NFL Predictions: 5 Non-Playoff Teams with Most Momentum Heading into 2012

The 2011 NFL season was disappointing for teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers and the Arizona Cardinals.

All of those teams, especially the "dream team" known as the Philadelphia Eagles, started the year with substantial playoff aspirations, only to now be watching the playoffs from the comfort of their own homes.

While this time of year is definitely disappointing for teams that were left out of the playoffs, there were still a few teams who ended the year strong enough to evoke hope for fans of what 2012 might hold for their team.

Ahead is a list of five NFL teams who in spite of missing out on the playoffs, finished the year with some serious momentum that they hope to carry into 2012.

Read on.  

Miami Dolphins (6-10, 3-3)

2011 didn't start out the way the Miami Dolphins expected it to. They started the season on a seven-game losing streak, with blowout losses to conference rivals the New England Patriots and New York Jets.  

The Dolphins' terrible start was in large part due to the atrocious play of quarterback Chad Henne. Luckily for the Dolphins the coaching staff made a change by bringing in Matt Moore, who revitalized the offense of the struggling Miami Dolphins.

In 12 games as a starter, Moore led the Dolphins to a 6-6 record, and while that isn't anything special, it does prove that Moore can do what it takes for the Dolphins to win games, something they haven't done a lot of in the last few years.  

In addition to the emergence of Moore, the Dolphins also found their future at the running back position in Reggie Bush. Bush ran for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his six-year career.

Ending the season with a win against their conference rival New York Jets to keep them out of the playoffs is just what the Dolphins needed. The Dolphins have the pieces in place offensively speaking to be a solid team in 2012.  

If the Dolphins can add some depth at the linebacker and cornerback positions, they will be able to carry their late season momentum from 2011 into 2012, which will make them a very dangerous team.     

Kansas City Chiefs (7-9, 3-3)

The Kansas City Chiefs season went down in flames quickly when they lost star running back Jamaal Charles to a torn ACL only two weeks into the 2011 season. If that wasn't bad enough, eight games into the season the Chiefs also lost their starting quarterback Matt Cassel, who led the team to a 4-4 record in his eight games as a starter.  

The Chiefs, under the leadership of interim head coach Romeo Crennel, finished the 2011 season with strong wins over the then undefeated Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos, who were playing for their playoff lives.  

The Chiefs won those games with an increasingly dominant defense and the emergence of explosive running back Dexter McCluster. The Kansas City Chiefs made the right move of naming Crennel their new head coach, and now if Matt Cassel and Jamaal Charles fully recover from their injuries, 2012 will be a great year for the Chiefs.

2012 will be a solid year for Kansas City, carrying the momentum from 2011, mainly because the Chiefs figured out how to play defense like a championship-caliber team late in the season. The Chiefs will be a team to keep your eyes on throughout the 2012 season.       

San Diego Chargers (8-8, 3-3)

In all honesty, the Chargers probably deserve to be in the playoffs, representing the AFC West, more than the Denver Broncos do. The Chargers ended their season with wins in four out of the final five games, with two dominating wins against the Baltimore Ravens (34-14) and the Oakland Raiders (38-26).

If it wasn't for a terrible mid-season and a six-game losing streak, the Chargers, with one more win, would be the champions of the AFC West and one of the most dangerous teams heading into the AFC playoffs.

The main reason for the Chargers' stellar late season run was the play of Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, who finally looked like the elite quarterback Chargers fans know he is. Rivers, who only had one 100-plus quarterback rating in his first 11 games, had a total quarterback rating of 123.3 or greater in four of his final five games. That is something for Chargers fans to be excited about heading into 2012.

If the Chargers can manage to keep free agent wide receiver Vincent Jackson in San Diego, the Chargers are one of the "non-playoff" teams to be excited about in 2012.    

Arizona Cardinals (8-8, 4-2)

After acquiring quarterback Kevin Kolb from the Philadelphia Eagles, the Arizona Cardinals entered the 2011 season with the mindset of "playoffs or bust." Unfortunately their season ended without a trip to the 2012 postseason, but the Arizona Cardinals do have a lot to be excited about when it comes to the 2012 season.

While there is uncertainty at the quarterback position, with Kevin Kolb only playing significant time in eight of 16 regular season games, and playing relatively poorly when he was under center, the Cardinals ended the season with a 7-2 record in their final nine games.  

The Cardinals won those games with dominant defensive play and a solidified rushing attack with third-year running back Beanie Wells, who went over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.

The Arizona Cardinals have a lot to be excited about when thinking about the 2012 season, as long as they figure out who the best quarterback on their roster is. John Skelton had worse statistical production than Kolb, but he led the Cardinals to a 7-2 record as a starter, whereas Kolb recorded a weak 2-6 record as a starter.  

Either way the Cardinals ended the 2011 season with a lot of momentum to carry over into 2012.      

Philadelphia Eagles (8-8, 5-1)

The Philadelphia Eagles earned the honor of being the most disappointing team of the 2011 season. The self proclaimed "dream team" was a bigger flop than the Schwarzenegger-less remake of Conan the Barbarian. After their first 12 games the Eagles were a miserable 4-8 overall, which ultimately proved to be the reason why they were left out of the 2012 NFL playoffs.

Even despite their atrocious 4-8 start, the Eagles ended the season on a four-game winning streak, with wins against the New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins. The most impressive part of those four wins is the margin by which the Eagles beat their opponents. The Eagles outscored their final four opponents by a combined 79 points (125-46).

Once quarterback Michael Vick returned to full health the Eagles found their swagger, with Vick earning a 100-plus quarterback rating in his final three games. More important than the play of Michael Vick and the dominance of running back LaSean McCoy, who rushed for 1,309 yards and 17 touchdowns, was the way the defense came together at the end of the year. 

Sure, the Eagles 2011 campaign was utterly disappointing, but watching them a the end of the season leads me to believe that they are going to be a team everyone needs to take seriously in 2012. The Eagles, out of every non-playoff team, has the most momentum heading into next season, and they will be a team to keep your eyes on.