NFL Power Rankings: Which Teams Will Continue To Rise?

The only way to the postseason is to win and two teams in Week 10 will continue along that path in their hunt for the playoffs.

The Cincinnati Bengals have won five games in a row, quietly and convincingly climbing their way up the power rankings and the AFC North. With a win this Sunday over the Pittsburgh Steelers, they will have solidified themselves as one of the biggest contenders in the league.

Going into the 2011 season, the Bengals were thought to be one of the worst teams in the league. They planned to start rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, with fellow rookie A.J. Green as his primary receiver.

On the heels of a 4-12 season, it seemed the only place Cincinnati could go was down; instead they've risen farther than anyone had anticipated. The rookie tandem of Dalton and Green has been surprisingly effective and their defense has emerged as one of the best in the league.

Though the Bengals have beaten six teams with a combined 16 wins, that doesn't discount the impressive performances they've posted each time. With a win over the Steelers this Sunday, the team will continue to rise in the power rankings.

Another team poised to rise is the Miami Dolphins. However, their rise is far more limited by the fact that they started the season as one of the league's worst teams, going 0-7 until last week's manhandling of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The one thing Miami sorely lacked was momentum. There's no doubt that the team was angry at the way they've lost games this season, but anger is hardly enough. A win does more for a team than a chip on its shoulder, and from that one win more should come.

Miami hosts the free-falling Washington Redskins this week, and it's as good a chance as any for the team to notch their second win of the season and claw their way out of the bottom 10 of the league for the first time since the season started.

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