NFL Playoff Predictions: Rising Teams That Will Disappoint

With the AFC playoff picture set and the NFC playoff picture soon to be determined, the 2012 NFL playoffs are now upon us.

This postseason, there are teams that will meet expectations and make noise, but with that, there are also teams that will fall well short of what they hope to accomplish.

Teams like the Denver Broncos are destined to be one of the several teams that rise but fall short come postseason time, as QB Tim Tebow has had his fair share of struggles as of late.

Let's take a deeper look at the Broncos and three teams currently on the rise that will undoubtedly disappoint come playoff time.

Denver Broncos (8-8)

There is no doubt that the Denver Broncos are on the rise this season as they were able to turn around a 1-4 start and make the playoffs.

QB Tim Tebow has gone 7-3 since taking over the starting job, winning big games down the stretch and making plays for this team throughout the season. Yet as of late, Tebow has seen his production fall dramatically and in turn, the play of the team has suffered.

In his last three starts Tebow has thrown one touchdown, four interceptions, and has connected on significantly less than 50 percent of his passes.

Despite top-notch defensive play throughout the season, the Broncos will fall to the Pittsburgh Steelers in their first-round meeting, as the ability of Tebow to put up points will be the deciding factor.

Detroit Lions (10-6)

The Lions are in the midst one of the bigger turnarounds in NFL history. After a season to forget last season, the Lions are now in the playoffs and looking to make noise early.

Yet a first-round matchup against the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome spells big-time trouble for these mighty Lions.

Lately, Matthew Stafford and the Lions have been off, winning just three of their last six games.

Expect Stafford and the Lions to fall short in their first-round matchup against an experienced playoff team in the New Orleans Saints.

San Francisco 49ers (13-3)

The San Francisco 49ers locked up the No. 2 seed with a win over the St. Louis Rams on New Year's day.

They are also locking up a path to defeat.

The No. 2 seed means the 49ers will face the higher-seeded team of the two that come out of the AFC Wildcard round. With the way the playoff picture looks now, it would seem that the 49ers will meet the Houston Texans.

The Texans may be banged up at the QB position, but they also boast the play of RB Arian Foster out of the backfield. With arguably the best defense in the NFL on their side, the Texans would make life especially difficult for an inexperienced 49ers team.

Expect the 49ers to be bounced early in the 2012 NFL playoffs.