NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Two Best Teams in NFL Reside in NFC North

Last season, the best division in the NFL was probably the NFC South. It was home to three 10-win teams, one of which had the best record in the conference.

Five weeks into the 2011 season, it seems safe to pass the torch to the NFC North. The bottom of the division is nothing special, but the top certainly is. That is where the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions reside, and they just so happen to be the only two undefeated teams the NFL has left.

With the Packers winning the Super Bowl last season, we knew they were going to be good again this year. If anything, they have been even better. Aaron Rodgers deserves to be called the best quarterback in the NFL, and he has the luxury of having an array weapons at his disposal that most other quarterbacks would kill to have. The Packers aren't as good on defense as they were last season, but they're by no means weak.

When you think about it, the Lions are actually very similar to the Packers. Just as the Packers feed off Rodgers, the Lions feed off Matthew Stafford. The key difference is that Stafford has one primary weapon, who is very clearly the best wide receiver in the NFL.

That would be Calvin Johnson, who is up to nine touchdown receptions on the season, and is steadily building a case to be the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year, maybe even MVP.

Defensively, the Lions aren't quite elite, but they're good enough. They thrive mainly by putting pressure on the quarterback, and they do a good job of bending but not breaking.

If the Packers and Lions stick to the molds they have established, both of them are going to keep playing well. Neither is going to go undefeated, mind you, but I do think we are looking at two teams that are virtual locks to make the postseason.

As for the NFC North title, it could very well be up for grabs when the Packers and Lions meet at Lambeau Field in Week 17. Go ahead and circle that game right now.

After all, how often do you think we're going to see a late-season game between the Packers and Lions in which a division title is on the line?

Zachary D. Rymer's Week 6 Power Rankings

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