NFL Power Rankings: Initial Post-Sunday Breakdown Ahead of Week 14

Every game from Week 13 in the NFL is in the books except the Monday night tilt between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington. That game has some potential NFC playoff implications, but it won't affect the top of anyone's power rankings. 

After a thrilling 41-38 victory on the road against the New Orleans Saints, the Carolina Panthers moved to 12-0 on the season and reaffirmed their spot as the top team in the NFL.

Rank	Team	Record
1	Carolina Panthers	12-0
2	Arizona Cardinals	10-2
3	New England Patriots	10-2
4	Cincinnati Bengals	10-2
5	Denver Broncos	10-2
6	Pittsburgh Steelers	7-5
7	New York Jets	7-5
8	Green Bay Packers	8-4
9	Seattle Seahawks	7-5
10	Kansas City Chiefs	7-5
11	Minnesota Vikings	8-4
12	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	6-6
13	Atlanta Falcons	6-6
14	Buffalo Bills	6-6
15	Washington	5-6
16	Houston Texans	6-6
17	Indianapolis Colts	6-6
18	Miami Dolphins	5-7
19	Philadelphia Eagles	5-7
20	New York Giants	5-7
21	Oakland Raiders	5-7
22	Chicago Bears	5-7
23	San Francisco 49ers	4-8
24	New Orleans Saints	4-8
25	Detroit Lions	4-8
26	St. Louis Rams	4-8
27	Jacksonville Jaguars	4-8
28	Tennessee Titans	3-9
29	San Diego Chargers	3-9
30	Baltimore Ravens	4-8
31	Dallas Cowboys	3-8
32	Cleveland Browns	2-10

Cam Newton Is the MVP

The Panthers' superstar signal-caller gave fans more reason to see him as league MVP. Newton threw for 331 yards and five touchdowns. The final score was a 15-yard toss to Jerricho Cotchery with just one minute and five seconds remaining in the game.

The Panthers defense had been stout this season, but it ran into a highly motivated Saints offense that was determined to end the Panthers' streak. Newton was having none of it.

With the New England Patriots dropping their second game in a row, and with Tom Brady looking flawed in the process, Newton has to be considered the front-runner for MVP. No player means more to his team's success, and obviously, no club has won as much as Carolina.

The Panthers' next game will be at home against their NFC South rivals, the Atlanta Falcons. We'll see if Newton and Co. can keep their streak alive.

Seattle Is Back in the Saddle

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

After a dominant 38-7 win on the road against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks hold a one-game lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons for the last wild-card spot in the NFC.

Russell Wilson completed 21 of 27 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 51 yards and another score in the win.

In holding the Vikings to seven points, the Seahawks defense finally looked like the unit that terrorized the NFL for the last two seasons. It got after Teddy Bridgewater all afternoon and sacked him four times.

Seattle will be on the road against a 4-8 Baltimore Ravens team next week with a great chance to increase or maintain its lead.

Disappointing Losses

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

The Patriots' 35-28 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was a real bummer. Teams had run roughshod over the Eagles defense over the past two weeks, but a banged-up Patriots squad was held in check enough to drop its second straight game.

Obviously, New England has to get its key players on offense back, but it's not time to push the panic button. Even with New England losing two in a row and the New York Jets winning as many consecutively, the defending Super Bowl champs still hold a three-game lead in the division.

The same cannot be said for a team like the Chicago Bears. Faced with a winnable home game against the 3-8 San Francisco 49ers, the Bears could have improved to .500 and been among the group of teams just a game behind the Seahawks.

Instead, the Bears lost 26-20 at home in overtime after squandering several opportunities to win the game. The worst missed opportunity came at the end of regulation when kicker Robbie Gould missed a 36-yard field goal wide left. Had he made it, the Bears would have won in regulation.

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Resurgent 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert—who tied the game with a 44-yard touchdown run just before Gould's miss—found Torrey Smith on a 71-yard TD strike to win it in OT.

At 5-7, the Bears aren't mathematically eliminated, but it seems unlikely they will be able to run the table. Even if they did, there's no guarantee that a 9-7 record with a 2-3 mark in the division and a 6-6 run in the NFC will get them in.