NFL power rankings, Week 6: Patriots rise, Eagles fall

15. team. 87. Nothing has gone right for the defending NFC champion Panthers. They have been riddled injuries across the depth chart, including to their starting quarterback. The reigning Most Valuable Player Cam Newton will not play Monday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers arrive for a primetime showdown. Rookies James Bradberry and Vernon Butler will not play, and neither will offensive lineman Michael Oher. Two key members of the front seven Thomas Davis and Charles Johnson are currently listed as questionable with injuries of their own. Panthers fans could be in for another long night at home when another former National Championship winning, Heisman-toting, former first pick quarterback Jameis Winston enters. The Panthers will still enter the game as heavy favorites based on the amount of talent they have, but quarterback Derek Anderson must be careful. Rookie Vernon Hargreaves III will be sniffing out his first career interception despite playing incredibly well to start his career. Hargreaves, who is listed at 5-foot-10, most likely will not match-up against Kelvin Benjamin, who has a good seven inches on him. Expect the Tampa Bay rookie to focus primarily on Ted Ginn Jr. or Philly Brown, who both measure-out to be around 5-foot-11. <p>Next Week: Carolina will be traveling to take on the New Orleans Saints on a short week. The Saints always give the Panthers a game, and expect it to be doubly so this time with New Orleans coming off a bye week.</p> <p>Playoff hopes: Already in an unexpected hole, the Panthers will need to pull themselves out to have a playoff spot this year. Atlanta’s surprising run has left the Panthers three games behind, and the Falcons have already taken the first game between these two this season.</p>. 1-3. Previous: . Carolina Panthers