The NFL's Most Dangerous Teams on the Playoff Bubble

We are quickly closing in on the 2015 NFL postseason. Over the next five weeks, we'll finally figure out who is going to be in it.

While a few teams—like the Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals—appear to be playoff locks, there are plenty of spots up for grabs. In fact, five AFC teams currently share a 6-5 record, while six NFC teams sit at either 6-5 or 5-6.

These are the teams that are not great, but are good enough to possibly slip into the postseason.

Just because these teams haven't been dominant, it doesn't mean they can't be extremely dangerous in the postseason. Complacency can be a killer and that's one thing you won't find with these teams, who basically have to enter every remaining week with a win-or-go-home mentality.

Like a cornered animal, these teams are going to be fighting with passion, with urgency and with their backs to the wall.

Can any of these bubble teams actually be dangerous enough to make a legitimate postseason run, though? Absolutely. Over the next few pages, we're going to look at the most dangerous of the bunch and tell you why other teams probably don't want to see them get into the playoffs.

Kansas City Chiefs

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

Current Record: 6-5

Why They're Dangerous

The Kansas City Chiefs began the season 1-5, and have been playing playoff football ever since. The Chiefs currently hold the fifth seed in the AFC. Momentum can be a powerful wave, and the Chiefs are riding theirs as well as any team in the NFL at this point.

The Chiefs have won their past five games by more than a touchdown, and four of those wins have been by two scores or more.

In addition to holding a ton of momentum, Kansas City boasts a defense that is playing at a championship level. Kansas City is allowing just 20.0 points per game (7th in the NFL) and is rated third in overall defense by Pro Football Focus. 

The Chiefs defense has racked up 30 sacks, and the team is plus-12 in turnover differential. A team this proficient in winning the turnover battle can me a demon in the postseason. 

Why Other Teams Don't Want to See Them

The reason other teams have a reason to be scared of Kansas City is that the offense seems to have finally caught up with the Chiefs defense. Quarterback Alex Smith (passer rating of 94.6) is playing at a high level and the unit is scoring with regularity.

Kansas City averages 26.1 points per game, sixth in the NFL.

Losing star running back Jamaal Charles has forced the Chiefs to utilize other weapons on offense, and doing so has created a powerful attack.

The passing offense is no longer a complete liability—wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and tight end Travis Kelce have already combined for 1,461 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. The rushing attack (ranked sixth with 124.3 yards per game) has continued to thrive in the absence of Charles.

In fact, the Chiefs have seen running backs Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware each produce a 100-yard game since Charles' injury. 

“You thought you had what you have right now, but you’re never sure until they get in and get going,” head coach Andy Reid said after Ware's 114-yard performance on the ground this past week, per Nicole Feyh of KCChiefs.com.

What the Chiefs have discovered is that they don't need Charles to be a dangerous and balanced football team. If Kansas City can continue winning, some playoff teams might find out how dangerous the Chiefs are the hard way.

Pittsburgh Steelers

John Froschauer/Associated Press

Current Record: 6-5

Why They're Dangerous

This one should seem pretty obvious. The Pittsburgh Steelers possess an offense that can move the ball pretty much any time it gets out on the field. Pittsburgh is currently ranked 10th in scoring (24.2 points per game) and fourth in total offense (398.8 yards per game).

The Steelers offense is rated sixth overall by Pro Football Focus. 

These numbers might not seem eye-popping, but keep in mind the Steelers have played four of their games without starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and five without No. 2 wideout Martavis Bryant.

Starting back Le'Veon Bell is also out for the season.

However, the Steelers are rolling now on offense. Backup running back DeAngelo Williams (788 combined rushing and receiving yards, six touchdowns) has taken over in the backfield while Roethlisberger now has his full cadre of receivers.

Oh yeah, and one of those guys is Antonio Brown, who already has 1,192 receiving yards and can be impossible to cover at times.

The Steelers have scored at least 30 points in each of their last three games.

The Pittsburgh defense isn't quite as threatening, of course. In fact, the secondary is borderline garbage (ranked 30th with 283.6 yards per game allowed). However, the front is solid and has produced 30 sacks and has limited opponents to just 93.6 yards rushing per game (seventh in the NFL). 

Why Other Teams Don't Want to See Them

Other teams simply don't (or at least shouldn't) want to see Roethlisberger in the postseason. He has already taken Pittsburgh to three Super Bowls and has won two of them. Because of his escape-ability in the pocket, his field vision and his powerful arm, Roethlisberger is an absolute matchup nightmare for opposing defenses—even playoff-caliber ones.

He also knows how to thrive in the big moment.

Because the defense of Pittsburgh isn't top-notch, any game the Steelers find themselves in could turn into a shootout. Roethlisberger is absolutely the last man potential playoff teams want to see with the football in his hands at the end of such a contest. 

The fact that Roethlisberger might just benefit from the league's most explosive collection of wide receivers (Brown, Bryant and Markus Wheaton are all averaging at least 14.0 yards per reception) does nothing to help teams feel better about possibly facing Big Ben in the playoffs.

New York Giants

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Current Record: 5-6

Why They're Dangerous

The New York Giants may have the league's worst overall defense (419.6 yards per game allowed), but this is still a dangerous team because of its passing attack.

Much like the Steelers, the Giants have an offense capable of putting up points with frequency. New York is ranked ninth in passing yardage (265.3 passing yards per game) and fifth overall in scoring (26.1 points per game).

Thanks largely to the presence of quarterback Eli Manning (3,021 passing yards, 23 touchdowns) and receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (1,005 receiving yards, 14.0 yards per reception), the Giants have plenty of quick-strike capability. 

Like the Steelers, the Giants are a team set up to find themselves in plenty of shootout games down the stretch. As Manning has proved in his two Super Bowl appearances, he is another quarterback opponents would rather not see with the football at the end of an important game.

Why Other Teams Don't Want to See Them

We've already touched on it a bit, but teams probably don't want to see the Giants in the playoffs because they've been in this situation and thrived before. 

Back in 2011, the Giants found themselves at 6-6 after 13 weeks in the season. The team ended up slipping into the postseason with a 9-7 record, and went on to win four playoff games—including the Super Bowl.

Teams New York defeated that postseason included the 15-1 Green Bay Packers and the 13-3 New England Patriots. This was the second time in five seasons that the Giants had bested the Patriots to win the Lombardi Trophy.

You can rest assured that New England is one team that hopes the Giants stay far away from the postseason.

Right now, the Giants sit just behind the 5-6 Washington Redskins in the NFC East race. If New York can come out on top there, it will earn the right to host a team like the Green Bay Packers or the Seattle Seahawks in the opening round of the playoffs.

This would make for a cross-country trip to face an explosive offense in a hostile New York environment, which is why the Patriots shouldn't be the only team hoping the Giants falter over the final five weeks.

New York Jets

Brad Penner/Associated Press

Current Record: 6-5

Why They're Dangerous

The New York Jets are dangerous for a couple of reasons. The biggest, though, is that this is one of the more complete teams you're going to find on the playoff bubble.

The Jets are currently ranked seventh in scoring offense (24.7 points per game) and ninth in scoring defense (20.7 points per game allowed). The Jets are also ranked third in total defense (323.9 yards per game allowed).

The offense doesn't quite rack up the yardage, but it is efficient and reliable. Journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has provided a steady, if unspectacular hand under center. Weapons like running back Chris Ivory, and wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, give the offense plenty of scoring potential.

The three players have already combined for 25 touchdowns this season.

Combined with a smothering defense, the Jets offense gives New York enough firepower to go toe-to-toe with practically any team in the AFC.

Why Other Teams Don't Want to See Them

It's pretty simple. Other teams don't want to see the Jets in the playoffs because of that defense—in particular the defensive front. 

The Jets are allowing a mere 84.4 yards rushing per game (first in the NFL) and are rated sixth overall in run defense by Pro Football Focus.

New York's ability to shut down the run creates a real matchup problem for potential playoff teams that like to set up their offense on the ground, like the Chiefs and the Denver Broncos. It also can force opposing teams to go with a pass-happy approach, because running the football is rarely a sustainable option.

When teams pass against the Jets, they run the risk of putting the football into the hands of defenders like Darrelle Revis and Marcus Gilchrist. If the Jets can create a turnover and get a short field, the offense is often just an Ivory run or a Decker/Marshall reception away from scoring.

If New York, which currently sits just outside of the postseason group, can get in, it can be trouble. Teams in the postseason have to avoid game-changing mistakes, and the Jets have the capability to create them. 

Seattle Seahawks

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Current Record: 6-5

Why They're Dangerous

This season, the Seattle Seahawks haven't looked like the same team that went to the Super Bowl in each of the past two years. However, this is still a dangerous team that has a lot of talent on both sides of the football.

The Seahawks are currently rated ninth in overall defense by Pro Football Focus. The defense is allowing just 324.9 yards per game (fourth in the NFL) and 20.2 points per game (eighth in the league). It may no longer look like the best defense in the entire league, but Seattle's defense is still very much playoff-caliber.

The offense, meanwhile, is ranked eight in both scoring and total yardage (24.3 points and 373.8 yards per game, respectively). Thanks to the emergence of rookie running back Thomas Rawls, the Seahawks also boast the league's second-best rushing attack (144.2 yards per game).

As we have seen many times in the past, a stout defense and a strong rushing attack can combine to bring a lot of playoff success. The Seahawks proved this in each of the last two postseasons.

Why Other Teams Don't Want to See Them

Teams that have been there before are dangerous, and the Seahawks obviously have the track record.  

Adam Schein of NFL.com recently explained why their playoff experiences make the Seahawks a legitimate contender:

"

Being fair, Seattle obviously has the recent experience of surviving the intensity of the playoffs. Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll are champions. Thomas Rawls has stepped in at running back and provided Seattle with a seamless transition from injured Marshawn Lynch. The defense, albeit clearly not the same, can still make plays.

The Seahawks certainly won't be intimidated and they have a shot to peak down the stretch.

"

If the season ended today, Seattle would hold the sixth seed in the NFC. While this would leave the Seahawks without a home game, you can bet that most potential playoff teams would rather just see Seattle stay home entirely. 

Houston Texans

Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press

Current Record: 6-5

Why They're Dangerous

The main reason why the Houston Texans can be a very dangerous playoff team is their defense. This group is playing as good as any defensive unit in the NFL right now—especially against the pass. 

Houston is currently ranked sixth in total defense (327.1 yards per game allowed) and third in pass defense (219.6 yards per game allowed). The team is rated fifth in overall defense by Pro Football Focus. That defense has allowed just 39 points over the past four games.

In addition to having a championship-caliber defense, the Texans also seem to have found something that works on offense. Journeyman quarterback Brian Hoyer (passer rating of 94.4) has thrown 15 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He isn't likely to wow anyone, but he's playing well enough to win Houston games.

Of course, having an elite receiver in DeAndre Hopkins (1,081 receiving yards and nine touchdowns) always helps.

Much like the Chiefs—who started out the list—the Texans are also riding momentum into the final month of the season. Houston has won five of its last six games and is only a tiebreaker behind the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South standings.

Why Other Teams Don't Want to See Them

Team aren't going to want to face J.J. Watt and the rest of the Texans defense with the season on the line. This is a group that can absolutely stifle an offense, as it has done over the past month. 

The Texans held quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Drew Brees—who are rated sixth and 11th overall among quarterbacks by Pro Football Focus, respectively—to 425 combined passing yards with no touchdowns, two interceptions and eight sacks.

If you're a team that relies heavily on quarterback play, like the Patriots or Cincinnati Bengals, the Texans could be trouble.

Another reason teams should be concerned is that the Texans have a very realistic chance of winning the AFC South division. This would force a team to travel to Houston to open the playoffs, which isn't as easy as it might sound.

Just ask the Bengals, who have lost there twice in the playoffs over the past four years.