NFL Playoff Predictions: Overrated Teams Poised to Be a Playoff Afterthought

Week 17's arrival along with the start of a new year signals the countdown to the 2011 NFL playoffs.

The Green Bay Packers will attempt to repeat as Super Bowl champions this winter, while two teams, the Texans and Broncos, look to return to the playoffs successfully by making a deep postseason run. 

But before we kick off elimination football, let's take a closer look at some pretenders destined to disappear:

San Francisco 49ers

Despite their 12-3 record and NFC West division championship, the Niners are playing for a first-time NFL head coach and entering the postseason for the first time since 2002.

An even scarier thought for San Francisco fans is that the 49ers will likely be hosting the New Orleans Saints in the divisional round, a team ranked first in the league in passing led by a record-breaking quarterback in Drew Brees.

The run defense is not an issue for the Niners. Everyone knows how dominant they are in that area—they're ranked first in the league allowing just 75 rush yards per game.

But the offense will have to score and score efficiently against a team as potent as New Orleans. This postseason simply presents too tough a matchup for San Francisco, and they'll be one and done.

Houston Texans

With a third-string quarterback under center this postseason, it may not matter how crushing the Houston Texans defense is this playoff season.

Houston's top-five defense cannot be overlooked, but similarly to the Niners in the NFC, the Texans lack an explosive offense and the postseason experience necessary to compete with the conference's top seeds in Baltimore and New England.

Houston has lost two in a row and the home-field advantage and AFC South title they fought so hard to claim is in danger of becoming irrelevant. T.J. Yates is no slouch, but how far can he lead a team that has been in uncharted territory for weeks now as late-season contenders?

The answer is not far at all, the Texans are not long for the 2011 playoffs. 

New York Giants

No team in position to make the playoffs has thrown as many interceptions as the New York Giants, who have 16 through 15 weeks of football.

New York will take care of their Week 17 matchup with the rival Cowboys at home, but that doesn't mean the Giants are in store for a lengthy postseason run. 

Their defense has been nowhere near good enough to lead a playoff push. They rank 27th and 22nd in pass and run defense, respectively. 

The same can be said of New York's ground attack, which ranks worst in the league this season. The lack of another dimension offensively only adds to the turnover concern facing Tom Coughlin's bunch.

If Eli Manning has to carry the Giants this January with his shaky arm, Big Blue will be merely a postseason afterthought.