Panthers Third In ESPN's Power Rankings

We're halfway through the NFL season and the Carolina Panthers have a 6-2 record. I, for one, am very surprised. I should be saying that I'm pleasantly surprised since I'm a Panthers fan, but I'm not a believer just yet. I'm not a bandwagon or fair-weather fan; I just look at things realistically. And I'm not convinced the Panthers will equal their win total in the second half of the season. But I could be wrong.

I was watching SportsCenter this afternoon when they showed their Power Rankings for the NFL teams through Week 8. They ranked the Panthers third, only behind the Tennessee Titans (7-0) and New York Giants (6-1). The Titans and Giants maintained their first and second place spots from the previous week, while the Panthers moved up from seventh.

The reason I was so skeptical of the Panthers coming into this season was because I felt they didn't make enough changes in the offseason. Though it appears the few moves they did make, along with a healthy Jake Delhomme, are paying off. But I still have my doubts. Pay me no mind, die-hard Panthers fans. But I can't say I value much what ESPN has to say. They picked the Panthers to go to the Super Bowl in 2006 and 2007, and we all know that didn't happen.