NFL Power Rankings: Which Teams Were the Biggest Disappointments of 2011?

Every season there are a handful of NFL teams that don't live up to expectations. Whether it's due to injuries, bad luck, a tough schedule or just poor play, they failed to reach their ultimate goal.

Here are three teams that fall into that category for 2011.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are undoubtedly this season's biggest disappointment, even though they finished the season on a four-game winning streak. After making a bunch of offseason moves, which most assumed were upgrades to an already-solid team, Philadelphia was widely considered a Super Bowl contender.

Instead, the Eagles were sluggish out of the gate and dug themselves too big of a hole. Michael Vick was unable to replicate his success from 2010, and some of that could be attributed to top target DeSean Jackson, who just didn't seem fully committed on a weekly basis.

The team's late run shows Philadelphia is a team to watch heading into next season, but it's important to keep expectations within reason.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay was supposed to be a team on the rise, coming off of a 10-6 campaign. It didn't turn out that way, as the Buccaneers finished 4-12 and have the second-worst point differential in the NFL, ahead of only the St. Louis Rams.

The biggest reason for the downfall was Josh Freeman, who had more turnovers than touchdowns.

After showing so much promise last season, he just couldn't find any semblance of a rhythm throughout the year and will head into the offseason with a lot of work to do.

There is still a lot of good, young talent on the roster, but there is also no shortage of holes to fill. Playing in a tough division means the playoffs are probably still a few seasons away.

San Diego Chargers

No team seems to annually under-perform quite like the Chargers. Every season they are predicted to take control of a weak division and just can't manage to make it happen because of bad losses and uninspired play under Norv Turner.

It's hard to imagine Turner surviving another offseason in San Diego. There's no reason for a team with as much talent as the Chargers to finish 8-8 in the AFC West.

It's never completely the coach's fault, but there needs to be a fall guy, and he's a likely target.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the division will be wide open once again. Perhaps a fresh outlook will give San Diego the leg up it needs to give over the hump and back into the playoffs.

Tim Daniels' Wild Card NFL Power Rankings
1. Green Bay Packers
2. New Orleans Saints
3. New England Patriots
4. San Francisco 49ers
5. Baltimore Ravens
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
7. Atlanta Falcons
8. Detroit Lions
9. Houston Texans
10. Tennessee Titans
11. New York Giants
12. Cincinnati Bengals
13. Philadelphia Eagles
14. San Diego Chargers
15. Arizona Cardinals
16. Chicago Bears
17. Denver Broncos
18. Dallas Cowboys
19. New York Jets
20. Oakland Raiders
21. Miami Dolphins
22. Kansas City Chiefs
23. Seattle Seahawks
24. Carolina Panthers
25. Buffalo Bills
26. Jacksonville Jaguars
27. Washington Redskins
28. Minnesota Vikings
29. Cleveland Browns
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
31. Indianapolis Colts
32. St. Louis Rams