NFL Power Rankings: 8 Teams That Have Overachieved in 2011

Every season there are a handful of teams that far exceed expectations, but this season seems to have way more than normal.

It's still early in the season so we still don't know for sure if these teams are the real deal. Nonetheless, these eight teams have completely overachieved through Week 5 of the season.

8. Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are now 5-0 after their 24-13 win over Jay Cutler and the Bears on Monday Night Football. Take a second to grasp that.

The Lions are No. 8 on the list because, frankly, they were a trendy pick to have a decent year to begin with.

It's not a surprise that the Lions are playing good football; they've been playing good football ever since Jim Schwartz became head coach. But to see them 5-0 is still a major over-achievement for a team that finished 0-16 not too long ago.

When a team loses for so long you wonder if they know how to win under circumstances when people actually expect them to win. It's safe to say they've learned how to be a consistently good football team.

The Packers are still the favorites in the NFC North, but they now have some company at the top.

7. Carolina Panthers

This one might puzzle you because their record is 1-4, but no one expected them to be as competitive as they have been, and it starts with rookie Cam Newton at quarterback.

Newton has been very impressive despite his interceptions. He's shown poise in the pocket, good accuracy and great arm strength.

Don't forget that the Panthers gave the Packers a run for their money, only to lose by seven early this season. They're also coming off a three-point loss to the Saints in Week 5.

Yes, their record is still horrible, but you can't simply base everything on the record; they have lost with dignity all season.

The Panthers are only going to get better as the season progresses, and I expect them to be a major spoiler towards the end of the season.

6. Tennessee Titans

The Titans are coming off a huge setback against the Steelers, however they're still tied for first in a wide open AFC South.

We knew that signing key free agent Matt Hasselbeck would help this offense a little bit, but we didn't expect him to energize the offense to a 3-2 start and a win over Baltimore.

If Chris Johnson can return to form, then the Titans could end up taking down the Houston Texans. Johnson has just one game over 100 yards this season.

The defense is also very inexperienced at key positions, so that will be a factor. Still, first year head coach Mike Munchak deserve a lot of credit for getting this young team off to a solid start.

5. San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers were another promising team that was being hampered by a mediocre quarterback in Alex Smith, but Smith has played well up this point of the season.

The Frank Gore holdout and how Jim Harbaugh would fare as the new coach both added questions as to how well this team could play.

However, it really comes down to the defense when you try to figure out the secret of San Francisco's 4-1 start.

They haven't allowed an opponent to reach 30 points on them yet, and they've held three opponents under 20 points.

The 49ers should be a lock for the division crown with Seattle, Arizona and St. Louis all having considerable offensive troubles.

4. Oakland Raiders

What a great scene it was seeing the Raiders go out and win one for owner Al Davis just one day after his death, and they could end up making this a special season in his honor.

Oakland has a very solid defense to go along with a great running attack led by Darren McFadden. Quarterback Jason Campbell is also having a solid season up to this point.

All it will take is another choke by the Chargers and the Raiders could end up representing the AFC West this season.

The Raiders have a very winnable next three games against the Browns, Chiefs and Broncos before taking on the Chargers for their first encounter of the season.

3. Washington Redskins

It's safe to say that Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman has exceeded expectations thus far, and that's not saying much considering he's thrown five interceptions in four games.

Still, if you look past the numbers, Grossman is managing the offense very effectively.

Running back Tim Hightower has turned out to be a valuable addition to the offense, and backup Ryan Torain is an excellent complement that's coming of a 135-yard performance against St. Louis.

The Redskins are playing in a wide open NFC East that is ripe for the taking. The division is, frankly, full of underachieving teams and the Redskins could end up shocking everyone at season's end.

2. Cincinnati Bengals

Many people had the Bengals listed as one of the worst teams in the NFL, and I was one of them.

It was hard to expect too much from a team that was starting a rookie quarterback that wasn't even regarded in the top three of his draft class.

Andy Dalton has played well beyond his years and has done so with very little in terms of offensive weapons.

Dalton's numbers may not be overly impressive, but he's winning games keeping Cincinatti competitive.

With games against Indianapolis and Seattle sandwiched around a bye week, the Bengals could very well end up being 5-2 heading into November .The back end of the schedule is where things will get extremely challenging for Dalton and company.

Either way, this team could end up being a contender much sooner than we thought.

1. Buffalo Bills

We knew the Bills would be competitive this season, but hardly anyone outside of Buffalo's city limits saw the Bills starting 4-1 with wins over the Patriots and Eagles.

The key catalyst to all of this is the emergence of Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick has a career passer rating of 75 but has come out of nowhere consistent numbers in the mid- to upper-90s this season.

Fred Jackson has also turned into a reliable every-down back and is currently on pace to rush for around 1,500 yards.

With the tough division they play in, it's fair to say that the Bills are playing way above expectations, more so than any other team in the NFL.

The schedule is about to get very difficult over the next month so we'll find out if this team is the real deal soon enough.