NFL Power Rankings: Dallas Cowboys and 3 Teams Better Than Their Record

There is a saying in the NFL, and really all sports, first coined by Bill Parcells, "You are what your record says you are." While that is definitely true, it does not tell you the whole story of how a team has played in a particular season.

This season, a team like the Dallas Cowboys have played well enough to be at least 3-1, if not 4-0, but they are 2-2 thanks to two late-game meltdowns by quarterback Tony Romo.

But the Cowboys are hardly alone in being a team that has played better than their record.

Here are four teams that are ranked higher in the power rankings than you would think because they have played well but don't have the wins to show for it.

No. 17 Dallas Cowboys (2-2)

Popular sentiment is going to be to bash quarterback Tony Romo for his three interceptions against the Lions—two of which got returned for touchdowns—but let’s try and focus on the positives.

The offense was able to put up 30 points against a good Lions defense. They were up by as many as 24 points in this game.

This team is just 2-2 after four games instead of 4-0 because of four mistakes made by Tony Romo. They were, obviously, big mistakes, but does that wipe away all that good things that he and this team have done this season??

Perhaps the turnovers won’t stop and the Cowboys will be a mediocre team this season. But, at least for now, we should give them the benefit of the doubt.

No. 18 Oakland Raiders (2-2)

Just when you start saying positive things about the Raiders, they go out and lose to the New England Patriots. That isn’t that bad though because a lot of teams lose to the Patriots.

Actually, the Raiders looked impressive in defeat on Sunday. They racked up over 500 yards of total offense and wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bay had his best game of the season with 115 yards on just four catches.

The question for this team has always been what will happen if/when Jason Campbell has to win a game. He did not pass the test on Sunday, but he did show signs that he can be the quarterback this team needs to compete in the AFC West this season.

No. 19 Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)

The Bengals were supposed to struggle this season without Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco. Instead, they have played really well through four weeks, including Sunday’s victory over previously undefeated Buffalo.

Rookies Andy Dalton and A.J. Green have formed a nice quarterback-wide receiver battery so far this season.

The biggest surprise for this team, however, has been on the defensive side of the ball. They are giving up just 275.5 yards per game and 18.5 points per game.

Things might not be as bleak in Cincinnati this season as most analysts figured they would be. They may not be a playoff team, but they can at least win seven or eight games with a defense that good.

No. 23 Carolina Panthers (1-3)

Say what you want about the Panthers’ record, but this team, particularly the offense, is fun to watch. Quarterback Cam Newton has given this team a spark at quarterback that it hasn’t had since the early days of Kerry Collins in the late-'90s.

Wide receiver Steve Smith looks reborn with Newton throwing him the ball. The offense is putting up ridiculous numbers through four weeks.

Against the Bears on Sunday, they racked up 543 yards of total offense and scored 29 points. The defense let them down in the end, but you can’t take away what Newton has done for this offense.

I don’t know how many games this team will win, but they will be fun to watch and will pull off a few upsets along the way.

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings
1. Detroit Lions (4-0)
2. Green Bay Packers (4-0)
3. New England Patriots (3-1)
4. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)
5. New Orleans Saints (3-1)
6. Houston Texans (3-1)
7. Buffalo Bills (3-1)
8. San Diego Chargers (3-1)
9. New York Giants (3-1)
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)
11. Tennessee Titans (3-1)
12. San Francisco 49ers (3-1)
13. Washington Redskins (3-1)
14. Atlanta Falcons (2-2)
15. Chicago Bears (2-2)
16. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)
17. Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
18. Oakland Raiders (2-2)
19. Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)
20. Philadelphia Eagles (1-3)
21. Cleveland Browns (2-2)
22. New York Jets (2-2)
23. Carolina Panthers (1-3)
24. Arizona Cardinals (1-3)
25. Kansas City Chiefs (1-3)
26. Seattle Seahawks (1-3)
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3)
28. Denver Broncos (1-3)
29. Indianapolis Colts (0-3)
30. St. Louis Rams (0-4)
31. Minnesota Vikings (0-4)
32. Miami Dolphins (0-4)