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2012 NFL Power Rankings: Raiders move up after consecutive wins

The Oakland Raiders won for the second straight week on Sunday, but some NFL pundits weren't that impressed.

Peter Aiken

The Oakland Raiders made a jump in NFL Power Rankings around the web after a Week 8 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium. The win was the second straight for the Raiders, who kept pace with the division-leading Denver Broncos.

Ryan Van Bibber of SB Nation moved the Raiders up two spots to No. 26 in his Week 9 NFL Power Rankings. Despite Oakland's position in the standings, just one game behind the Denver Broncos, Van Bibber does not believe Oakland has a chance at capturing a division crown:

26. Oakland Raiders (LW: 28, 3-4): Congrats, you beat the Chiefs on the road. Catching the Broncos is outside the realm of possibility; staying ahead of the Chargers for second place in the division is not.

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports slotted the Raiders even lower at No. 27. ESPN thought the highest of Oakland by placing them at No. 24.

The Raiders will try to move some of the doubters wrong when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Oakland and Tampa Bay have identical records at 3-4. The Bucs are coming off an impressive win over the Minnesota Vikings last Thursday, and like the Raiders seem to be trending upward.