for a rival, you are still rewarded with a top-shelf experience that converts you into being a repeat customer, even if you aren’t wearing the signature black, blue and silver." READ MORE