NFL Power Rankings: Which Teams Are Ready to Contend for a Super Bowl?

With half the NFL season now gone, we start to get ready for an exciting conclusion to the 2011 season.  We've been able to identify who might be contending for a Super Bowl and who might be looking for Andrew Luck.

Week 9 gave NFL fans one of the more thrilling set of games thus far.  From the shootout in San Diego, to the New York Giants' upset of the Patriots in New England, to Tim Tebow leading another comeback victory, football fans got to see it all.

Heading into Week 10, let's take a look at which teams have a real shot to compete for the Super Bowl XLVI. 

The "Suck for Luck" Division

A quick look at the bottom-feeders of the league who might finish with the worst record.

32)  Indianapolis

You have to wonder if this team has quit.  From weeks 2-5, the Colts lost by a combined 22 points.  Since then, they've lost their last four games by a combined 106. 

Simply put, it's getting ugly in Indy, and with four of their last seven games against teams with a .500 record or better, you have to wonder if the Colts may actually go 0-16. 

31)  St. Louis

This might be the most disappointing team in the NFL this year. They were the trendy pick to win the NFC West.

Now, thanks to their overtime loss to Arizona, they're 1-7 and really have no hope for the year.  The only consolation is that they have a lot of games against the NFC West, so they will likely win three or four games and not have to decide between Sam Bradford and Andrew Luck.

30)  Seattle

Do they have two wins?  Yes.  But they also have one of the worst offenses in football with no stability at the quarterback position. 

They're just not a good football team, and they look like a shell of a 2010 team that only won seven games.

29)  Arizona

Thanks to rookie Patrick Peterson, they beat the Rams in overtime this week.  But they can't stop the pass, their run game has ceased to exist, Kevin Kolb is hobbling and their point differential is minus-34. 

This is not a good football team. Depending how it all works itself out, it's not impossible to see this team with the first pick in the draft.

28)  Miami

Are they being ranked too high for just one win?  Maybe. But they've been competitive with some of the best teams in the year, and they managed to destroy a Chiefs team by 28 this week on the road. 

Of all the teams in this grouping, Miami may have the most upward mobility. 

27)  Jacksonville

The fact that they can run the ball and their defense is average is helping to make up for the fact that Blaine Gabbert just hasn't looked good at quarterback. 

While others such as Cam Newton and Andy Dalton have succeeded, Gabbert looks like a guy who should be sitting for one or two years to get used to the NFL.

26)  Cleveland

This looks like a team ready to fall apart. 

The Madden Curse has struck Peyton Hillis—except in this case, it's not so much an injury.  It's more that he's lost his marbles, as a controversial contract dispute has created doubt among his teammates just how "hurt" he is. 

The Browns defend the pass well—but that's about it.  Their last win was a 6-3 "epic" encounter against Seattle.

25)  Washington

To think that at Week 5 of this NFL season, the 'Skins were 3-1 and hosting the Eagles with a shot to take a stranglehold of the NFC East. 

Fast-forward to today—they're 3-5 and playing ugly football.  Coming off a 23-0 loss to Buffalo, they lost 19-11 to the 49ers at home.  Their bad play is combined with a ton of injuries. 

Washington could easily go 1-7 in their last eight games. 

The "We Aren't Horrible but Won't Catch a Sniff of the Playoffs" Division

24)  Denver

For all of the Tim Tebow haters, the fact is that he's now 2-1 as a starter, while Kyle Orton was 1-4. 

I for one think Orton is a solid NFL quarterback, but it's a pretty raging debate of who is more effective in Denver.  Still, this is a team thin on talent offensively, and the defense still needs some more rebuilding. 

The Broncos aren't an awful NFL team, but they also aren't going to be making the playoffs.

23)  Minnesota

While the Vikings only have two wins, they look like a different team with Christian Ponder at quarterback. 

Adrian Peterson is still arguably the best running back in football, and the defense, while aging, is still quite serviceable.  If they knew how to close games, the Vikings could actually be a four- or five-win team right now. 

The hole they dug for themselves is too deep to compete, but the Vikings could wind up with six or seven wins by the end of the year.

22)  Kansas City

I really don't care that they are technically in first place.  Though they do have wins over Oakland and San Diego, their other two wins are against the Vikings and abysmal Colts. 

They've lost three games by more than 28 points, two of which were at home.  They get some consideration for dealing with a ton of injuries, but this is not going to be a playoff team. 

21)  Carolina

Yes, I know the Panthers have only two wins.  But consider the fact they've had to go against perhaps the four best teams from the NFC in 2010 and yet their point differential is minus-20. 

Also, consider this team was a putrid 2-14 last year and have come within several good breaks of being a 4-4 team right now.  There are teams below them with more wins, but they've been nowhere near as competitive as this team has been week in and week out.

The "We Need the Planets and Stars to Align" Division

20)  Oakland

You know a lot of people like to bash Jason Campbell for not being a sufficient starting quarterback, but the facts are there. 

Prior to his injury, the team was 4-2 and rolling. Since his injury, they haven't won. 

Yes, some can argue Darren McFadden is the reason for their struggles, but Michael Bush has filled in to this point, and the run game is still strong.  Oakland is tied for first in a meek AFC West, but they're losing out on tiebreakers, and this week's loss to Denver looked soul-crushing.

19)  Tampa Bay

Perhaps more of us should have seen this coming with the Bucs.  They had a soft schedule in 2010 that helped them get to 10, and Josh Freeman was almost too good. 

This year, the team has come back down to earth  At 4-4 with the Falcons and Saints ahead of him, things look bleak in Tampa Bay. 

Fans should not despair, though.  It's a very young team that still needs to go through some growing pains before becoming a true contender.

18)  Tennessee

What's funny with the Titans is the fact that the struggles of Chris Johnson isn't derailing their season—the torn knee of Kenny Britt is. 

With Britt, the Titans boasted a solid passing attack. Without him, the offense is average, just like the rest of this team. 

At 4-4, they're only a game out of first, but you get the sense this team may have already peaked. 

The "Underachievers with a Chance to Fix Their Mistakes" Division

17)  San Diego

What a frustrating team.  Phillip Rivers showed flashes of brilliance but also literally gave the game away with two picks returned for touchdowns against the Packers.

If Rivers were in Chicago or the East Coast he'd be getting killed for his performance in 2011.  At 4-4, the is still the favorite to win the AFC West, but it would surprise no one at this point if the Chargers lose the division for a second straight year.

16)  Dallas

There are not many better examples of a Jekyll-and-Hyde team than Dallas.  Of course, the Cowboys seem to follow the mindset of their quarterback, who will look like Tom Brady in parts of a game, and then make the type of mistakes you'd see from a third-stringer. 

At 4-4, Dallas can get themselves into the playoff picture but just as easily could fall apart and win less than eight games.

15)  Philadelphia

Win or lose in the Monday night game, the Eagles will be in a position to contend.  Being three games behind the Giants would be a tall order, but New York has a murderous second-half schedule. 

The Eagles clearly have the talent to compete for a Super Bowl, but they're still needing to recover from their awful 1-4 start.  

14)  Chicago

The game versus Philly will be a barometer to how good or bad this team is.  They have wins against Atlanta and Tampa Bay but have been blown out against teams like New Orleans and Detroit. 

Still at 4-3, the Bears can keep pace with the race for the Wild Card with a win.  Losing to Philly, though, could cripple their playoff chances, as they will have sustained losses against most of the other teams fighting for the same spots.

The "We May Get in the Playoffs but Won't Get Past the Wild Card" Division

13)  Buffalo

That was about as crushing of a loss as you will see.  The 27-11 score was not indicative of the beatdown the Jets bestowed upon the Bills. 

The good news for Buffalo is that aside from their two remaining games against New England and New York, their schedule is quite manageable.  But what is becoming clear is that Buffalo doesn't do well against a tough defense that socks them in the mouth. 

Buffalo can thrive against weaker defenses, but if they get to the playoffs and have to face a team like New York, Baltimore or Pittsburgh, it likely won't end well. 

12)  Atlanta

Yes they are 5-3, won three in a row and are just half a game out of first.  Despite all of this, most Falcons fans will consider their first half a disappointment. 

The good news is Julio Jones is heating up.  The bad news is the Falcons are probably not an elite football team. 

Aside from their win against Detroit, they haven't beaten a winning team.

11)  New England

Yes, I am putting the Patriots this low.  Tom Brady is an exceptional quarterback, and it's entirely possible he will break Dan Marino's record for most passing yards in a season. 

But they are an absolute disaster on defense, and it's starting to cripple this team.  For all the accolades Bill Belichick receives, his defense is not only not improving in the past few years—it's actually getting worse. 

They have a very soft schedule and should win at least 11 games.  But when it comes time for the playoffs, I would consider them an underdog against a number of AFC contenders. 

10)  Houston

The Texans deserve a lot of credit running off three consecutive wins, all without star receiver Andre Johnson. 

At 6-3, they control the AFC South now and should win the division, but everyone will be weary that Houston will fall apart, as they've done so many times.  A point to note is they only have one win over a team with a winning record.  

9) Cincinnati

Talk about a surprise team that no one talks about. While it's been sexy to heap praise on Buffalo, Detroit and San Francisco, the Bengals have gone about their business quietly, going 6-2 with rookie Andy Dalton at quarterback throwing to stud rookie A.J. Green at receiver. 

Like several other teams, their wins have come against some of the worst in the NFL.  But with six wins, the Bengals likely need to win just five more to get into the postseason. The big challenge will be the fact they still have four games left against the Steelers and Ravens. 

The Current Super Bowl Contenders: 8) New York Jets

There are games in a season that mean much more than a single win. 

We saw that yesterday in Buffalo, with the Jets playing their best game of the year. 

If not for some bad first-half turnovers, the Jets could have easily beaten the Buffalo Bills by more than 30 points yesterday. 

Three weeks ago, the Jets were 2-3 and in danger of falling out of the playoff hunt.  Now they're 5-3, tied for first in the AFC East, and they have a very realistic shot of dethroning a reeling Patriots team that is coming to the Meadowlands next week.

Mark Sanchez still isn't close to being an elite quarterback, and their running game is inconsistent. 

But if the Jets can start playing like we saw in Buffalo, this team could absolutely make another deep playoff run.

7) Detroit Lions

Where their season will go will likely be determined based on the result of their Thanksgiving game with the Green Bay Packers. 

Win, and this team will have an honest shot to make a run toward an NFC crown.

Lose, and the Lions will be looked at as a team that could earn a Wild Card berth but will likely not be up to par with the true NFC contenders.

Either way, Lions fans will be thrilled just to see their team compete for a playoff berth, which they've rarely done this century. 

The defense still needs some work beyond the defensive line, and the running game is inconsistent.

But Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson have become one of the more lethal tandems in the NFL, and the 6-2 Lions have every reason to believe they could be an 11-win team this year. 

6) New Orleans Saints

The Saints can look like a team that can dethrone Green Bay one week but get manhandled by the St. Louis Rams the next.

No contender in the NFL needs home-field advantage more than the Saints, who are undefeated at the Superdome, but 2-3 away from it. 

At 6-3, the Saints control their own destiny in a crowded NFC South, but five of their last seven games come against teams with a .500 record or better with road games at Atlanta, Tennessee and Minnesota. 

If the Saints can get past their road woes, this is a team can easily compete for an NFC crown. 

But if they lose two of their last three road games, they could find themselves having to win two (if not three) road games in the postseason to get to the Super Bowl.

5) Pittsburgh Steelers

The 2011 Steelers are a very curious team. 

You want to tell yourself this team can win a Super Bowl.  They have the pieces in place to return to the big game this year.

But then you look at what happened last night and you have to ask yourself if this team can come through in the biggest situations.  

At 6-3, the Steelers have just two games left against teams with a winning record, so they should be able to get to 11 wins and make the playoffs. 

What's discouraging, though, is if they'll be able to beat the cream of the crop at that point.

Still, this is the Steelers, one of the best teams of this generation.  If anyone could find a way to scratch and claw three wins in the postseason, it will be this team. 

4) San Francisco 49ers

How far has the 49ers franchise fallen? 

For a team so rich in history as the Niners, it's quite odd to many people to see this team in first place. 

Consider the fact that an entire generation of football fans don't have any idea about San Francisco's history, because the last great playoff moment this team experienced was the Terrell Owens catch against the Green Bay Packers in the 1998 playoffs.

At 7-1, the Niners are the biggest surprise in the league.  Many will argue that their record is due to the fact they play in a weak division, but in reality, they've only played one divisional game so far. 

Their wins have come against teams like Cincinnati, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Detroit.

Their only loss was in overtime to Dallas.  

With seven wins under their belt, they still have five games left against NFC West opponents and tough contests with the Giants, Ravens and Steelers. 

Ultimately, this has the looks of a 13-win team that should be able to coast to a first-round bye. 

3) New York Giants

When you beat the New England Patriots on the road, you elevate to No. 3 in the rankings. 

The New York Giants have been a very subtle but nonetheless big surprise this year, considering just how crippled they are with injuries. 

Ahmad Bradshaw and Hakeem Nicks missed last week's game to go along with injuries to key positions all around the roster.

Despite all of this, they have beaten Philadelphia and New England on the road, are 6-2 and have a two-game lead in the NFC East.  They'll need that lead, though, as they have a murderous second-half schedule with games against every other division leader in the NFC, a game against the Jets and four more contests versus NFC East rivals.

You look at that schedule, and you can have two mindsets.  The Giants could easily collapse—which sadly is a common occurrence over the past few years.  Or they manage to escape the regular season with 10 or 11 wins, get into the postseason and—having gone through so many great teams—be prepared to go on a run similar to what we all saw four years ago. 

The best thing about this season, though, is the fact that Eli Manning continues to look like a clutch, elite quarterback. 

2) Baltimore Ravens

Yes, it's true.  The Ravens put forth one of the biggest clunkers in recent NFL history when they went to Jacksonville and lost 12-7. 

Take that one horrid game and put it to the side, and you see a Ravens team that looks like it could be the AFC Super Bowl favorite.

With two wins against their hated rivals and victories over the Jets and Texans, the Ravens are racking up important wins against their toughest opponents. 

Their second-half schedule is easier, with only half their games against teams with a .500 record or better, including a contest between the Harbaugh brothers—which incredibly could be a Super Bowl preview.

The biggest fear with the Ravens is they seem to have the tendency to play at the level of their competition, which could prove to be disastrous in a tight AFC. 

But if they can play to their ability, this should be a team that wins 12 games and gets a first-round bye. 

1) Green Bay Packers

At 8-0 this was an obvious choice, and by the looks of their schedule, they have a very real shot to go 16-0. 

Though every remaining opponent except the Vikings currently is .500 or better, four of them are either 4-3 or 4-4.

Like the Patriots, though, the Packers have a pretty horrible defense that's given up 23 or more points in five of their eight games. 

While they'll enjoy home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, a team like the Saints has the ability to beat Green Bay. 

If not for Phillip Rivers giving the Packers 14 free points, they would have lost yesterday.  So while the Packers are off to a great start—and it currently looks like no one will stop them—things are not all rosy in Green Bay.

They do have a flaw, and there are several teams in the league that can exploit it. 

But for now, the Packers are indeed the clear No. 1 and favorite to win the Super Bowl.