NFL Power Rankings: Oakland Raiders and the 5 Best Two-Loss Teams

With each passing week, it's getting harder and harder to determine which teams truly represent the upper crust of the NFL.

We know the 6-0 Green Bay Packers are pretty darn good, and that they deserve to be called the league's best team. After them, you have to give props to the remaining one-loss teams.

Evaluating who the best two-loss teams are is considerably more difficult. There are a bunch of them, and they are not as equal as their records indicate.

As such, actually ranking them is a matter of personal interpretation. In case you're at all curious, here are the five two-loss teams that I think are better than all the others.

5. Buffalo Bills (No. 11 overall)

Six weeks into the season, it's difficult to tell whether the Bills are as good a team as they are a story.

I, for one, think they are starting to stray towards merely being a good story. The Bills deserve all the credit in the world for beating the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots, but there is one thing the Bills still need to do.

That, for the record, would be beat a good team on the road. The Bills haven't done it yet, and that could very well be their downfall, as they still have a number of tough road games on their schedule.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 10 overall)

Admittedly, the Steelers haven't racked up their four wins against the toughest opponents, but they are looking more and more like the Steelers we know and love as the weeks go by.

This is particularly true on the defensive side of the ball. The Steelers are feast or famine against the run, but we're talking about a defense that is No. 1 against the pass and No. 4 in opponents' scoring.

If the Steelers can continue to play that kind of defense, they'll be okay.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 9 overall)

Last week, the Buccaneers were nothing but a bunch of kids who weren't ready for the big time.

This week, the Buccaneers are a bunch of kids who just beat the New Orleans Saints. They have plenty of flaws, but a win like that is worthy of some consideration.

If there is one thing we know about the Bucs, it's that they're never going to make anything look pretty, much less easy. That being said, they are pretty good, and they are not going to go away easily.

2. Oakland Raiders (No. 8 overall)

I think the Raiders are a very good team, but I fear that this might be the high-water mark for their 2011 season.

As you can probably guess, I say this because of Jason Campbell's injury. He broke his collarbone on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, and the word around the campfire (per ESPN) is that Campbell is done for the season.

The Raiders are still going to be competitive without Campbell, mind you. I just don't think they can be any better than they are right now.

1. New Orleans Saints (No. 7 overall)

Yes, losing to the Buccaneers was a setback for the Saints. The loss also showed that they are more human than they were thought to be when they were winning four straight.

At the same time, part of me wonders how much playing three straight games on the road took a toll on the Saints. They're really good, but that's a really tough stretch for any team to go through. They shouldn't be scolded for dropping one of the games.

In so many words, don't worry about the Saints. They're down now, but they'll be back.

Zachary D. Rymer's Week 7 Power Rankings

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