NFL Playoff Predictions: Teams That Shouldn't Bother Showing Up 

It's true that 12 teams make the NFL Playoffs, but some teams just don't belong there. They just don't have a solid chance to win the Super Bowl.

Sure, they may upset a team or two like last year's Seattle Seahawks did, but let's be honest. Some of these are teams are just atrocious at the quarterback position and others are limited in so many ways that they just shouldn't bother showing up.

They're making their fans think they actually have a shot when all they're doing is putting them on an emotional roller coaster.

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans clinched the AFC South for the first time in franchise history and they may make a quick exit in the playoffs. 

It seems like everyone on this team is either hurt or at least banged up a bit. The most important loss is quarterback Matt Schaub. Although third-string quarterback T.J. Yates led the Texans to two wins before dropping a pair against the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts, his inexperience will prove costly in the playoffs.

After all, Yates is a third-string rookie. The list of Super Bowl champion quarterbacks consists of Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers. Yates, who has only started in four career games, is light years away from those guys. 

The quarterback spot isn't the only position where the Texans are banged up. They have a total of 12 players on the injured reserve, including former No. 1 overall pick Mario Williams. 

Even guys like Andre Johnson, Joel Dreessen, Owen Daniels and Arian Foster are listed as probable for this week's game against the Tennessee Titans. 

The team is just too banged up to do anything this January.

Sorry Houston, you've got a problem.

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos aren't even a lock to make it to the playoffs. They still have a vital match against the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday. A win will put them into the playoffs.

Assuming they make it, they'll have to play the AFC North runner-up, which will be either the Baltimore Ravens or the Pittsburgh Steelers.

You really think Tim Tebow is going to be able to move the ball against those defenses?

Beating the Miami Dolphins or the Chicago Bears is one thing. Moving the ball against two of the best defenses in the league is another. Tebow's going to need a lot of help from Upstairs if he's going to pull off a miracle in the Wild Card Round.

Another reason why the Broncos will make a quick exit is because their defense isn't as amazing as it appears. They've been good at times and they've given Tebow numerous chances to make his improbable comebacks, but they're actually pretty pedestrian. The Broncos have the 23rd-ranked defense in the NFL.

The story was cute. It glued casual sports fans to their televisions all season long. However, it seems like Tebow's miracle run will soon come to an end. 

Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan is one of those quarterbacks that is on the cusp of becoming elite. He's won an NFC South championship and has had great success in the regular season. That being said, he needs more playoff success to get to the elite level.

It'll come in time, just not this year.

Unfortunately for the Atlanta Falcons, they're not going to be hosting any playoff games. That's when the Falcons do all their damage; they're a dome team.

In fact, Ryan is 25-4 lifetime at home. On the road, he's 17-15. His passer rating drops by more than 16 points on the road, too. 

The Falcons, as a team, haven't been able to figure out the top teams in the NFL. The combined record of the opponents the Falcons have beat at the time they played them is 23-44. In contrast, the record of the opponents the Falcons lost to at the time they played them is 30-10.

This team isn't too difficult to figure out. They beat the cellar dwellers, but struggle against the NFL's best. 

Guess who they're going to be playing in the playoffs? 

Here's a clue: It's not going to be Indianapolis.

San Francisco 49ers

Wait! How's a team that's most likely going to get a bye week going to make a quick exit?

They have a great coach in Jim Harbaugh, who has turned the San Francisco 49ers around, and a running game that's unmatched with star tailback Frank Gore, right?

This may be true, but the length of the 49ers' playoff run is going to be determined by Alex Smith, who is going to be making his first playoff appearance. It's the reason why the Niners are on this list and the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants aren't. 

As mentioned in a previous slide, the list of NFL quarterbacks with a Super Bowl ring is short. Teams need a top-10 quarterback to win a Super Bowl. 

As great as Harbaugh has been in utilizing Smith effectively, he's going to need to make some big throws in January. There are big question marks regarding Smith heading into his first playoff run. 

Although beating the Pittsburgh Steelers was a major accomplishment, it was done when Ben Roethlisberger was severely hurt. After this Sunday, the 49ers will have played six games against the NFC West.

How significant are those wins against Arizona, Seattle and St. Louis? Do they really tell us much about the 49ers being a great team?

Let's not forget the 49ers played teams in the NFC East this year. That division is not what it was three or four years ago. In fact, the NFC East champion is going to have less than 10 wins for the first time since 1982, when only nine games were played that season. 

The 49ers have made giant strides, but it's hard to imagine Alex Smith outdueling Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers. 

Whoever Wins the Last Wild-Card Spot in the AFC

Four teams can take the sixth seed in the AFC: the Cincinnati Bengals, the Tennessee Titans, the Oakland Raiders and the New York Jets. 

All four of these teams have major deficiencies. 

The Bengals have an untested rookie quarterback in Andy Dalton. They also finished 0-4 against the best of the AFC, losing twice to the Pittsburgh Steelers and two more times against the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans.

The Titans have not defeated a .500 team since Week 4, and that team they beat was the Cleveland Browns, who were 2-1 at the time. Their defense is less than impressive and Chris Johnson's inconsistencies will end up doing them in. 

The Raiders don't have Darren McFadden, Carson Palmer's throwing interceptions again and they have the fourth-worst defense in the league.

The Jets, who probably have the best chance to pull off an upset, need plenty of help just to get in the playoffs. If they do get in, can they overcome Mark Sanchez's up-and-down play?

It'll be hard to see any of these teams doing much damage. That being said, they do get to play the Houston Texans in the first round, who are extremely banged up. But right after that they have to play Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Good luck with that.