NFL Power Rankings: Which Is the Best Division in Football?

The NFL has had its share of surprises this season.

From the Indianapolis Colts balling up in the fetal position after Peyton Manning's neck injury to the San Francisco 49ers' resurgence, you can't say you're not entertained.

However as the season goes on, it's starting to become clear that some divisions are markedly better than others. This is very important as the NFL comes down the stretch.

A team in a tougher division can be battle-tested and ready for anything come January. However, a team that plays in a tougher division can also found itself beaten to a pulp and vulnerable for a lesser team to sneak in. Division strength is important.

With that, it's time to rank the eight divisions in the National Football League.

8. NFC West

The NFC West is also known as the reason division winners shouldn't automatically get a home playoff game. While the Seattle Seahawks won their playoff game last year, the NFC West is as much fun as watching paint dry.

The San Francisco 49ers are the best team in the division and one of the biggest surprises in football. However, their success seems to have a smoke-and-mirrors feel to it. Frank Gore and the 49ers defense is putting this team on its back and will look to make noise in the playoffs.

That's where it goes downhill.

The Seattle Seahawks are a team that's really hard to get a feel on. They have one of the best home-field advantages in the NFL, but they are leaning on Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback.

The St. Louis Rams have forgotten how to score points. Remember when people were excited at the combination of Sam Bradford with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels? It's resulted in absolutely nothing.

Then there's the Arizona Cardinals, who boast the best receiver in the league, but not many other weapons to help him out.

The NFC West could be improving with some young talent, but they're still the worst division in football.

7. AFC South

The AFC South has been one of the toughest divisions in football in recent years, but it's finding itself on a steep decline.

The Houston Texans lead the division despite being without Andre Johnson for several weeks. Arian Foster has been nothing short of spectacular as the Texans have evolved from a pass-happy team to a smash-mouth offense.

Like the NFC West, it goes downhill from there.

The Tennessee Titans almost seem to be having an identity crisis. With Chris Johnson struggling, the Titans have looked different from week to week. They're decent, but not a playoff team.

The Jacksonville Jaguars look like St. Louis East on offense, and Blaine Gabbert hasn't looked to impressive so far. They possess no weapons on offense with the exception of Maurice Jones-Drew and don't look to be headed to the postseason, which may mean Jack Del Rio is going to be looking for work.

Then there's the Indianapolis Colts. Yes, I knew the loss of Peyton Manning would hurt, but wow. The Colts look uninterested on the field. They can't score. They can't stop people from scoring. It's almost as if their waiting for some Luck to just walk right through that door...

The AFC South is in a rebuilding phase that may take several years.

6. AFC West

All aboard the mediocre quarterback train! The AFC West is full of them.

The Oakland Raiders got Carson Palmer off the couch and threw him into the starting lineup. The results have been mixed as they've gone 1-2 in his three games. In order for Palmer to be effective, he needs Darren McFadden to get healthy.

The San Diego Chargers are simply the best worst team in football. Every year, the Chargers are going to make noise, and every year they start playing like a Pop Warner squad. Mix in the fact that Philip Rivers is looking like Donovan McNabb lately and the Chargers are in trouble.

The Denver Broncos love Tim Tebow. Then they hate Tim Tebow. Then they love him. Then they hate him. The thing is, Tebow is winning games. After Sunday's game when Tebow completed two passes, it's hard to imagine them being a playoff contender.

Then there are the Kansas City Bi-Polars. One week, they're on the rebound despite injuries to Eric Berry, Jamaal Charles, and others. The next, they look like the Colts. This is the most difficult team to figure out in the NFL.

The AFC West teams have some potential, especially with the division winner getting a home game, but none of them are really good enough to take seriously.

5. AFC East

The AFC East is the mad scientist division of football, with many coaches who tend to overthink themselves into defeat.

At the top, the New England Patriots have Bill Belichick. Usually, this is very good. For whatever reason, he forgot how to coach defense this year. His offense has also been figured out as they've struggled against Dallas and Pittsburgh.

Second, there's the New York Jets, who have the coach that talks more trash than a professional wrestler. Rex Ryan seems to be going through Tim Brewster syndrome in which, for those of you who aren't Minnesota Golden Gopher football fans, the coach can't decide the personality of his team. Ryan wanted to go back to ground-and-pound after airing out the ball failed, but he doesn't have the personnel to do it in Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson.

Third, the Buffalo Bills, who are fading quickly. Chan Gailey seems to be the most even-keeled coach in the division, and he's made a lot of good moves. Yet, defenses are starting to key in on Fred Jackson, who is the team's entire offensive production. A lackluster showing by the defense against the Dallas Cowboys isn't helping matters as well.

Finally, there are the Miami Dolphins who have gone into Indianapolis Colts mode. The ownership wants to bring in Andrew Luck and a new coach. Tony Sparano, who was involved in one of the messiest attempts to fire a head coach in sports history, has struggled to get across to his team. However, the team has won its last two games, which has resulted in destroying any chance to obtain Luck.

If the coaches can get out of their own way, the division can improve in the second half.

4. NFC East

The infatuation with the NFC East never ceases to amaze me. I wonder on the FOX broadcast flights if Troy Aikman and Joe Buck have conversations about how great the NFC East is.

"Troy, the NFC East is so good. I mean, Washington isn't even that bad you know? If you put them in the NFC West, they could win 11 games!"

The truth is that the New York Giants are leading the division to spite Tom Coughlin. The man who was voted as the No. 1 coach that players don't want to play for has his team playing better somehow, and they're starting to win close games despite falling to San Francisco on Sunday.

The Dallas Cowboys are destined for the Super Bowl each week, and then melt down in the fourth quarter the next. The Cowboys could win the division, but it's hard to not see Tony Romo choking under the pressure of another playoff game...again.

The bottom of the division has the Philadelphia Eagles, who want to kill Vince Young for uttering the words "Dream Team." The Eagles have actually won two of the three divisional matchups, which make you wonder why they can't hold a fourth-quarter lead against anybody else.

Then, the Washington Redskins are having a quarterback controversy over John Beck and Rex Grossman. Ouch.

The NFC East is drooled upon in the media powers that be, but honestly, they're in the middle of the pack.

3. NFC South

As we head up the list, you'll notice that the quality of quarterbacks tend to make for a better division. The NFC South is no exception.

Drew Brees is having another stellar season for the New Orleans Saints. Matt Ryan isn't terrible for the Atlanta Falcons. And Cam Newton is having a season that very few people expected for the Carolina Panthers.

The weak link here is Josh Freeman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After throwing for 25 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2010, Freeman has struggled to the tune of eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2011.

It's not enough to completely water down the division, but with battles like the one the Saints and Falcons put on Sunday afternoon, it's easy to see why the NFC South is in the upper echelon of the NFL.

2. AFC North

So you like violence with your football huh? Then the AFC North is for you.

Watching a AFC North game is like watching a 10-round heavyweight fight. The AFC North hits so hard, Roger Goodell feels it all the way in New York...then there are fines...lots of fines.

The Cincinnati Bengals are surprising the division, but the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are still king. Any of these three teams going head to head is wildly entertaining. There's trash talk. There's emotion. There's pure hate. It's awesome.

The AFC North is so physical, the Cleveland Browns can't even score points in fear they'll get knocked into next week.

It's the brute physicality that makes this division one of the best.

1. NFC North

The NFC North is everything I love about football rolled into one.

There are great teams. The Green Bay Packers are taking the league by storm as they march to what could be an undefeated season. The Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions are more than adequate rivals for the Packers, and if the Vikings didn't blow three fourth-quarter leads, the division could have every team with at least a .500 record.

The NFC North is physical. Watching the Bears and Lions go "Merry Fistmas" on each other Sunday afternoon was delightful.

The teams are filled with hatred toward one another. How much hatred?

Let's just say it's like a kick in the crotch.

The NFC has good quarterback play. Aaron Rodgers is having a MVP-type season, while Jay Cutler, Matthew Stafford and Christian Ponder are all solid as well.

Let's not forget. Two teams in the NFC North played in the NFC Championship Game last year. Other than the AFC North, which had Steelers/Ravens a couple years back, no division can make that claim in the recent future.

The NFC North is the best division in the NFL.