NFL Power Rankings: Which Teams Are Looking Like Division Champions?

Now that we're nearing the halfway point of the 2011 NFL season, it's totally reasonable to begin legitimate predictions on this year's division champions.

Well, maybe not totally reasonable because of the amount of football that's still left to be played, but the top teams in a few divisions are certainly well on their way to a guaranteed playoff spot.

In the NFC Worst, I mean West, the 5-1 San Francisco 49ers currently have a three-game lead over the 2-4 Seahawks who lost 6-3 in Cleveland on Sunday.

Yikes.

I don't see any of the other NFC West teams competing with the 49ers—a team that plays a physical brand of run-first football that also has one of the best defenses in the conference.

Alex Smith won't make the Pro Bowl this season, but Jim Harbaugh is getting the most out of his skill set, and he isn't making the game-altering mistakes anymore.

Seattle simply doesn't have the talent on offense to overtake San Francisco or go on any substantial winning streak.

Though they entered the year with relatively low standards, the 49ers are in a realistic position to have a first-round bye.

Now that the Lions have lost two straight, can we give the Green Bay Packers the NFC North crown?

Neither team has really gotten into their divisional schedule yet, and these teams still have to play each other twice, so the title isn't the Packers' just yet. (on Thanksgiving in Detroit and in Week 17 at Lambeau...great scheduling)

Detroit's deficiencies have come to the surface in their two defeats this season, and I don't see any reason to think that Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay's offense will slow down whatsoever.

The other four divisions are still up for grabs with only a few teams in decent shape right now.

The Houston Texans are 2-0 in the AFC South and sit at 4-3, while the second-place Tennessee Titans are 0-2 in their division, are 3-3 and were just beaten by the Texans in Nashville.

The San Diego Chargers hold a half-game lead over the 4-3 Oakland Raiders, but after watching the six-INT "performance" Kyle Boller and Carson Palmer put on at home against the Kansas City Chiefs, it's hard to imagine them winning the division right now, especially if Darren McFadden's foot injury lingers.

Week 8 Power Rankings

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