NFL Power Rankings: Ryan Fitzpatrick and 3 Players Driving Teams Up Rankings

The success or failure of any team in the NFL always depends on more than one player, though Indianapolis Colts fans would beg to differ.

That being said, it certainly helps when a squad has one guy—like a Tom Brady or a Peyton Manning—whose spectacular play clearly elevates that of his teammates to a winning level.

These three guys, in particular, have thus far performed in a way that's emblematic of their respective teams' successes in the early going of the 2011 season.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo Bills

Smart, gutty and persistent. That's what Ryan Fitzpatrick has been, and the Bills have become, this season.

Buffalo has ridden the "Fitz-Magic" to a surprising 3-0 start, buoyed by Ryan's brilliance in leading his team to thrilling comeback victories against good teams (yes, the Raiders are included) in back-to-back weeks.

Next up, he'll be ready to spank a Bengals' pass defense that's yet to be tested by a quarterback anywhere near Fitzpatrick's caliber.

Unless, of course, you think Colt McCoy, Kyle Orton and/or Alex Smith have anything on Fitzy. 

Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders

If it hadn't been for Fitzpatrick and those pesky Bills, Darren McFadden's Oakland Raiders would be the biggest 3-0 surprise.

Not that a close loss on the road should do anything to diminish what the Silver and Black and their star running back have accomplished to this point. McFadden currently leads the NFL in rushing with a whopping 393 yards on the ground and is second in the league with 6.4 yards per carry.

McFadden put together his best performance of the season, and arguably the best of his entire career, with 171 yards and two touchdowns on just 19 carries against the New York Jets' vaunted defense.

McFadden has been something of a sleeping giant in the Raiders' backfield ever since the team selected him with the No. 4 pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. The former Arkansas Razorback cracked the 1,000-yard mark in 2010 for the first time in his career and has given no indication since that he, and the Raiders by extension, are about to slow down anytime soon.

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

Speaking of health and promise, no one in the NFL is putting the two together to such great effect this season quite like Matthew Stafford.

The 3-0 Lions have been the best story in the NFC, if not the entire league, thanks to Stafford's emergence as a top-flight quarterback. Stafford has hardly seemed phased by the nagging injuries that marred his rookie and sophomore seasons in Detroit.

Instead, he's been lightning up opposing defenses to the tune of a 110.7 passer rating—the third best in the NFL, behind only Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.

Stafford demonstrated Fitzpatrick-like moxie in leading his Lions back from a 20-0 half-time deficit to defeat the Vikings in Minnesota for the first time in nearly a decade and a half.

Assuming Stafford can stay on his feet and off the trainer's table, he and the Lions should have little trouble continuing their shocking assault on the NFL on the way to their first playoff appearance since 1999.

Follow @J0shMart1n

Josh Martin's Week 3 NFL Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers

2. New Orleans Saints

3. Detroit Lions

4. Buffalo Bills

5. New England Patriots

6. New York Giants

7. Houston Texans

8. Dallas Cowboys

9. Baltimore Ravens

10. Pittsburgh Steelers

11. San Diego Chargers

12. New York Jets

13. Cleveland Browns

14. Washington Redskins

15. Philadelphia Eagles

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

17. Tennessee Titans

18. Atlanta Falcons

19. Oakland Raiders

20. San Francisco 49ers

21. Carolina Panthers

22. Chicago Bears

23. Miami Dolphins

24. Denver Broncos

25. Seattle Seahawks

26. Minnesota Vikings

27. Jacksonville Jaguars

28. Arizona Cardinals

29. Cincinnati Bengals

30. St. Louis Rams

31. Indianapolis Colts

32. Kansas City Chiefs