7 NFL Teams That Will Rule the Future of the League

The Green Bay Packers come into Week 8 with the only unbeaten record in the NFL, and we see them as being a prime contender year after year as we look forward.

The Packers aren't the only team with a bright future, however, and the teams with the best records now aren't necessarily going to be the best going forward.

Here are seven teams that should be in the upper echelon for years to come.

Lions' Future Is Trending Upward

The last two weeks, losses to San Francisco and Atlanta, have been tough on the Detroit Lions.

But a team that was at or near the bottom of the NFC North for most of last year en route to a 6-10 record, opened the season with five straight wins, and that is the start of something big in Motown.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford, in the midst of just his third season out of the University of Georgia, is developing into one of the game's best, and the man they call Megatron, Calvin Johnson, is as dangerous a wide receiver as the league has.

The defense has given up too many points (20th in the league), but the Lions have allowed the 10th fewest yards, so as Detroit grows into a team that can stop the big play, the Lions will be a serious force.

49ers a Rising Force in the Bay Area

The 49ers have spent the last few years tripping over themselves behind off-and-on quarterback Alex Smith, but the arrival of new coach Jim Harbaugh from Stanford has seen a rebirth for San Francisco.

Smith is still far from a complete quarterback, but running back Frank Gore, wide receiver Michael Crabtree and tight end Vernon Davis are, as a group, good enough to help shoulder the load.

The Lions were the most recent to discover just how stifling the 49ers can be with the second-ranked rushing defense in the NFL, a unit that is young and learning. 

Packers: Young and Just Getting Better

The Packers have put together their 7-0 record with the second-youngest team in the NFL.

With Aaron Rodgers having already guided them to the Packers' first Super Bowl victory in a decade-and-a-half, Green Bay has come back as the best team in the NFL right now.

In the near future they'll have to find a replacement for 35-year-old interception machine Charles Woodson, but this is a squad that seems solid well into the future.

Bucs Are Starting to Make Strides in NFC South

Tampa Bay came into this bye week having lost two of its last three games, but overall the picture seems to be brighter for the Bucs.

Quarterback Josh Freeman is somewhat raw in this third season, but he's also an up and comer, his recent tendency to see his passes wind up as interceptions notwithstanding.

Once they can keep him healthy, running back LeGarrette Blount is the counterbalance that Tampa Bay will need going forward to be a weekly threat.

Resurgent Bills Starting to Climb the Mountain

The Bills still have not been to the playoffs this century, having last made it to the post-season after the 1999 season.

That's what made this season's 3-0 start to the season so significant for Buffalo, which is hungrier than most teams. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has steadily gotten better each of the last four seasons after spending most of his first three years out of Harvard standing on the sidelines and watching.

The result is the third-best offense in the league coming into this week and as many wins this year (four) as in all of the 2010 season.

The defense continues to need major upgrades, but all signs pointing forward are favorable for Buffalo.

Texans Still Need to Tighten Up, but Things Are Looking Up

Houston comes into this week with the best record in the AFC South, but the Texans' 4-3 record isn't as good as it could be.

The Texans have allowed just 35 points in the first half, but 96 points in the second half. And when the young Texans figure out how to play a full 60 minutes, this is going to be a contender for years to come.

Between the development of quarterback Matt Schaub and the two-fisted rushing attack led by Arian Foster and Ben Tate, the Houston offense has been tough to slow down.

Houston ranks in the top 10 in total defense, rushing defense and passing defense, too, as coach Gary Kubiak continues to sculpt a winner.

Bengals Change Directions, and the Direction Is Up

The Bengals never thought they'd have to rely on a rookie, Andy Dalton, to handle their quarterbacking.

But after Carson Palmer sat home rather than play for the Bengals after a 4-12 2010, Dalton has already produced as many wins as Cincinnati had all last season.

It doesn't hurt that the Bengals' defense under coach Marvin Lewis has been rebuilt to the point where Cincinnati is the second-toughest NFL team to move the ball against, ranked fifth in both rushing defense and passing defense thanks to free safety Reggie Nelson, corner Nate Clements and middle linebacker Rey Maualuga.