Panthers vs. Bengals 2014 picks and predictions: Clean sweep for Cincinnati

No team suffered a bigger blow to its ego in Week 5 than the Cincinnati Bengals. An undefeated start had many discussing Cincinnati in the same breath as the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, but after a shellacking at the hands of the New England Patriots, suddenly the "same old Bengals" are back. While the defeat certainly raises questions about the team's ability to compete with the NFL's elite, the Bengals still possess a punishing defense and a multidimensional offense capable of big outputs against most opponents.

Even in defeat, Andy Dalton performed admirably. The Bengals quarterback completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 204 yards and two scores. His 117.4 rating against the Patriots was his best in a single game this season. Likewise, it was a quiet, but efficient day for lead rusher Giovani Bernard. The second-year tailback picked up 62 yards on his 13 carries, adding 10 more receiving yards. The defense just couldn't hold up its end of the bargain. The normally stout run defense yielded over 200 yards to New England, allowing the Patriots to take the lead, grind away the clock and score 43 points in the process.

The Carolina Panthers, on the other hand, are coming off a confidence-building comeback win over the Chicago Bears. The offense, hampered by injuries to Cam Newton and the absence of each of its top three running backs, managed a season-high 31 points. Additionally, Carolina's defense held the Bears offense in check while forcing four turnovers. If that display is a harbinger of things to come, the Panthers could make serious noise in the NFC.