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Who would have thought that the Dallas Cowboys would own the best record in the NFC at the start of the season? Maybe a few people did. But certainly no one thought that they would even be relevant in the playoff picture with rookie Dak Prescott playing every game under center in place of a sidelined Tony Romo.
The reality is that the Cowboys are a legitimate Super Bowl threat in 2016, and it goes far beyond the quarterback position. Rookie tailback Ezekiel Elliott has taken the league by storm. He currently leads all running backs in yards this season with 799 while averaging 5.0 yards per carry.
It's way too early for Cowboys fans to be making Emmitt Smith comparisons, but it's hard not to see Elliott's potential.
The Cowboys, along with the Minnesota Vikings, own the distinction of being at the top of their conference, and the rest of the NFC has some serious work to do to catch up. But for now, let's take a look at the NFC and AFC power rankings after Sunday's slate of games heading into Monday Night Football.
Notable Teams
Oakland Raiders
Young quarterback? Check. Two receivers capable of 1,000-yard seasons? Check. A competent running game and offensive line? Check.
Don't look now, but the Oakland Raiders are back.
They still have a lot of work to do, but there's a lot to like about this Raiders team. It's incredible to think, looking back a few years ago, that Oakland drafted Derek Carr in the second round, and that three quarterbacks (Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater) were all selected before him.
It's safe to say that the Cleveland Browns are regretting that decision every day.
At 5-0 on the road and 6-2 overall, the Raiders are off to the franchise's best start since 2001, the year before they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl, which was also the last time the Raiders made the playoffs.
Tennessee Titans
If you haven't seen the Titans play in the last couple of weeks, start watching immediately.
Marcus Mariota is in a really good rhythm throwing and running the ball, and what else can be said about DeMarco Murray's season that hasn't already?
Mariota and Murray are the most underrated backfield duo in the NFL this season. The Titans have outscored their opponents 120-99 in their last four games, going 3-1 during that span while averaging 30 points per game.
The Titans offense, according to NFL.com, ranks ninth in the NFL and averages 377.8 yards per game. Standing at 4-4 through eight games, the Titans still have some work to do before they can be serious wild-card contenders, but being in a weak AFC South division does help their case. The only two teams they really have to worry about are the Texans (5-3) and the Colts (3-5), both of whom are still trying to find identities.
Mariota is beginning to look like the player Tennessee drafted out of Oregon as a dual-threat quarterback with a pretty spiral, and it's only a matter of time before the rest of his team catches up with him.
Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com
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