NFL Playoff Scenarios: 5 Teams That Won't Live Up to Expectations

The NFL Playoffs are finally here. The beginning marks the end for several fanbases who have unrealistic expectations entering the postseason. Every fan expects his or her team to perform well in the playoffs because simply getting there is quite an accomplishment.

Unfortunately for fans, only one team can win it all. For all other teams, the postseason is a failure to meet exaggerated expectations. Some teams had an easy schedule en route to an inflated record, and some teams are simply decimated by injuries at the wrong time.

Here are five teams that won’t live up to expectations this postseason:

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are a surprise team this season with a 13-3 record and NFC West Champions. Expectations are high after an impressive regular season. The team also has the best rush defense in the NFL, limiting opposing teams to 77 yards on the ground a game.

The problem with San Francisco is the team has no postseason experience. The team is also led by a first-year NFL coach. The inexperience of the squad will shine through against teams that have been in this situation before, including the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers.

The 49ers have a defense that is great overall, led by Patrick Willis and rookie sensation Aldon Smith. The offense led by Alex Smith simply isn’t potent enough to keep up with the Saints and Packers.

Anything short of a Super Bowl victory is a failure for this historic franchise. A postseason appearance for the 49ers is a nice building block for the future, but for now expectations this postseason need to be reeled in.

Houston Texans

2011 saw the Texans win the AFC South for the first time in franchise history, as well as securing a playoff berth for the first time. With an elite running back in Arian Foster, one of the best receivers in the league in Andre Johnson and a top-five defense, the Texans are expected to at least win one playoff game.

The Texans offense is led by third-string rookie quarterback T.J. Yates. Yates isn’t elite by any means, but has been effective for Houston. The return of Andre Johnson should give Yates another target to work with in the postseason.

The Texans are faced with a rematch of a regular season game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Texans escaped with a close win, but it came on a touchdown with two seconds left in the game.

Yates’ effectiveness won’t matter in the playoffs when he has to face elite AFC defenses. Houston’s defense is good, but not good enough to cover up the lack of offensive production. Arian Foster will struggle to carry the team on his own in the playoffs, and the Texans will make an early exit from the 2011 postseason.

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos, along with media-darling Tim Tebow sneaked into the playoffs despite losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17. The loss marked the third straight loss for the team, and now Tebow and the Broncos are tasked with facing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round.

The Broncos are a solid overall team thanks to Tebow. The defense is an opportunistic unit led by rookie standout Von Miller. Willis McGahee is having a great season rushing the ball, and Tebow is a multi-threat quarterback effectively managing games.

Denver is a perfect example of a team that is on the cusp of greatness, but it won’t happen this year. Two weeks ago the Broncos lost to the New England Patriots 41-23 at home in Denver. The Broncos will have a hard time traveling to New England or Baltimore and getting a win in the postseason.

While the hype around Tebow and the Broncos is diminishing, it won’t be completely gone until the team makes an early exit from the playoffs. The Steelers shouldn’t have much trouble making this happen in the Wild Card round next Sunday.

New York Giants

The New York Giants looked great coming into the playoffs, but looks can be deceiving. The Giants lack two of the most important aspects of a team making a playoff run—an elite defense and a great running game. A Week 17 victory over a mediocre Dallas Cowboys team gave them the NFC East title, but it won't propel them to a championship.

The Giants defense is mediocre at best, giving up over 250 passing yards a game and over 380 total yards a game. The only thing consistent about the defense is the pass rush led by Jason Pierre-Paul, who has 15.5 sacks on the season.

Offensively the team is good through the air, with Eli Manning and Victor Cruz leading the way. The team is horrendous in the running game though, ranking dead last in yards per game. The combination of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw has failed to produce consistently.

The Giants are in trouble this postseason if they have to face offensive powerhouses such as Green Bay and New Orleans. The Giants lack a defense effective enough to shut down these teams, and don't have enough firepower on offense to keep up.

New England Patriots

Tom Brady and the Patriots are no strangers to the postseason. Head coach Bill Belichick is one of the greatest minds in football. The offense is one of the best in the league averaging over 30 points per game.

However, the 2011 playoffs will play out eerily similar to the 2010 playoffs for New England. Last year the Patriots had home field advantage and fell to the New York Jets in the divisional round. The Jets’ elite defense frustrated Brady and prevented the Pats from reaching the AFC Championship game.

Like last year, the Patriots defense will be the reason the team will fail to meet expectations. There are several great defenses in the AFC that New England will have to go against, including Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Houston, Cincinnati and Denver.

Brady and the Pats have a great offense, but a defense that ranks second to last in the league giving up 411 yards per game won’t win a championship.