NFL Power Rankings: Which Teams Will Go from Pathetic to Playoffs?

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The NFL is made up of teams that are elite and teams that are down right awful. Some pathetic teams have attempted to get better, but it's tough to become a contender over night.

Through the course of the season, a few teams that were pitiful in 2010 will rise up and shock people in the 2011 season.

There are only a few teams that will have a drastic turn around this season, and they are the Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings and the Tennessee Titans.

One thing these teams have in common is that they all have a new quarterback. The Cardinals traded for Kevin Kolb, the Vikings traded for Donovan McNabb and the Titans signed Matt Hasselbeck.

They aren't elite quarterbacks, but they'll help these teams go from five and six wins to playoff contenders.

Don't expect either of these teams to be picking in the top 10 or 15 of the 2012 NFL Draft. The Titans have the toughest road because of their division, but Hasselbeck makes them a threat.

It won't be easy for the Titans to beat the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans twice in one season, but splitting the season series will definitely help.

Kolb is expected to save the Cardinals season, and because he plays in the weak NFC West, winning a the division title won't be all that difficult. After all, a 7-9 team won it a year ago.

With Larry Fitzgerald out wide, Kolb won't have a hard time moving the ball down the field. The Cardinals are serious threats to win their division and host a playoff game.

McNabb now must play in the toughest division in the NFL, the NFC North. His arrival strengthens the Vikings as well as the division.

Luckily for McNabb, he joins a team with some serious offensive weapons, which will help him take this team far in 2011.

Not every team can go from bad to great in one season, but these three team are all capable of a tremendous turn around in 2011.

-Eric Bowman

2011 NFL Power Rankings
1. New England Patriots
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. Atlanta Falcons
6. Indianapolis Colts
7. New Orleans Saints
8. New York Jets
9. Baltimore Ravens
10. San Diego Chargers
11. Houston Texans
12. Chicago Bears
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14. Kansas City Chiefs
15. Dallas Cowboys
16. New York Giants
17. Minnesota Vikings
18. St. Louis Rams
19. Detroit Lions
20. Arizona Cardinals
21. Seattle Seahawks
22. Jacksonville Jaguars
23. Denver Broncos
24. Miami Dolphins
25. Oakland Raiders
26. Cleveland Browns
27. Tennessee Titans
28. San Francisco 49ers
29. Buffalo Bills
30. Carolina Panthers
31. Cincinnati Bengals
32. Washington Redskins