NFL Power Rankings: 3 Elite Teams That Won't Finish with Elite Records

If regular-season records told the whole story, the New England Patriots would have been the best team in the NFL last season. They finished the season with eight straight wins on their way to a 14-2 record.

However, regular-season records only tell part of the story. Case in point, the Green Bay Packers only went 10-6 last season, and then went on to win the Super Bowl. They essentially proved that the regular season is meaningless once it's over.

We might see a team prove the exact same thing this year. All it would take is a less-than-elite record and a hot run in the postseason.

Of the 32 teams in the league, I think there are only three that might pull it off.

Atlanta Falcons (No. 11 overall)

This is the wrong season to put the Falcons in the same sentence as the word "elite." Admittedly, this is something that was much easier to do in 2010.

I might be alone here, but I still think there is an elite football team somewhere in Atlanta. It just hasn't really shown its face so far in 2011.

However, the Falcons are showing signs of breaking out. They've renewed their commitment to the running game in their last two games, and I don't think it's a coincidence they won both of them. If they can maintain this formula after Julio Jones returns from his injury, they're going to be the dangerous offensive team we all thought they were going to be.

But the Falcons aren't going to go on any kind of long winning streak. They have some tough games remaining on their schedule, and you have to think they're going to lose at least a couple of them.

All the Falcons have to do is get into the playoffs. At that point, they'll hope that Matt Ryan is finally ready for the big stage. He has to get to that point sooner or later, don't you think?

New Orleans Saints (No. 8 overall)

We now turn to another team from the NFC South, the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints have been frustrating this season. They've looked dominant at times, and they've also lost very winnable games at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and at the St. Louis Rams. They look more like the 2010 Saints than the 2009 Saints.

This is a trend that I think is going to continue for the rest of the regular season. Just like the Falcons, the Saints also have a tough road ahead, and it's hard to see them coming away with any more than 11 wins.

The bright side is that the Saints are going to make the playoffs. Once they're in, all they have to do is trust Drew Brees. If he can get just a little support from the defense, the Saints could be off and running.

New York Giants (No. 7 overall)

This year more than any other, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is earning his paycheck. Given the amount of turmoil the Giants had to go through before the start of the season, they probably have no business being 5-2.

Then again, Eli Manning deserves some credit, too. He's having the best season of his career, and he is therefore validating his claim that he is in the same class as Tom Brady.

All this being said, the Giants are probably going to finish with a very Giants-like record. That means 10 wins, maybe 11, with a small handful of baffling losses in tow.

However, once the Giants get into the playoffs, they're going to be dangerous. Manning already has one Super Bowl win under his belt, and he's playing like he wants another one this year.

Don't doubt his ability to go get it.

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	New York Jets	4-3
14	Kansas City Chiefs	4-3
15	Chicago Bears	4-3
16	Oakland Raiders	4-3
17	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	4-3
18	Philadelphia Eagles	3-4
19	San Diego Chargers	4-3
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