Week 14 NFL Power Rankings: Panthers on top; Cardinals following closely

Another week of football in the books and the Arizona Cardinals were out to avenge their Week 4 loss. Carson Palmer is not allowing Cam Newton or Tom Brady to run away with that MVP trophy after his clinic against the St. Louis Rams. With that, we have our Week 14 NFL Power Rankings.

1) Carolina Panthers (12-0) - The Panthers came very close to losing to their NFC South rivals, but having clinched the division before even entering the game gave Super Cam that final push to come out with a win. With their final games against the Falcons, Giants, and Bucs - I don't see anything stopping Cam Newton as he looks to be flying high for the foreseeable future.

2) Arizona Cardinals (10-2) - The biggest concern this week was the running game on both sides of the ball and rookie David Johnson did not disappoint as he carried the load for the Cards. With a win against the Vikings and a Seahawks loss, the Cards clinch the NFC West and lock up their spot in the post-season. They have a tough road to winning out, but with the Packers looking shaky, the Vikings beatable - they might be able to let some starters rest instead. (If they aren't competing for NFC's #1 seed based on the Panthers)

3) Denver Broncos (10-2) - Pulling Peyton looks to have been a great decision for the Broncos no matter how bold it looked at the time. The team has to face the Steelers and the Bengals before the end of the season and the AFC playoff picture is starting to look a lot less safe than it did last week. ASU alumni Brock Osweiler looks to lead his team into the right direction and has gotten them into the top 3.

4) New England Patriots (10-2) - A loss to the Eagles does not fare well for the Patriots in the books. When it comes down to it, Tom Brady has always been known for performing without any weapons, but it looks as though he has finally ran out of options. The Pats hope to get past the Texans and Jets short-handed in time to give their weapons time to heal and prepare for the post-season.

5) Cincinnati Bengals  (10-2) - After taking two L's in a row, the Bengals were able to get their record and momentum back on track with huge wins against the Browns and the Rams. Sure, it is the Browns and the Rams but it might be just what the doctor ordered as they enter a tough matchup against a rolling Antonio Brown and the Steelers. This could possibly be the most important game to watch this week.

And the rest:

6) Kansas City Chiefs (7-5)

7) Seattle Seahawks (7-5)

8) Pittsburg Steelers (7-5)

9) Green Bay Packers (8-4)

10) Minnesota Vikings (8-4)

11) New York Jets (7-5)

12) Indianapolis Colts (6-6)

13) Buffalo Bills (6-6)

14) Huston Texans (6-6)

15) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6)

16) Chicago Bears (5-7)

17) Philadelphia Eagles (5-7)

18) New York Giants (5-7)

19) Washington Redskins (5-7)

20) Oakland Raiders (5-7)

21) Detroit Lions (4-8)

22) Atlanta Falcons (6-6)

23) Dallas Cowboys (4-8)

24) New Orleans Saints (4-8)

25) Miami Dolphins (5-7)

26) San Diego Chargers

27) St. Louis Rams (4-8)

28) Tennessee Titans (3-9)

29) San Francisco 49ers (4-8)

30) Baltimore Ravens (4-8)

31) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-8)

32) Cleveland Browns (2-10)