Everyone knew it was coming. 

A team can't lose two games in a row in the fashion the Carolina Panthers did and expect NFL power rankings to look at them favorably. 

Still, what was troublesome for the Panthers after Week 1 got worse in Week 2. The offense couldn't score a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter in a 20-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints at home. Bryce Young looked more limited than the previous week. And Frank Reich doesn't appear willing to shake up the play calling any time soon. So, the recent slippage in power rank spots isn't a huge surprise. The rankings serve as another reminder of how far the Panthers have to go until they are a winning team in the NFC South. 

In ESPN's Power Rankings, the Panthers slipped from No. 28 to No. 29. 

Then, in Sports Illustrated's Power Rankings, the Panthers dropped to No. 28 — four slots away from being the worst team in the NFL. 

Take a look at what SI had to say: 

A dominant defense, no doubt, and an offense that is still finding its way. I think it always made sense for the Panthers to come along a little bit organically. As good of a head coach as Frank Reich is, he is purposefully breaking in a staff of relative newbies. From Bryce Young this week we saw what can best be categorized as the game after the first game, which can often be a more difficult task for a rookie who just had a week’s worth of film digested on him by professional coaches. This led to some long downs for Carolina, and with the Saints able to muddy the pocket with minimal defenders, it became a recipe for a rookie learning experience. Reich took the Mac Jones-Bill Belichick path on Monday and pulled the game from his young QB’s hands, opting not to try for a game-tying fourth-down conversion attempt with under seven minutes to play. Still, Young did a nice job under pressure, netting a two-point conversion on a somewhat busted concept to get Carolina within a field goal. 

In The Athletic's Power Rankings, the Panthers dropped from No. 28 to No. 29 as well. 

Take a look at what they had to say about the team: 

Bryce Young, the rookie quarterback, has totaled 299 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions thus far. His 4.2 yards per attempt is the third lowest in NFL history through a player’s first two career games (minimum 50 attempts), according to ESPN Stats & Info. Miles Sanders, the free-agent running back addition, is averaging 3.6 yards per carry. And the Panthers are already two games behind everyone else in the NFC South.

Lastly, CBS Sports' Power Rankings slotted the Panthers at No. 29, down from No. 28 heading into Week 2. 

And similar to other outlets, the main culprit for the Panthers' drop is the lack of offensive production. 

The offense isn't doing enough as Bryce Young has struggled and the offensive line has been an issue. At 0-2, they are in a hole in the division with three 2-0 teams.

The writing is on the wall. If the Panthers want to climb up the league-wide power rankings board, it starts with putting together a decent offensive night and snagging the first win of the season. 

NFC South Standings 

Team	Record	Winning percentage	Points for	Points against	Home record	Away record	Streak
Atlanta Falcons	2-0	1.000	49	34	2-0	0-0	W2
New Orleans Saints	2-0	1.000	36	32	1-0	1-0	W2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	2-0	1.000	47	34	1-0	1-0	W2
Carolina Panthers	0-2	.000	27	44	0-1	0-1	L2

News from Panthers and Saints, Week 2

• Bryce Young on the Panthers' offensive dud against Saints: 'I got to do a lot better'.
• Panthers LB Shaq Thompson's injury update: 'He will miss an extended amount of time'.
• Safety Vonn Bell breaks a two-year Panthers drought against New Orleans Saints.

Feature image via Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports.