NFL Power Rankings: 3 Early Season Surprises That Will Keep Rising in Week 4

The 2011 NFL season has been chock-full of surprises, to say the least. The meekest of the league who've suffered for years have, in the first three weeks of the current campaign, inherited the joyful, winning ways that long eluded them. For these three teams, the good times figure to roll on for another week, at least.

Detroit Lions 

I don't know if it's fair to call the Lions a "surprise" team at this point, since everyone and their mother picked them to be the breakout team of 2011.

Nonetheless, you can hardly fault Detroit for being who we thought they were...and more. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has the offense firing on all cylinders, while Ndamukong Suh has brought a definite swagger and a mean streak to the Lions' defense. 

Thanks to their play, along with the superb coaching of Jim Schwartz, the Lions are no longer the laughingstock of the NFL. 

Next up, Detroit will head down to Irving, Texas to take on the Cowboys in a battle to determine which team deserves the bigger "D." Despite coming within minutes of a 3-0 start, the Cowboys have looked like anything but world beaters thus far, especially after beating the Redskins with six field goals. 

You can bet "The Man Called Suh" will be hungry for some of Tony Roma's Romo's ribs and will get more than just a piece in the process.

 

Houston Texans 

Like the Lions, the Texans were a sexy pick to take a big step forward this season. The combination of a dynamite offense, a Wade Phillips defense and no Peyton Manning in Indianapolis made the AFC South theirs for the taking before the 2011 season ever kicked off. 

Houston has yet to disappoint, even with Arian Foster hampered by a hamstring injury. If anything, Sunday's loss to the Saints only confirmed that the Texans are for real, just as New Orleans' defeat at Green Bay showed that the Saints are ready to contend again. 

A fine moral victory in hand, Matt Schaub and company will return home for yet another test against a contender, this time with Pittsburgh ready to administer the evaluation. The Steelers have played like a Jekyll-and-Hyde team thus far, with their less flattering performances coming on the road. 

The Texans can surely take comfort in that and should be ready to roll against a Pittsburgh team that struggled against the Colts on Sunday night.

The very same Colts, by the way, that Houston stomped in Week 1, 34-7.

 

Buffalo Bills 

Now, if you really want to pick out a team that's baffled even the most prescient of experts, look no further than the Buffalo Bills. 

Ryan Fitzpatrick has circled the wagons in upstate New York to the tune of a thrilling 3-0 start, including big-time comeback wins over the Raiders and the Patriots. 

For their next act, Fitz-Magic and the brilliant Bills will take their show on the to Cincinnati to beat up on the hapless (and likely Cedric Benson-less) Bengals. Cincy has done well to stop Colt McCoy, Kyle Orton and Alex Smith so far, though none of those three can even hold a candle to Fitzpatrick at this point. 

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Josh Martin's Week 4 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. Oakland Raiders

15. Washington Redskins

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

17. Tennessee Titans

18. Atlanta Falcons

19. Philadelphia Eagles

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