NFL Power Rankings Week 8: Which Teams Are Surprising Most?

Two teams have emerged as among the league's most surprising this season—the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals.

The San Francisco 49ers started the 2010 season as a fashionable pick to reach the postseason but fell far short of those expectations. Less buzz surrounded the team this year, as they were considered the best team in an overall-poor NFC West division.

However, they currently sit at 5-1, having convincingly beaten some of the tougher teams in the NFL.

Quarterback Alex Smith has finally emerged as a leader in his seventh year in the league, running back Frank Gore appears to be healthy and on top of his game, and their defense is one of the most bruising in the league.

This turnaround is certainly shocking for a team that went 6-10 last season and hasn't had a winning year since 2002. The team hadn't gone through any changes to its roster, but it's the addition of head coach Jim Harbaugh that seems to have made the biggest difference.

Change is the order of the day for the Cincinnati Bengals, who are starting a rookie quarterback and a rookie No. 1 wide receiver this season.

But it's worked out far better than anyone had imagined, with that quarterback, Andy Dalton, and that wide receiver, A.J. Green, becoming one of the most deadly and most reliable tandems in the league.

Combine that with a re-emphasized running game led by Cedric Benson and a surprisingly strong defense, and the Bengals have emerged from an afterthought in the AFC North to a legitimate contender for the division title.

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

*Subject to change pending results of tonight's Ravens-Jaguars contest