NFL Power Rankings: Rising Teams That Are in for a Wake-Up Call

The media has a penchant for raining excess praise or criticism on certain teams or players. While any team in the playoff race mid-way through the season should feel pretty good, their work is certainly far from over.

It is important not to become complacent at any time in the NFL season because no lead is ever safe, whether it be in a game or in the playoff race. Here are three teams that have been rising up the ranks of late, but will be in for a wake-up call in Week 9.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals entered the season with expectations of being one of the league's worst teams. That most definitely hasn't been the case, however, as the Bengals are just a half game back in the AFC North at 5-2. Thanks to a severely underrated defense and an efficient offense, Cincinnati is in a playoff battle.

As well as the Bengals have played, a lot of it has to do with what has been a cupcake schedule to this point. Rookie quarterback Andy Dalton has held up well, but none of the Bengals' opponents have been able to force him into mistakes. That may change this week as the Bengals face the Tennessee Titans, who are looking to get back on track. With the Titans being at home, I think they'll derail Cincinnati's momentum.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Since losing to the Houston Texans a few weeks back, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been on a great roll that culminated in an upset win over the New England Patriots last week. The 6-2 Steelers will host the 5-2 Baltimore Ravens this week in a battle for supremacy in the AFC North.

The Ravens blew out the Steelers 35-7 in Week 1 of the season, but the Steelers have been playing far better, while the Ravens have struggled a bit. Even so, this won't be an easy win for Pittsburgh. The Steelers may be without three starting linebackers in James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley and James Farrior, so Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco should have some time to throw. He beat the Steelers for three touchdowns in Week 1, and I think he'll have another solid contest on Sunday night.

New York Jets

The New York Jets looked to be in danger of falling below .500 two weeks ago against the San Diego Chargers, but a rousing late-game comeback gave them the victory and got them back on the winning track. The Jets are still a very flawed team, however, and they will have an extremely tough AFC East clash on Sunday against the 5-2 Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y.

Buffalo is undefeated at home this season and possesses an explosive offense and opportunistic defense. The Jets have really had a tough time against the run and that could be a major issue as Bills running back Fred Jackson is a leading MVP candidate thus far. The Bills' penchant for intercepting passes could also prove troublesome as Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez is turnover prone. If the Bills play their game, then the Jets will be in trouble.

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