NFL Power Rankings: Which Teams Have Best Shot at Surpassing Green Bay Packers?

The Green Bay Packers are hands down the best team in the NFL, and it's a wonder if any team will be able to catch them this season.

If they go undefeated, which is a possibility, then of course no team will surpass them in the rankings.

Even if Green Bay loses it's next game, the Packers would still remain No. 1. Aaron Rodgers has been unstoppable this year, bailing out his defense a number of times with his rocket arm. 

You don't normally here that about a quarterback, which is another reason he is a special player. 

Still though, if any team can catch the Packers by the end of the year, it will be these three teams below. 

San Francisco 49ers 

Jim Harbaugh is doing some outstanding coaching in his first season with the 49ers, which is remarkable considering he had no true offseason with his team due to the NFL lockout. 

At 8-1, the 49ers are on a great roll and because they're in the weak NFC West, they shouldn't have much trouble the rest of the season.

San Francisco has proven it can beat some strong teams, such as the New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions and a very talented Philadelphia Eagles team. Yes, the Eagles are slumping, but you can not deny that they are a tough team to play against, especially in Philadelphia. 

A stout defense has been the main reason for the 49ers' success, as well a solid run game from Frank Gore.

Bleacher Report's own Matt Miller tweeted just how close he thinks the 49ers are to catching the Packers.

New Orleans Saints 

The Saints have had one mishap this season against the St. Louis Rams, but other than that they've been a sold team. 

At 7-3, New Orleans knows what it takes to challenge the Packers for all four quarters, and that would a phenomenal quarterback.

Drew Brees leads in the NFL in passing with 3,326 yards, but he would probably prefer to have more wins. In the Saints opening game against the Packers, they lost in the closing seconds when they couldn't put the ball in the end zone. 

New Orleans continues to play extremely sound football, and the Saints have a great shot at passing the Packers, especially since they will likely be favored in every game for the rest of the season. 

New England Patriots 

The Patriots three losses hinders their chances of catching the Packers, but with the easiest remaining schedule in the NFL, the Patriots should have no trouble winning out.  

Only one team left on the Patriots schedule has a winning record, which is the Buffalo Bills at 5-4. New England doesn't play Buffalo until the final game of the year, so don't be surprised if the Bills are under .500 by the time they play the Patriots. 

New England would need the Packers to drop a couple of games, which is hard to see, given the way their offense is dominating right now. 

Still, with Tom Brady the Patriots will go far this season, and by season's end they will be making a strong case for the top team in the NFL. 

An astounding tweet from Ian R. Rapoport on how thin the Patriots roster has become, which shows you how good the stars of this team are. 

Eric Bowman’s 2011 NFL Power Rankings  

1. Green Bay Packers

2. San Francisco 49ers 

3. New Orleans Saints

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

5. New England Patriots

6. Baltimore Ravens

7. Houston Texans

8. Chicago Bears

9.  Detroit Lions 

10. New York Giants

11. Atlanta Falcons

12. New York Jets

13. Dallas Cowboys

14. Cincinnati Bengals

15. Oakland Raiders  

16. Buffalo Bills

17. San Diego Chargers  

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

19. Philadelphia Eagles

20. Tennessee Titans

21.  Denver Broncos

22. Arizona Cardinals  

23. Kansas City Chiefs 

24. Minnesota Vikings 

25. Washington Redskins

26. Carolina Panthers

27. Seattle Seahawks

28. Miami Dolphins

29. St. Louis Rams

30.  Jacksonville Jaguars

31. Cleveland Browns

32. Indianapolis Colts