NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Which Cinderella Teams are on the Rise?

The best part about sports is that the audience never knows what's going to happen. Everybody has a prediction of which NFL teams will be good and which ones will suck, but it's impossible to accurately predict an entire season. If somebody could, power rankings wouldn't be so interesting.

Every year, Cinderella teams seemingly come out of nowhere to shock the football world. Some of them hang around and become playoff contenders, while others fade away as winter takes its grip. But without those unexpected performances, the NFL just wouldn't be the same.

With that in mind, it's time to examine which Cinderella's are moving up the power rankings in Week 6.

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

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills got back on track with a win over Michael Vick's Philadelphia Eagles following a proverbial trap-game loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4. George Wilson and Nick Barnett led Buffalo's opportunistic defense to another turnover-heavy performance.

Between Fred Jackson's great start on the ground and Ryan Fitzpatrick leading a quick, effective passing attack, the Bills offense is a force to be reckoned with. While the loss on Donald Jones will hurt, the Bills offense is more about the system than the players within it.

Looking at Buffalo's schedule for the remainder of the season, the team should be in the playoff race until the end. It usually takes around 10 wins to qualify in the AFC, and that's exactly the number I would peg the Bills at right now. It's going to be close.

Cincinnati Bengals

When Bernard Scott crossed the goal line to give the Cincinnati Bengals the lead on Sunday, there was a weird feeling about it. A feeling that maybe, Cincinnati, who has made the playoffs just twice since 1991, is for real in 2011.

Andy Dalton continues to made strides toward becoming a reliable quarterback, and fellow rookie A.J. Green has exceeded even the most optimistic predictions thanks to a seamless transition. It looks like a combo that will thrive for years to come.

However, the real story is Cincinnati's defense. The unit ranks fifth in points allowed, and it is the league's only defense allowing less than 100 yards rushing and 200 yards passing per game. If the Bengals can continue to dominate on that side of the ball, it could be a memorable season in Cincy.

Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders have already secured wins over the Houston Texans and New York Jets, with the team's only losses being of the good variety (at Buffalo, vs. New England). Sunday's emotional win over Houston in wake of Al Davis' death could catapult the Raiders to another level, though.

Darrius Heyward-Bey isn't dropping every pass thrown his way, Darren McFadden is staying healthy and fifth-round pick Denarius Moore is providing more than Oakland could have ever hoped. In other words, things are starting to fall in the Raiders' favor.

With home games against Cleveland and Kansas City before the bye week, there's a strong possibility that Oakland will be 5-2 with five or six wins left on the schedule. But, in order to make the playoffs, the Raiders need to continue their recent run of success against the San Diego Chargers.

San Francisco 49ers

Jim Harbaugh has brought his quarterback magic to the San Francisco 49ers and has helped Alex Smith rank third in quarterback rating behind only Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. Smith's completion percentage is up six points from last season, and his 7.7 yards-per-attempt average is a career-high.

Frank Gore has found his legs after a slow start, picking up 100 yards in back-to-back games. A consistent running game is essential to San Francisco's success because they don't want to push Smith past his limits like the previous regime attempted to do.

It's far too early to call the 49ers a playoff lock, but they are well on their way thanks to a weak NFC West. The division was won with an 8-8 record last season, and San Francisco shouldn't have much trouble eclipsing that mark barring a run of bad luck.