NFL 2011: Biggest Disappointments This Season

Every NFL season there are teams expected to do good, but don't.

Their expectations may be based on past performances, or how they finished the previous season. Others are based on free agent signings or the hope that a team will finally finish with a Super Bowl title.

The reasons they fail include injuries, poor coaching or players that don't live up to potential.

As the NFL gets ready for the final regular season Sunday, here is a look at a few teams expected to contend for the playoffs, but who will watch on TV instead. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Two years ago, the Bucs had a new coach and quarterback—Raheem Morris and Josh Freeman. Both picks were the subject of debate. They went 3-13 that first year.

Last year, they were a surprising 10-6, just narrowly missing the playoffs. However, they struggled against top teams. Were they for real, or not?

This year they opened 4-2, including wins over Atlanta and New Orleans.

Then, things fell apart. The Buccaneers haven't won since beating the Saints on Oct. 16. The streak is now at nine games.

They haven't been competitive in several games this season.

A few scores: 48-3 loss to San Francisco, 37-9 to Houston, 41-14 to Jacksonville and 48-16 to Carolina.

The season will end with questions regarding Morris' future.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs won the AFC West last year.

Were they really good, or just the winner of a bad division?

Injuries have taken their toll on this team. Jamaal Charles and Matt Cassel were lost for the year.

They were streaky, opening 0-3 before winning four straight.

Then they started losing again and coach Todd Haley was fired.

The bright spot was giving the Packers their only loss of the year.

Will it be enough to keep Romeo Crennel around as head coach in 2012?

Philadelphia Eagles

To re-hash the Eagles problems in 2011 would take a long time.

The team anointed as the "Dream Team" has had a mostly nightmare of a season.

They have become masters of losing leads late in games.

Where would this team be if not for the losses to Atlanta and San Francisco? They had big second-half leads in both games.

As soon as—if not before Sunday's game is over—the speculation will begin about Andy Reid's future.

St. Louis Rams

The Rams have been mostly pathetic over the last five years.

From 2007 until 2009, they were a cumulative 6-42.

Following a 1-15 season in 2009, the Rams selected quarterback Sam Bradford with the top pick of the 2010 NFL draft.

Bradford led the Rams to a 7-9 record, as St. Louis was in contention until the final game of the regular season. He threw for 3,512 yards and 18 touchdowns. They were expected to contend in a weak NFC West. That never happened.

This year, the Rams are a woeful 2-13. Bradford has missed five games and is inactive this week.

Some question if he was just a one-year wonder.

If the Rams end up with the top draft pick again, what will they do with it?

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts have a big reason for their failure in 2011. Peyton Manning hasn't played all year.

It has long been thought that Indianapolis was ill-prepared for life without Peyton. This season has more than proven that notion.

They had an 0-13 start, which fueled talk of drafting Stanford QB Andrew Luck with the first pick of the 2012 draft.

Now they have won two straight, and are in danger of seeing St. Louis get the first pick.

After a season of disappointing losses, they may now be disappointing their fans by winning.