NFL Power Rankings 2011: 5 Mediocre NFL Squads That'll Rise with Week 1 Wins

Going 0-16 is nearly impossible.  I would say it’s impossible, but the Detroit Lions beat the odds a few years ago.  Ninety-nine percent of the time, every team wins a couple of games each season and these five mediocre clubs will get their first of not so many more this year:

5. Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers boast a running game that not many teams coming off a 2-14 season can.  DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart will run all over a soft Arizona Cardinals defense.  Carolina’s offensive line is healthy coming off an injury plagued 2010 campaign as well.

Cam Newton’s Carolina debut will end better than Kevin Kolb’s in Arizona.

4. Seattle Seahawks

Get hyped for the battle between two of the league’s worst starting quarterbacks: Tarvaris Jackson vs. Alex Smith.  Luckily for Jackson, he has slightly more talent around him than Smith does with Sidney Rice, Zach Miller and Mike Williams.  The Seahawks defense is stronger as well and will improve with the return of Red Bryant.

3. Oakland Raiders

Like the Panthers, the Oakland Raiders own one of the best running back duos in the entire NFL.  Darren McFadden and Michael Bush will run all over the Denver Broncos pitiful interior defensive line.  Ty Warren, a Patriots castoff, and Brodrick Bunkley, an Eagles castoff, will be helpless.

2. Cleveland Browns

There aren’t many teams that are easier first game draws than the Cincinnati Bengals.  Colt McCoy will easily be able to out-duel Andy Dalton.  The Bengals offense is a complete mess as Dalton played shaky throughout the preseason while Cedric Benson spent the last several days in prison.

1. Tennessee Titans

Maurice Jones-Drew is one bad plant on a cut away from blowing out his knee and forcing the Jacksonville Jaguars to start Deji Karim.  Chris Johnson is back and the Jags replacing Kirk Morrison and Justin Durant with Paul Posluszny and Clint Session at linebacker isn’t going to slow him down.  Matt Hasselbeck and the Titans defense have also outperformed David Garrard and the Jaguars defense this preseason.

David Daniels is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a Syndicated Writer. Follow him on Twitter.