NFL Power Rankings Week 9: Struggling Teams with Something to Prove Sunday

We've just about hit the halfway point of the 2011 NFL season, which means it's time for teams around the league to take stock of where they are, where they're going and how they're going to get there.

The middle of the league remains muddled with squads still deciding whether they're playoff contenders or pretenders. For some, like these three, there's much work to be done before anyone can be sure that they're ready for prime time.

Work that begins promptly on the first Sunday of November.

Dallas Cowboys

What they need to prove: that the sky isn't falling on the Metroplex.

Contrary to popular belief, the Cowboys are not dead in the water, not even after getting embarrassed by the Eagles on national television, 34-7.

Sure, things don't look good now, but just wait 'til DeMarcus Ware and the Dallas defense, for which Rob Ryan has (deservedly) taken a ton of flack, get to feast on Tarvaris Jackson, Marshawn Lynch and that sorry bunch of schlubs the Seahawks call an "offense."

Should be a bit easier to contain than, say, Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy. That should be enough to take the focus off Tony Romo and Jason Garrett and waylay fears of an apocalypse in Dallas just long enough for the Cowboys to embark on the soft portion of their schedule, from which they should emerge no worse than 7-5.

And, given the crap shoot that the NFC East has turned into, that might be enough to get them to the playoffs.

Oakland Raiders

What they need to prove: that giving up two first-rounders to get Carson Palmer wasn't a completely foolish move. 

Yeah, I know, Carson Palmer looked terrible against the Chiefs in Week 7, but what do you expect from a guy who hadn't played organized football since early January and knew only 15 plays out of the Raiders' playbook?

Palmer's acumen will improve in time, as he knocks the rust from his arm and absorbs Hue Jackson's offense. The potential addition of former Bengals teammate T.J. Houshmandzadeh should help to ease the transition as well. 

The biggest assist, though, will come from the Broncos this weekend. Tim Tebow is the only quarterback in the NFL who's garnered more scrutiny of late than Palmer, though at least Palmer has shown a propensity for professional success in the past.

The hope in the Bay Area is that he'll call upon said experience to lead the Silver and Black to a much-needed win, one that will help to numb the sting from the 28-0 loss to the Chiefs in Week 7 and get them back in the race in the AFC West.

Baltimore Ravens

What they need to prove: that, for better or worse, they really do play to the level of their competition. 

The Ravens might be the most maddening team in the NFL, at least outside the state of Texas. On the one hand, they've whooped up on strong teams—like the Steelers, Jets and Texans—behind a characteristically stout defense and an ever-improving offense led by Joe Flacco and Ray Rice.

On the other hand, they've stunk it up against the Titans and the Jaguars and nearly fell at home to the one-win Cardinals on Sunday.

Jim Harbaugh can only hope his team will be up and ready to go on Sunday night, against a Pittsburgh team looking to exact revenge for a Week 1 walkover and extend its lead in the AFC North.

If nothing else, the Ravens can count on Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Haloti Ngata giving chase to Ben Roethlisberger all night.

Whether that will be enough to get the job done, especially if the offense doesn't show up again, remains to be seen.

Josh Martin's Week 8 NFL Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers

2. San Francisco 49ers

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

4. New England Patriots

5. Baltimore Ravens

6. Detroit Lions

7. Atlanta Falcons

8. New York Giants

9. New Orleans Saints

10. Buffalo Bills

11. New York Jets

12. Cincinnati Bengals

13. Kansas City Chiefs

14. Houston Texans

15. Philadelphia Eagles

16. Chicago Bears

17. San Diego Chargers

18. Dallas Cowboys

19. Oakland Raiders

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

21. Tennessee Titans

22. Cleveland Browns

23. Minnesota Vikings

24. Carolina Panthers

25. Washington Redskins

26. Denver Broncos

27. Seattle Seahawks

28. Jacksonville Jaguars

29. Arizona Cardinals

30. Miami Dolphins

31. St. Louis Rams

32. Indianapolis Colts