How Every NFL Team Can Make a Run at the Playoffs in 2011

Every once in a while an NFL team will baffle the experts with either an improbable season, or a shockingly bad season that most people never saw coming. Just looking at the past four years we have some very good examples of these phenomena. The Miami Dolphins went 1-15 in 2007 and then made the playoffs with a 11-5 record in 2008. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 3-13 in 2009 and then finished 10-6 in 2010 and barely missed the playoffs.

The reverse can be true as well. The Pittsburgh Steelers finished the 2008 regular season at 12-4 and won the Super Bowl. Then they puzzled the experts in 2009 when they finished the following year at 9-7 and failed to make the playoffs. That is why NFL fans need to keep an open mind because each year there will always be some team that comes out of the woodwork that surprises everyone.

Who will be the surprise team in 2011? Someone that had a losing record in 2010 and winds up making the leap from pretender to contender in one year. We will take a look at every NFL team and assess what they need to do to make the playoffs in 2011.

Arizona Cardinals

For the Arizona Cardinals to make the playoffs they will need just to win the NFC West, which is arguably the softest division in the NFL right now. Considering that the Seattle Seahawks were able to capture the NFC West in 2010 with a regular season of 7-9, a similar mark may do the trick this year as well.

What would the Cardinals have to do to get there? They will have to mortgage either some of their future (draft picks) or current assets (trade a player or two) to send to Philadelphia to acquire quarterback Kevin Kolb. Once they acquire Kolb, they will have a quarterback that is capable of keeping them competitive and gives them a fighting chance every week.

With a trio of running backs in Ryan Williams, Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells, the Cardinals hope that one of them will be hot enough each week to give the offense a balanced look. They will still have Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Roberts to throw the ball to, and maybe they are able to convince Steve Breaston to come back again during the exclusive window to sign their own free agents.

They will have Patrick Peterson to add a spark to the defense. If a .500 record is enough to win the NFC West, the Cardinals could do it, but they need to land a solid veteran quarterback to make it happen.

Atlanta Falcons

It is not that difficult to picture the Atlanta Falcons returning to the playoffs again in 2011. After all, they did finish the 2010 season with the best regular-season record in the NFC at 13-3. But the 48-21 playoff loss at home to the Green Bay Packers really exposed some major problems with the Falcons defense, so will they be able to fix those issues that are there on film for the rest of the league to watch?

At least the Falcons have plenty of firepower. Returning will be Matt Ryan, Roddy White and Michael Turner. This may be the final year for Tony Gonzalez and the Falcons would love to give him a shot at playing for a ring. Then you add in some rookie spark plugs on offense like Julio Jones and Jacquizz Rodgers, and you know that the Falcons will be lighting up the scoreboard like a pinball machine.

But can the defense play at a strong enough level to return them to the playoffs? One factor is how active the Falcons can be in free agency to plug up any remaining holes on defense. But, according to NFL Network Insider Jason LaCanfora, the Falcons don't appear to be poised to be big spenders whenever free agency begins.

It is also curious to see if the Falcons lose key free agents off of their offensive line like Tyson Clabo and Harvey Dahl. Can the Falcons recover if both veterans walk, with such a short summer camp to coach up their replacements? These are all legitimate questions, meaning that the Falcons could just as easily repeat as they could fall short of the playoffs.

Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have made the playoffs for the past three straight years, and seem to be poised to make it four years in a row. Some of the key members on defense are creeping up there in age, Ray Lewis is 36 and Ed Reed is 32, so you have to wonder how much longer Lewis can bring so much passion every week before he hits a wall. Everybody has their breaking point, even the legends. 

As long as the Ravens' key defenders stay healthy, they should be competitive enough to make a strong run at the playoffs. Quarterback Joe Flacco continues to grow and evolve and wants to become more of a team leader. He appears to be doing that during the labor lockout, which is a good sign. 

Rookie wide receivers Torrey Smith and Tandon Doss may provide a spark as the season unfolds, and should provide Flacco with enough weapons that he can spread the ball around. Baltimore fans should come into the new season feeling good about their chances to return to the playoffs one more time.

Buffalo Bills

When Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey joined the Buffalo Bills in 2009, they announced that they were embarking on a rebuilding effort that would probably take about four years to rebuild the team into a playoff contender. This is only year two of that plan, so trying to make a case for a playoff appearance on the surface appears to be a tall order.

How could it happen? For one thing, the Bills are one of just 13 NFL teams that are returning their head coach, offensive and defensive coordinators from the 2010 season. They have a 3,000-yard passer in Ryan Fitzpatrick, two wide receivers that have experienced 1,000-yard-plus seasons in reception yardage and a 1,000-yard-plus running back in Fred Jackson. Not every NFL team can make that claim.

You have an innovative offensive mind like Chan Gailey, who will do a better job at getting the ball to C.J. Spiller in the open field. You have young blood in Marcus Easley and Johnny White who are itching for a chance to show what they can do. Roscoe Parrish is still a dangerous return specialist.

Sure, the Bills had a terrible run defense in 2010, worst in the NFL. But, when you add a Marcell Dareus to the defensive line, it is safe to say that he will bring a contagious aura of toughness and fight to the rest of the defense. Whether that is enough to equal 10 wins or more seems improbable right now.

But the Bills will need the ball to bounce their way. Creating a little momentum early on in the season would help, and once a team starts to believe in itself, we already showed examples of how anything is possible.

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers had the worst record in the NFL in 2010. That is why they won the rights to draft Cam Newton with the first overall pick. They now have a brand-new head coach in Ron Rivera, who is beginning his rookie year as an NFL head coach. You have a quarterback in Jimmy Clausen who experienced a terrible rookie year and Newton who wasn't able to have any OTAs or minicamps to learn what he needs to know for his rookie season.

Your best receiver, Steve Smith stands a very good chance of landing elsewhere in 2011. Could the deck possibly be stacked any harder against the Panthers to reach the playoffs than it appears to be right now?

The best way the Panthers might be able to create a chance to make the playoffs is to hire Janet Jackson to be their cheerleader wardrobe director and to orchestrate costume malfunctions during key drives every Sunday. Even that might not be enough to secure more than five wins.

Sorry Panthers fans. You have tasted the playoffs before, and you will taste them again somewhere down the road. But as hard as I can try, I just can't come up with any likely playoff scenario for the 2011 season.

Chicago Bears

Since the Chicago Bears were able to advance to the NFC Championship game in 2010, the team had a good taste of what it was like to be playing in the second season, so repeating the feat is not a far-fetched proposition for the 2011 season. 

With talent like Julius Peppers, Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, Jay Cutler, Matt Forte and Devin Hester around, the Bears have a solid nucleus that will keep them in games all year long. Insert rookies like Gabe Carimi and Stephen Paea to add to their physical play at the line of scrimmage and the Bears will be fighting to win the battle for field position. Paea, of course, was the player that wowed everyone at the NFL scouting combines when he set the new record for the bench press.

It would help the Bears' cause to be more dynamic on offense by adding an exciting playmaker at wide receiver to be able to stretch defenses and spread the ball around more. With the strong caliber of free-agent wide receivers that are about to hit the open market, it would be a major disappointment if the Bears do not land a key receiver during this offseason. That would certainly help their playoff chances for 2011.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are expecting to have a long 2011 season. Their starting quarterback Carson Palmer would rather retire with millions of dollars left on his contract than to play in Cincinnati. The Batman and Robin show, also know as Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, both expect to be playing somewhere other than Cincinnati in 2011. Adam Pacman Jones is out late at nightclubs intoxicated and incoherent, while sporting a neck brace, and can't figure out why he is being singled out by police.

It appears that the Bengals have a tall order on their hands to envision a playoff run this year. It appears that a clean house-sweeping is in order, and with the influx of new talent like Andy Dalton and A.J. Green, the Bengals are well on their way towards bringing a new direction to the team.

Can the new blood bring a sense of confidence and excitement to the rest of the team? It can't hurt. If that passion and rah rah spirit can spread, anything is possible. I know that the Steelers and Ravens fans are not buying it, but that is okay—this slide was for the Bengals fans.

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are in a rebuilding mode, similar to some of the other teams we have already addressed. They have some key players to build around, like Peyton Hillis and Colt McCoy. They made the big trade with the Atlanta Falcons at the draft to help stock some valuable draft picks to continue to stockpile good young players.

The 2011 draft-class haul for the Browns included Phil Taylor, Jabaal Sheard, Greg Little, Jordan Cameron, Owen Marecic and Buster Skrine. That is an impressive list, and will go a long way towards raising the bar in Cleveland. Is it enough to make a real playoff run in 2011?

With that many key rookies and such a short summer camp available to coach them up for NFL action, the Browns would have to bring in some NFL veterans via free agency that can step in and play right away, while mentoring the rookies on the side. As the rookies play catch up and finally reach a level that new head coach Pat Shurmur feels has earned the right to start, they will bring some new energy and passion to the veterans. It still appears to be a tall order for the playoffs in 2011. 

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys need to remove all the distractions and bad memories from the 2010 season and focus on the task at hand. They have some difficult salary cap decisions ahead of them, on players like Terence Newman, Marian Barber and Doug Free.

The Cowboys expect to have a committee running the ball by employing Tashard Choice, Felix Jones and DeMarco Murray throughout the season. Tony Romo will be healed from his 2010 injury and Jason Garrett is ready to continue to build off of the momentum that he started to create when he took over as interim head coach last year. The Cowboys were 1-7 under Wade Phillips and went 5-3 under Jason Garrett.

The Cowboys don't appear to have enough salary cap space to land an impact player like Nnamdi Asomugha, so they will have to rely more on their returning veterans and the incoming crop of rookies, which include Tyron Smith, Bruce Carter and DeMarco Murray.

If the Cowboys were good enough to go 5-3 in half a season under Garrett, is it out of the question that he couldn't duplicate that to be 10-6 for a full season? Depending on who the Cowboys release to create some salary cap room, they may still be able to land a surprise or two. For now, they will have to focus on keeping Tony Romo healthy and using all his weapons to make a playoff run.

Denver Broncos

What do the Denver Broncos need to do to make the playoffs in 2011 after finishing last year with a 4-12 record? You have to give them credit for being consistent at least: 2-6 in first half and 2-6 in second half.

Here is the playoff recipe. Decide on one quarterback, between Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow, so the team knows who the leader will be and can rally behind him. NFL analysts and Broncos reporters appear to be hinting that Tebow just may be the Week 1 starter. You hope that he can find a rhythm with wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, who really came on strong in 2010.

You may need to trade Orton to find an answer for some of the most glaring holes, such as defensive line.

Then you need to upgrade running back Knowshon Moreno with somebody like DeAngelo Williams, who new head coach John Fox knows quite well.

Upgrading the worst defense in the NFL is a major priority in free agency so landing a solid defensive tackle to bolster the line of scrimmage is a must. The Broncos will need to coach up rookies Rahim Moore and Quincy Carter to take on responsibilities in improving the secondary. Working out a better salary cap deal with Brian Dawkins would help.

Finally, you need to maximize the talents of your best pass-rushers, like Mario Haggan, Elvis Dumervil, Robert Ayers and then you allow the talented rookie Von Miller to turn loose. If all those things can happen, then the Broncos could turn their team around.

Detroit Lions

For the Detroit Lions to have a realistic chance at making the playoffs in 2011, they will need to find a way to keep their leader, quarterback Matthew Stafford, on the field for an entire season. That may be too tall of an order to expect, but that is almost an absolute necessity.

If Stafford goes down for any length of time this year, the Lions will have to seriously consider moving on from him and focus on finding a new leader. Otherwise, it will be one false start and disappointment after another.

For 2011, the Lions have created one of the better defensive lines in the league. They have to improve the defensive support of the back seven behind their talented linemen. The defensive stats from 2010 season, show that the Lions linebackers and secondary have to improve their run support and become more stingy in allowing points if the Lions have any playoff aspirations.

For the Lions to reach the playoffs this year, they will have to be players in free agency, and land some talented linebackers and secondary help. Whatever they can do to work with Matthew Stafford on finding ways to avoid taking big hits would be very prudent as well.

Green Bay Packers

How do the Green Bay Packers reach the playoffs in 2011 after coming away with the Super Bowl trophy in 2010? Pretend like it never happened.

In the past 10 years there has only been one repeat winner (New England Patriots), so that alone should give the Packers enough motivation to realize that this is going to be a difficult challenge, but one that is worthwhile to tackle.

The other factor going for the Packers is that their unique 2010 season, where they lost so many key players to the I.R. list during the regular season, allowed a number of reserves to step up and gain some valuable experience. As a result, the Packers will be as healthy as they have been for some time, but will also have better depth on the roster. That depth should allow them to shrug off whomever they lose in free agency and just keep rolling along.

Then you look at the new talent they acquired at the draft. Draft selections Derek Sherrod, Randall Cobb, Alexander Green, Davon House and D.J. Williams brings insurance that the roster can take some hits, but still offer new talent to replace the losses. The Packers appear poised to make another playoff run. As we saw in 2010, all you need to do is make the playoffs via the Wild Card, and after that, anything can happen.

Houston Texans

If the most sought-after free-agent prize in 2011 is Oakland Raiders defensive back Nnamdi Asomugha, then there is only one challenge that he could possibly fix that would elevate him to legendary status. That is turning the Houston Texans secondary into one of the top units in football.

Would his addition alone be enough to accomplish that? No, but it is definitely a start in the right direction. If the Texans can somehow land Asomugha, that would serve as a wake-up call to the rest of the NFL free agents (and their agents) that the Texans are serious about taking the next step and becoming a playoff team.

There is no doubt that the Texans offense has the firepower to compete in the playoffs. It is the defense that is holding them back. You have to tip your cap to the Texans for the new talent they selected at the draft that will help the defense to improve by netting J.J. Watt, Brooks Reed, Brandon Harris, Rashad Carmichael and Shiloh Keo. That is a very positive influx of new talent that should all contribute at some point this year.

But there are still more holes to address. Being a player in free agency and doing whatever it takes to land an impact defender or two would go a long way towards establishing the Texans as a serious playoff contender. Then new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has more tools in his toolbox to go to work.

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts seem like they are in the thick of the playoff hunt every year while Peyton Manning is at the controls. Another surgery on his neck was sufficient to influence the Colts that they have to protect asset No. 1, so that caused them to invest their first two picks in the draft on upgrading the offensive line with Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana.

The next order of business is to improve the rushing attack which was ranked 29th in the NFL. So, the Colts drafted Delone Carter to go along with Donald Brown and Joseph Addai. You bring to health Dallas Clark to join the complete complement of wide receivers in Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie and Anthony Gonzalez, and the Colts will have one of the best passing attacks in the league again.

Then we look at the defense. Being ranked 25th in rushing defense is the biggest warning sign that the Colts are vulnerable to a solid ground game.The Colts did draft Drake Nevis of LSU to help bolster the defensive line, so that is a start.

They have to address the rush defense in free agency, and if they can, they should not have any trouble in making another return trip to the playoffs in 2011.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Will the drafting of Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert be sufficient to motivate quarterback David Garrard to play at a higher level in 2011? That may be the biggest factor needed to propel the Jaguars to becoming a playoff team in again.

In 2010, the Jaguars were sitting in a fairly envious spot, atop the AFC South with a 8-5 record, only to drop their final three games to fall out of the playoff hunt. They were that close, can they come back again? I'm afraid if they can't, then that may be the final straw for head coach Jack Del Rio, who has been there for such a long time that maybe his effectiveness has grown stale.

The 2011 draft led the Jaguars to turning over rocks and stones and finding talent in the most unlikely of football powerhouses such as Lehigh, Mount Union, Wyoming and Middle Tennessee State. Hopefully the fans of those teams are ready to travel to support their alumni in the NFL because the Jaguars have had trouble filling up their stadium as it was.

For the Jaguars to make the playoffs, they will need for Maurice Jones-Drew's knee to cooperate, for wide receiver Mike Thomas to continue to evolve his game and for David Garrard to play inspired ball. Not losing too many key players in free agency would also be a major boost. We will know soon enough.

Kansas City Chiefs

It is one thing to win your division and receive an automatic playoff berth in the process. It is another thing to host that first playoff game in front of all your fans, and fall flat on your face. That represented the highs and lows of the 2010 Kansas City Chiefs season.

They know that they started to make some positive strides last year, but I doubt anyone would say they were satisfied with such a playoff thumping. The Chiefs are hoping that drafting rookie wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin will help their offense to stretch out defenses and open things up for Dwayne Bowe and Jamaal Charles. Of course adding another top-flight receiver that allows the Chiefs to add a solid threat out of the slot would really make tremendous sense as well.

Not only did the Chiefs draft Baldwin, but they added other talent in Rodney Hudson, Justin Houston, Allen Bailey and Ricky Stanzi.

The Chiefs led the NFL in rushing yards per game, but were 30th in passing. They found out that their attack needs to be more diverse if they expect to go further in 2011.

Miami Dolphins

How can the Miami Dolphins possibly make the playoffs in 2011? They would need for some major changes to occur that would allow the team to grow substantially.

For one thing, the organization would have to be on the same page. As of now, it appears that Tony Sparano is more of a lame duck than anything. So, the first order of business would either be to give him a contract extension or to let him go and commit to a new coach long term. Anything in between seems hard for the players to rally behind.

Almost the same thing could be said about Chad Henne. Either bring in somebody better that can overtake him as the starter (Vince Young maybe?) or cut bait. Moving on to running back, you have an aging Ricky Williams and a less-than-effective Ronnie Brown. Let them walk, and sign Reggie Bush to play third down and be a receiver out of the backfield to support rookie running back Daniel Thomas.

The Dolphins drafted Edmond Gates to take some of the pressure of Brandon Marshall. The Dolphins have some weapons, but is Henne good enough to truly guide this team to the playoffs? Those appear to be the main issues right now that are holding the team back.

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings were in the NFC Championship game two years ago, so they are not strangers to the playoffs. You might think so the way they played last year, but we are working with a clean slate right now, so let's wipe last year clean from the memory banks.

Gone are Brett Favre and Randy Moss. Will both Pat Williams and Kevin Williams be back? You would think that the Vikings need both guys back, even though they will be suspended for the first four games. There is still Jared Allen there to keep pressure on the quarterback.

The Vikings have a true weapon in Adrian Peterson, and hope to have both Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin in the fold. We don't know yet who will quarterback for sure, but I don't see how letting someone like Donovan McNabb come in for one year and teach the ropes to Christian Ponder would be a bad thing. I like that plan.

So, what else would the Vikings need to do. They can be an active player in free agency. They can do their best to keep Rice, but according to an ESPN report, the Vikings are $ 5.1 million over the salary cap, which means that they will have to be creative to keep the guys they want and still bring in new talent. They may need to cut Bernard Berrian to make that happen.

New England Patriots

For the New England Patriots, the question really isn't what do they have to do to make the playoffs; it is really more of a question of what do they need to do once they get there? Over the last four-year span, the Patriots have dropped their last three playoff games, and that doesn't seem possible with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, but it is.

But this article wants to know what each team has to do to make the playoffs, so let me revert back to the task at hand. The Patriots have stockpiled their team with another strong draft. The biggest weakness is the lack of a strong pass rush, so expect to see the Patriots do some work in free agency to do something to bolster that aspect of their team.

Since the Patriots were ranked 30th in giving up a ton of passing yards, they drafted Ras-I Dowling to help out in the secondary. They might want to land a key veteran in free agency as well. The offense looks like they will be loaded again after landing a duo of running back talents in Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley.

The Patriots should be fine and have no problem reaching the playoffs again.

New Orleans Saints

The good news is that the New Orleans Saints were able to follow up their Super Bowl victory by qualifying for the playoffs the following year. The bad news is that they almost didn't qualify due to the resurgence of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Oh, and then there was losing in the first round to Seattle, a team that ended the regular season with a losing record.

Coming into 2011 the Saints are looking to make it three years in a row to be in the playoffs. They are led still by Drew Brees and should have another solid year on offense. The Saints added a valuable player in Alabama running back Mark Ingram, so he should help to keep defenses honest and give Brees a chance to breathe in the pocket.

The Saints added some defensive help at the draft too, as they selected Cameron Jordan, Martez Wilson and Johnny Patrick. Their defense looked like it could use some help when Marshawn Lynch ran roughshod through them.

One of the mysteries of the 2011 season is if Reggie Bush will be part of the Saints team, or if he will be playing elsewhere. His contract is hurting his chances to stay with the team, so will the Saints be able to work out a restructured deal, or will Reggie want to see what the open market will pay for him?

That is where Ingram steps in. He is anxious to be given the ball and a chance to show what he can do. Saints should be able to reach the playoffs again.

New York Giants

When you finish with a 10-6 you normally like your chances to qualify for the playoffs, but that is not what happened for the New York Giants in 2010. Instead, they are going back to the drawing board and trying to improve on their record to avoid having the streak stop at two seasons in missing the playoffs.

For the Giants team and their fans, head coach Tom Coughlan needs to get his team into the second season, or the team might relieve him of his job. What have the Giants done to try to improve from last year? Several of their veterans are potentially going to be lost due to free agency. We are talking about a long list of veterans like Ahmad Bradshaw, Steve Smith, Keith Bulluck, Michael Clayton, Barry Cofield, Mathias Kiwanuka and Kevin Bass. 

The Giants will have a short window to evaluate their own free agents and then figure who wants to come back and play for them again. Once that is done, they know if they have many holes or just a few to deal with in free agency.

The Giants drafted Prince Amukamara, Marvin Austin and Jerrel Jernigan, so they came away with some good players. But the real key to the Giants making the playoffs will be Eli Manning. In just the last two years, Manning has thrown 39 interceptions and had 14 fumbles. That many turnovers make it tough to win. Manning has simply got to do a better job with the football. If he does, the Giants have an outstanding chance to return to the playoffs.

New York Jets

The New York Jets have played two straight years in the AFC Championship game. They look like a team that has every intention to keep going back until they get it right.

With a smothering defense and an improving quarterback, the Jets seem to have enough to make it back to the playoffs again. The only thing that can derail them is if they suffer too many key losses to players in free agency, and can't find a strong enough replacement.

There are some key Jets that are going to be available free agents, such as: Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, Antonio Cromartie, Brad Smith, Jason Taylor and Damien Woody. The Jets would love to have both Holmes and Edwards back to catch passes from Mark Sanchez, but if they do lose one of the pair, maybe the Jets will bring in a veteran like Randy Moss or Terrell Owens.

The Jets drafted Muhammad Wilkerson to help out on the line of scrimmage, but may lose Kenrick Ellis due to some legal issues. Expect the Jets to have a great defense again, and find a way to get it done to reach the playoffs again.

Oakland Raiders

If the Oakland Raiders could figure out a way to just play their rivals in the AFC West, they would easily qualify for the playoffs. It is just the other seven divisions that they have trouble with. In 2010, the Raiders went 6-0 against the AFC West, but only 2-8 against the rest of the league, on their way to a .500 season.

The Raiders surprised everyone by drafting some speed (Demarcus Van Dyke) and then added some depth for the offensive line with Stefen Wisniewski and Joseph Barksdale. From a free-agency perspective, according to John Clayton of ESPN, the Raiders are more than $10 million over the salary cap. The Raiders are also bracing themselves for the expected departure of Nnamdi Asomugha. So, if they are already over the cap, how can they fill in some of their holes?

The Raiders were second in the NFL in running the ball in 2010, and their pass defense was ranked second as well. It was their pass offense and rush defense that kept them reaching the playoffs. From Jason Campbell to Zack Miller, Jacoby Ford and Darrius Heyward-Bey, someone is going to have to step up and have a big year. Without more balance on offense they will struggle in games that they get behind early.

It will take some creative genius from Al Davis and his staff to figure out how to create salary cap room to bring in some other players. It might be nine years without the playoffs if they can't figure out how to do it.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles reached the playoffs in 2010 under Michael Vick. With all of the returning weapons and Vick back for another season, you would expect more of the same from the Eagles in 2011.

The Eagles might be a player for Nnamdi Asomugha and Plaxico Burress. Adding either one or both might be the finishing touches Andy Reid needs to make to round out his team and make another trip to the Super Bowl.

Vick didn't play great in the playoffs, but it had been some time since he had been there. We will give him the benefit of the doubt and say that the experience from 2010 will serve him well going forward. The only thing we don't know is if Kevin Kolb will still be there, or if he has been traded away. It has to be comforting to Vick to know that this is his team to run, and he will have it from day one.

I am looking forward to rookie Danny Watkins playing in the NFL, as he was one of the more compelling stories of the draft. You want to see that kid do well.

Am looking forward to seeing what the Eagles do with their chance this year.

Pittsburgh Steelers

What is it about the Pittsburgh Steelers? They win the Super Bowl in 2008, then fail to reach the playoffs the following year. They reach the Super Bowl again in 2010, but players like Hines Ward and James Harrison appear in the headlines for the wrong reasons. The prior year the headlines-grabber was Ben Roethlisberger. Doesn't this team know how good they have it?

At some point in the future, the Rooney's will dump all the bad-news players. But for now, it appears that the Steelers will go to war with the talent that they have and let the chips fall where they may. The Steelers had a reasonable draft with Cam Heyward, Marcus Gilbert and Curtis Brown.

According to a John Clayton story we cited earlier, the Steelers are another team that has to do some creative work regarding the salary cap since they are $10 million over. Linemen like Willie Colon and Flozell Adams may not be back with the team as a result of the cap issues.

The Steelers need to keep their off-the-field distractions to a minimum. The NFL is already more than aware of James Harrison's antics from the big hits he doled out in 2010. Verbally attacking Roger Godell may come back to bite him if even greater fines start setting Harrison back in the wallet in 2011. Maybe a suspension might be in order somewhere down the road if he shows that he is out of control.

Mike Tomlin will have to find a way to keep his problem stars happy and focused. The Steelers should be back in the playoffs again this year.

San Diego Chargers

How did the San Diego Chargers not make the playoffs in 2010? They had the No. 1 overall offense and the No. 1 overall defense. They were No. 2 in passing yards on offense and even ranked 15th in rushing, which wasn't that bad. Their defense gave up the fewest passing yards in a pass-happy league, and the rush defense was fourth-best.

Sure their turnover ratio was minus-six. But that isn't the end-of-the-world stuff. The Chargers outgained their opponents by 120 yards per game all year. Yet somehow they only managed to go 9-7 for the year. The special teams unit has to take some of the blame, but I pin a bunch of the blame on Norv Turner. It is his job to make sure that units of the team are prepared each week and can execute the game plan.

With all of the talent in San Diego, if they fail to make the playoffs again, it would not be a shock to see Turner relieved of his job. You have Philip Rivers in his prime throwing the ball to Vincent squared (Jackson and Brown). You have a young back in Ryan Mathews that should come back with a big year.

The Chargers may lose Darren Sproles and Malcom Floyd to free agency, but have enough depth that they should qualify for the playoffs once again. At least we think so, but take nothing for granted.

San Francisco 49ers

The 2011 NFL season appears to be the make-or-break year for Alex Smith in San Francisco. Do well, and the 49ers may attempt to sign him to a longer deal. Do poorly, and the keys will be handed off to Colin Kaepernick.

New head coach Jim Harbaugh is going to have to make the best of this wacky 2011 offseason to try to prepare his team for battle. His saving grace is that he is playing in the NFC West where anything is possible; just ask the Seattle Seahawks.

The 49ers will probably respond to Harbaugh very well, especially after some of the bizarre stuff that Mike Singletary put them through last year. They have some talented weapons on offense in Josh Morgan, Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, Ted Ginn and rookie Kendall Hunter.

There are some key defensive veterans that may be leaving due to free agency. The 49ers will have to try to find a way to plug those losses (Aubrayo Franklin, Dashon Goldson and Manny Lawson) with their internal depth, since they do not envision being major players in free agency. If Harbaugh can take this team to the playoffs, he will have pulled off a great rookie season.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks made the playoffs in 2010 with the most improbable regular season in recent memory with a mark of 7-9. In 2011, the Seahawks will have Marshawn Lynch for the whole season. They will need a solid year from Mike Williams and Golden Tate to step up.

To make the playoffs again, the Seahawks will either have to re-sign Matt Hasselbeck or trade for Kevin Kolb. If neither one happens, there is an outside chance of Donovan McNabb or Vince Young, but they will need somebody with clear NFL starting experience to give them any shot whatsoever.

The Seahawks were scratching some heads at the draft when they took Alabama lineman James Carpenter in the first round. They also drafted John Moffitt, so at least they upgraded their offensive line. The Seahawks may lose Brandon Mebane and Chris Spencer to free agency, however, so they will have to be proactive to fill those potential holes.

The main priority has to be the quarterback because without that they will struggle this year. If Pete Carroll can return the team to the playoffs again, it will be an impressive feat.

St. Louis Rams

Sam Bradford got his indoctrination in the NFL last season, and now has a better idea of what he will have to do to take the next step up in his play.

The Rams did a good job in bringing in new targets for Bradford to work with in Lance Kendricks, Austin Pettis and Greg Salas. With Steven Jackson at running back and the new weapons, Bradford has an opportunity to spread the ball around more and keep defenses guessing. 

The Rams team just needs to improve overall. There is not any one aspect of the game that they excel in. On offense, the passing attack was ranked 21st and the rushing attack was 25th. On defense, the pass defense was 19th and rush defense was 17th. When you are in the bottom half of the NFL in all four categories, then you probably aren't ready to be a playoff team.

But since the Rams reside in the NFC West, they only have to win that division to get in the playoffs, so rising up to the occasion against fellow NFC West rivals would go a long way towards nabbing a playoff berth.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Josh Freeman and head coach Raheem Morris led the surprising Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 10-6 record last year; that is the good news. The bad news is that everyone will see the Bucs coming, and they will not be able to sneak up on teams this year. What do they need to do to make the playoffs this year, since they were so close in 2010? 

The Bucs can run the ball with LeGarrette Blount. They have Mike Williams and Kellen Winslow Jr. to throw the ball to, but could use another impact receiver to bring up their passing attack a notch or two (ranked 17th in the NFL). But at least it is improving, as from a historical perspective, the Bucs have one of the worst collections of wide receivers in NFL history. The only reason I know about that is because I did the research on the topic.

The Bucs shored up their defense with a nice haul at the draft. They selected Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers, Mason Foster and Ahmad Black, so that offers some talent at all three levels on defense.

Raheem Morris needs to keep his Bucs believing that they can win. Now that the rest of the league is onto them, if they can step up just a little higher, they will be a playoff team this year.

Tennessee Titans

As seemingly close as Tampa Bay is to the playoffs, the Tennessee Titans are seemingly going in the opposite direction.

Sure they have a great running back in Chris Johnson, but he is threatening to hold out. They have a rookie quarterback in Jake Locker that will really need Johnson to be there in camp so they can work together with the coaches. If Johnson does hold out, the opposition will be chomping at the bit to line up and sack Locker.

Jeff Fisher is gone. Randy Moss will be gone. Vince Young will probably be gone. Kerry Collins retired.

So, how on earth do the Titans make the playoffs in 2011? The only way that I can see the Titans reaching the playoffs is that the team decides to pay Chris Johnson enough that he is happy, and he runs his way into the record books due to having a special season.

While that could happen, the Titans have already had their one allotted playoff miracle, so they would be pushing their luck.

Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins are looking to spend some money in free agency. Where have we heard that before? The Redskins are way under the salary cap, so they plan to make a splash and land some key players when the league says it is open for business.

One of the things the Redskins could do to help their playoff chances is to come up with a veteran QB that has playoff experience and a long track record of winning. You know, somebody like Donovan McNabb.Yes, I am aware that he played for the Redskins in 2010. That was the point.

But if Mike Shanahan wants to go with John Beck, then he must know what he is talking about, right? The Redskins can do Shanahan some favors and land some secondary help. The Redskins pass defense was ranked 31st in the NFL and the rush defense wasn't much better at 26th. The only thing the Redskins really did well was to pass the ball, as they were eighth-best. It is hard to fathom a Mike Shanahan team having trouble running the ball, but that was the case in 2010, as the Redskins were ranked 30th.

The Redskins did draft a very nice collection of talent. From Ryan Kerrigan, Jarvis Jenkins, Leonard Hankerson and Roy Helu, the Redskins got some players that will help. But they need even more than that. Landing a corner like Nnamdi Asomugha would help. There are quite a few players that Daniel Snyder could buy, but will they fit the Redskins system or be a distraction like Albert Haynesworth was last year?

At least Coach Shanahan had plenty of time to evaluate exactly what he thinks he needs to win.