NFL Power Rankings: Which Teams Are Surpassing Expectations

As we head into Week 7, it's time to take a look at which teams are surprising the country with their newfound abilities, or lack thereof. 

The Indianapolis Colts are 0-6—proving that they really can't survive without Peyton Manning—and the Philadelphia Eagles are only 2-4. 

Meanwhile, teams like the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions have been playing like they are Super Bowl bound.The great thing is that these teams have brought pride back to their cities.

The Lions have been selling out games like crazy. For this weekend, the only tickets available are those that will be returned by the Falcons.

1. Buffalo Bills

Hands down, the Bills are the Cinderella story of the NFL. This time last year they were winless through six games and now they are 4-2. 

Ryan Fitzpatrick has stepped up to the plate and become an actual starting quarterback, as opposed to just a mediocre backup.  Furthermore, he has great chemistry with back Fred Jackson, who ranks second in the NFL in rushing yards and leads all running backs in yards per carry.

2. San Francisco 49ers

No one expected the 49ers to be 5-1 and this point in the season. Peter King of Sports Illustrated predicted the team to go 5-11, meaning they will have to lose every other game this season; a task that is not likely to happen.

Jim Harbaugh is making a great transition from college to NFL head coach, and Alex Smith is definitely helping him out. Smith has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks this season, with a touchdown to interception ratio of 8:2. 

Their combination of Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter are making for a powerhouse running game in the Bay.

3. Detroit Lions

The Lions were predicted to go 10-6 by Peter King, something they are well on their way to doing.  The rest of us probably didn't think this was a realistic prediction. 

However, Matt Stafford has been on fire this season, helping the Lions continuously sell out Ford Field.

While the Jerome Harrison-Ronnie Brown trade would have been great for Detroit, the team will be just fine.

4. Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers (1-5_ haven't put up as many wins as the fans would like but they have certainly been in every game this year. 

Cam Newton alone has exceeded the expectations of even his biggest fans, continuously breaking records and putting points on the board.

Coach Rivera and his staff are also bringing life back the Carolina.

5. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are completely rejuvenated from last year with their offseason youth movement.  When quarterback Carson Palmer demanded a trade, the Bengals let him "retire" instead and drafted Andy Dalton, who has emerged as the season progressed.

The team started out at 20 percent on third-down conversions and in the past three games have improved to over 40 percent completions, which has helped get them to their 4-2 record this season. 

It is still early in the season to make assumptions about playoffs, but these teams are just going to continue to improve.