NFL Power Rankings Week 4: Detroit Lions and 2 Teams That Will Rise

You can't be content with your station in life. That is what the Detroit Lions and two other teams will show us in week 4. 

You can always do better. That is a lesson I learned when watching A Knight's Tale starring Heath Ledger; also that We Will Rock You was a song sung in Medieval Times. 

Like a lowly peasant, the Detroit Lions have risen from the ashes of anonymity. In 2011, they have a real shot at something special. With some luck, this team could be playoff bound. 

In Week 4, they will again show what they are made of a rise in the power rankings. Here's the rundown on this weekend's biggest movers and shakers. 

1. Detroit Lions

The Lions will have no easy feat in the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. This is a banged-up Cowboys squad that has won their last two games based on grit and good fortune. 

They have been begging for a better team to come along and smack them down once again. That team is the youthful and surging Detroit Lions. 

2. Buffalo Bills

If we are talking about teams on the rise, we have to mention the Buffalo Bills. Ryan Fitzpatrick should have no issue picking apart the Bengals secondary with a growing list of targets. 

Every week he seems to find a new receiver willing to step up on the field. The Bengals offense is in shambles, making this a good chance for the Bills' fourth win. 

3. Washington Redskins

The Redskins took a hit on national TV when they lost in a gritty game to the Cowboys. 

This is still a very much improved squad from last year. The best thing they can do at this point is play a worse squad to get them back on track. Enter the St. Louis Rams. The NFL punching bags will provide a gift of momentum to Washington. 

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