NFL Power Rankings: Which Mid-Tier Teams Are on the Rise?

As we get ready to enter the second half of the NFL season, things remain quite unsettled aside from the Green Bay Packers being the league's best team. The pecking order changes on a weekly basis, and that is sure to continue moving forward.

Several teams appear to be laying in the weeds and readying for their ascent toward the top. Here are three mid-tier teams that are on the rise and may be mentioned among the league's elite over the next couple weeks.

Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans bounced back after consecutive big losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans by upending the Indianapolis Colts this past week and improving to 4-3. That win may not impress many, but it did help the Titans stay within a half game of the Texans in the NFC South.

Tennessee will host the upstart Cincinnati Bengals this week, who have been one of the league's biggest surprises at 5-2. While most would consider the Bengals to be the better team as of right now, I think the Titans have the advantage on home field.

Neither defense is likely to give up much, so we should see a very tough and gritty affair. Rookie quarterback Andy Dalton has held up well to this point, but he has yet to be tested on the road against a quality team like the Titans. I think Tennessee will find a way to get the better of him.

Kansas City Chiefs

After starting the season 0-3, most football fans probably figured the Kansas City Chiefs were dead and buried. The Chiefs have stormed back with four consecutive wins, however, and now find themselves in a three-way tie with the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders for first in the AFC West.

The Chiefs have been able to adapt to life without running back Jamaal Charles and safety Eric Berry and are back to playing the team football that got them into the postseason last year. It won't be easy to keep their high level of play going, but the Chiefs have a fairly advantageous schedule moving forward.

That starts this weekend against the winless Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins came close to upsetting the New York Giants in Week 8 and playing a team looking for its first win is always dangerous, but Kansas City is clearly more talented. If Tamba Hali and the pass rush can duplicate what it did against the Chargers, the Chiefs are in business.

Philadelphia Eagles

Things certainly looked grim for the Philadelphia Eagles five games into the season. They were sitting at 1-4 and could likely only afford two more losses the entire season. That is still true at this point, but the Eagles have improved to 3-4 and are back in the hunt in the NFC East.

The Eagles didn't look anything like a "Dream Team" to open the year, but their potential has shone through over the past couple of games. Philadelphia desperately needed a win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, and not only did it win, but the Eagles dominated the Cowboys to the tune of a 34-7 score.

Philly will play under the bright lights again in Week 9 as it hosts the Chicago Bears on Monday night. The Bears have been a tough team to figure as they can look great or awful in any given week. Provided quarterback Michael Vick has a repeat performance and the defense can stop Matt Forte, the Eagles should be able to get back to .500.

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