NFL Playoff Picks: Powerhouse Teams That Won't Win a Postseason Game

The NFL postseason is the time where we separate the men from the boys. The teams with the most mettle will rise to the top, while others will wither under the pressure of the big stage. Even some of the favorites will find it difficult to get to the promised land. 

In fact, this year, unlike most other years, could feature a number of upsets in the wild card and divisional rounds because most of these teams are so evenly matched. Everyone has a fatal flaw that could come up to bite them in these games. 

So which favorites are in the most trouble as we move closer to kick-off this Saturday?

Baltimore Ravens

When you think of the Ravens, the first thing that comes to mind is a dominant defense. But not long after that you will start to cringe because you remember that Joe Flacco is the team's quarterback, and he is as big a question mark as anyone in the postseason. 

While Ray Rice is the focal point of what the Ravens want to do, and getting Anquan Boldin back for the divisional round will help, Flacco has to prove that he can put his regular season struggles behind him. 

Playing at home will be an advantage for them, they finished 8-0 in Baltimore this year, but they are vulnerable right now. 

New England Patriots

If we were just talking about a game of seven-on-seven, I would pick the Patriots to win the whole thing.

Unfortunately, that is not how things work in the NFL. The last two weeks have to be concerning to the Patriots and their fans. They were able to walk away victorious both times, but they don't have a lot to be happy about. 

They fell behind by 17 to Miami and 21 to Buffalo before unleashing Tom Brady in the second half. But the postseason is a different animal. You can't get behind like that to playoff teams and hope to stay alive for very long. 

The defense has to step up and make some plays, and unless they are playing the turnover-prone Ryan Fitzpatrick, they haven't proven capable of doing it. 

Houston Texans

While the Texans are not a favorite to make it to the Super Bowl, the oddsmakers do like them to make it past the Cincinnati Bengals this weekend. 

Neither team did a lot to inspire confidence in the regular season finale, but the Bengals are the stronger team right now for one very big reason: T.J. Yates. 

The Bengals may not be a perfect team, but at least they enter this game with their starting quarterback and a bevy of playmakers to support him. 

Both teams are strong on defense, so the only thing that separates the Bengals from the Texans is Andy Dalton. 

San Francisco 49ers

Jim Harbaugh did a masterful job with this team in 2011. Winning 13 games for the first time in 14 years deserves high praise. 

But looking at where the 49ers are at right now, and who they could potentially be playing next week, New Orleans, it is hard to expect them to get their first playoff victory since 2002. 

The defense is showing some cracks, and Alex Smith is going to have to prove that he can win a game instead of just being a game manager. 

In a potential game against Drew Brees, you can forgive me if I don't anticipate Smith suddenly becoming the next Joe Montana or Steve Young right away. 

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