Carolina Panthers plummet in power rankings ahead of Week 15

Where do the Carolina Panthers sit in the national power rankings?

If the Carolina Panthers were hoping for some sort of miracle cure during their bye week, it simply didn’t come. Their dismal loss against the Denver Broncos was full of the same old frustrating mistakes that have been the catalyst behind their demise for most of the campaign. And momentum is clearly going in a concerning direction ahead of another critical offseason period for the organization.

Something is not quite right with the Carolina Panthers, of that there is little doubt. There promises to be another huge shake-up to the roster in 2021 as a result, with head coach Matt Rhule looking to make strides in pursuit of being a postseason contender down the line.

Going to a leading Super Bowl contender for a nationally televised game is the last thing the Panthers need at this juncture. The Green Bay Packers looked primed for another shot at the title and they will see this as another good opportunity to make a statement against a team that isn’t that high on confidence.

Let’s take a look at where the Panthers stand in the national power rankings ahead of their trip to Lambeau Field in Week 15.

Carolina Panthers in the Week 15 power rankings.

NFL.com dropped the Panthers four spots in their weekly rankings to No. 27, highlighting the fact that the organization might be heading into a “fork in the road” regarding their big decision surrounding quarterback Teddy Bridgewater after a series of disappointing outings in recent weeks.

"“Do the Panthers ride with Bridgewater and build around the veteran — or draft a QB and start over at the game’s most important position. Hmmmm…”"

The guys over at ESPN finally seem to be losing patience with Carolina after plummeting them eight places to No. 27. But they did concede that not having their star running back Christian McCaffrey in the lineup for all-but three games this season was a big factor in the team going 0-7 on game-winning drives in 2020.

Things looked a little more promising on the CBS Sports list. The Panthers were down two positions to No. 23 and their defense was blamed for defeat against the Broncos when an argument could definitely be made to the contrary.

Pro Football Talk urged Carolina to embrace the prospect of getting another high-end NFL Draft pick in 2021 after moving them down three places to No. 26, with The Bleacher Report refusing to hold out much hope for the Panthers’ chances with Bridgewater under center in 2021 after putting them at No. 22 – a decrease of two spots.

"“Given Carolina’s financial commitment to Bridgewater, he isn’t going anywhere. The 28-year-old will all but certainly be the Panthers starter in 2021. And the Panthers will likely be then what they are now: an also-ran looking up at the Buccaneers and Saints in the NFC South.”"

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Rounding off the national power rankings round-up is the NBC Sports publication, which also demoted the Panthers to No. 25. This is a trend seen across all national media outlets after such an ugly loss that has raised even more concerns about the team’s long-term aspirations in 2021 and beyond.