NFL Power Rankings: 5 Teams That Will Rise Following Week 2 Wins

Every season teams come out of nowhere in the NFL to work their way into playoff contention. After starting the season near the bottom of most power rankings, they slowly improve their stock. Here are five surprise teams that will continue a rise toward respectability with Week 2 victories.

But first, here are my Week 2 power rankings:

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

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills shocked most of the football world by destroying the defending AFC West champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1. Ryan Fitzpatrick led the offense to 41 points, giving the Buffalo fans hope that the decade of futility may be nearing an end.

In Week 2, the Oakland Raiders come to town after playing deep into Monday night to beat the Denver Broncos. Between the late game, traveling back home and then heading east for an early Sunday start, the Raiders are at a disadvantage this game.

If the Bills can't use that to overcome the Raiders, they are probably the weak team everybody thought they were coming into the season. With a win, though, they'll be 2-0 with a big match-up against the New England Patriots on the horizon in Week 3.

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals overcame a fourth quarter deficit and an amazing first start by Cam Newton to defeat the Carolina Panthers in Week 1. Kevin Kolb took the first step in proving the Cardinals made the right decision to trade for him during the offseason.

They get a chance to further prove themselves by knocking off the Washington Redskins. Led by Rex Grossman, the Redskins took down the favored Giants to start the season. Both teams had low expectations coming into the season and a 2-0 start would go a long way to change perceptions.

Look for this game to turn into a shootout, which favors the Cardinals because of their questionable run defense. Larry Fitzgerald and Kolb are a better combination than Santana Moss and Grossman, so look for the Cardinals to prevail in a thriller.

San Francisco 49ers

Alex Smith is playing for his job every week and the former first-overall pick had a strong game against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1. He'll have a chance to further secure his job with a marquee game performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2.

The Cowboys are coming off a crushing loss against the New York Jets. Tony Romo's fourth quarter turnovers were the difference and forced owner Jerry Jones to reaffirm his commitment to the talented, but mistake-prone quarterback.

Dallas goes into every season with huge expectations and have failed to live up to them recently. With the amount of pressure on the Cowboys to avoid starting 0-2, the 49ers have a good chance to take advantage and start 2-0, leaving Dallas to shake their heads once again.

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions have been labeled a sleeper team every year since they drafted Matthew Stafford to be the franchise quarterback. With a big win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under their belt and a game against the floundering Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, the Lions might have finally arrived.

Detroit has struggled to keep key players healthy over the past few seasons, which is the main reason they have never lived up to the hype, and that will be the most important factor moving forward. If the main pieces stay on the field, they'll be in playoff contention as season's end.

Safety Amari Spievey was the biggest surprise on defense for the Lions in the first week. A third-round pick in 2010, Spievey made seven tackles and could become a very useful piece in a secondary that had some question marks before the season.

Houston Texans

The loss of Peyton Manning will doom the Indianapolis Colts, which opens the door for the Houston Texans. The Texans have been knocking on that door for the last few seasons, but haven't been able to break it down.

Matt Schaub didn't tear up the Colts defense like expected, but the strong running of backup Ben Tate proved that the Colts failed upgrade the run defense again. If the Texans don't win the AFC South, it would now be a major shock.

Mario Williams continues to improve. He looked more explosive than ever against the Colts, picking up two sacks. Furthermore, all the draft picks spent on defense, as well as the addition of Johnathan Joseph, could signal the beginning of a new era in the division.