NFL Power Rankings: Tennessee Titans and More Teams That Will Be Stuck in Limbo

We are more or less at the halfway point of the 2011 season, and we have a pretty good idea of who the league's elite teams and not-so-elite teams are.

But as is usually the case, the true intrigue rests in the middle of the spectrum. There are some teams out there that are just okay, some of which are more okay than others, if you don't mind an Orwell-ism.

You have to figure that at least a couple of these teams (i.e. the Philadelphia Eagles) are going to rise, and some of them are going to fall.

There will also be teams who remain stuck in limbo. If you don't mind, I would like to nominate four candidates for this particular doom.

Tennessee Titans (No. 20 overall)

The AFC South might be the most winnable division in the NFL, in which case you have to think that the 4-3 Titans are in pretty good shape.

They are, but they're also kinda not. The Titans started off hot, but it seems like they just haven't been the same since losing Kenny Britt. Matt Hasselbeck has been up and down, and he hasn't gotten much help from Chris Johnson.

The bad news for the Titans is that the second half of their schedule isn't much easier than the first half. They have some tough games coming up, and it's just hard to see them going on any kind of run.

Instead, they shall persist as they have been persisting. A win here, a loss there, and at the end of it all they'll be just okay.

But not okay enough to take the AFC South from the Houston Texans, who are actually pretty good.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 17 overall)

The Bucs are idle in Week 8, but they actually gained some ground in the NFC South thanks to the New Orleans Saints' embarrassing loss in St. Louis.

Nevertheless, the Bucs are the third-best team in the division, just like they were last year. It wouldn't be a shock if the Bucs flirted with .500 for the rest of the season. In the meantime, the Saints will continue to pace the division, and the Atlanta Falcons will continue to improve.

The Bucs are going to be a good team, but they're just not there quite yet.

Chicago Bears (No. 15 overall)

The Bears have the rotten luck of sharing a division with the NFL's best team and the NFC's coolest success story.

For their part, the Bears are a decent enough team. Jay Cutler has been staying on his feet much more consistently, and the defense does a good job of bending but not breaking.

The problem is that the Bears have a very tough road ahead. As is their custom, they're going to pull off a few surprise wins along the way, but it's hard to see them coming out ahead when all is said and done.

Meanwhile, the Packers and Lions are too good to fall off the pace. You heard it here first.

Cincinnati Bengals (No. 12 overall)

In many ways, the Bengals are in the same boat as the Bears. They're a good team, but they have to contend in an AFC North that also contains the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Of the two, the Ravens seem like the more likely candidate for a collapse. It could happen, but I think the more likely alternative involves the Bengals being put in their place once they actually play the Ravens and Steelers.

They haven't played either yet. That pretty much means they can either dish out a reality check, or get one themselves.

My money is on the latter eventuality.

Zachary D. Rymer's Week 9 Power Rankings

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