NFL Playoff Odds 2011: Ranking Every Team's Shot At a Playoff Berth
The 2010 NFL season is almost over, and that gives us a chance to look ahead to 2011.
Of course, the way things stand right now with the CBA negotiations, it could be a long time before we actually see any football in 2011.
One of the reasons that football is so popular is because of the Las Vegas odds that are put on every single NFL game.
It gives people watching a reason to cheer for one team or boo another.
If there were no point spreads or over/under, football would not be anywhere near as popular as it is in this country. It helps to drive the business of the game.
With that in mind, we are going to take a look at every single NFL team's playoff odds going into the 2011 season.
These are my own personal odds, I didn't get these from some website or Vegas casino.
These are how I see things going into 2011 based on how these teams are constructed right now and potential moves that they will make between now and the beginning of the regular season.
The rankings are in order from worst to best odds to make the postseason in 2011. These are NOT odds to make the Super Bowl next year, just to get into the postseason.
If you disagree with me, hit me in the comments section and tell me why.
32. Carolina Panthers
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The Panthers were the worst team in football in 2010.
Things aren’t going to get any better for them in 2011, especially with Andrew Luck staying at Stanford.
Perhaps they will have a chance to get him next year.
Odds: 100/1
31. Denver Broncos
2 of 33
Denver is probably the worst team in the AFC right now.
It has problems on the offensive line, no running back and a defense that is a disaster.
Add to that the fact that it is going to lose Champ Bailey, and this team is set up for failure in 2011.
On the bright side, Tim Tebow looked like he could be something in the NFL when he got his chance to start late in the year.
Plus, they will likely take LSU CB Patrick Peterson with the second overall pick in the draft, which will take away some of the sting from losing Bailey.
Odds: 80/1
30. Buffalo Bills
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Poor Buffalo.
It was completely overmatched from a talent perspective in 2010, but it fought hard and could have won a lot more games than it did.
The Bills need to find some playmakers, particularly at receiver, and hope that C.J. Spiller is the guy they thought he was when they drafted him in the first round in 2010.
Odds: 80/1
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29. Cleveland Browns
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The Browns are a quarterback away from being a good team. They found an outstanding running back in Peyton Hillis.
Their first-round pick last year, Joe Haden, looks like a star at the cornerback position.
A couple of moves here and there and the Browns can at least be respectable. Sadly, they are probably at least two years away.
Odds: 75/1
28. Cincinnati Bengals
5 of 33
One year after their surprising AFC North championship, the Bengals returned to form in 2010, going 4-12.
They are probably going to get rid of their top two receivers, and their starting quarterback wants to be traded.
Will things ever get better in Bengal country?
Odds: 50/1
27. Tennessee Titans
6 of 33
Things are falling apart in Tennessee. Vince Young, the starting quarterback, is going to be released or traded. The head coach has left the team, and the team itself is a mess.
On the plus side, the Titans have Chris Johnson. He’s fun to watch.
Odds: 50/1
26. Washington Redskins
7 of 33
All the focus for the Redskins in 2010 was on Albert Haynesworth and his lack of interest in playing football.
The 2011 season will be the year when Mike Shanahan really starts to make his mark on this franchise.
They still don’t have a quarterback and are thin in a number of other areas, but at least their biggest distraction will be gone.
Odds: 40/1
25. Arizona Cardinals
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Kurt Warner’s not coming out of retirement. Who is playing quarterback for this team in 2011?
The defense isn’t exactly scaring the pants off of anyone either. Because the division is so bad, the Cardinals will have a chance, but don’t count on it happening.
Odds: 30/1
24. Jacksonville Jaguars
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Jacksonville is such a frustrating team. It has a lot of talent on both sides of the ball.
It should be better than it has been. It was in control of the AFC South until it lost to the Colts in week 15.
The Jaguars got a lot of lucky wins in 2010, that won’t happen for them in 2011.
Odds: 25/1
23. Minnesota Vikings
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Those high hopes that the Vikings had for 2010 went away quicker than Adrian Peterson’s 40 time.
They don’t have a quarterback; Tarvaris Jackson is not the answer. They need help on defense.
They are the worst team in the NFC North right now.
Odds: 25/1
22. Miami Dolphins
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If the Dolphins could have won a couple of home games in 2010, they would have taken the Jets spot in the playoffs.
As it is, they finished 7-9, and Chad Henne never took the next step to become a star at quarterback.
They will need to find someone to play quarterback and make sure that their owner doesn’t keep flirting with other coaches while he still has one for his team.
Odds: 20/1
21. Oakland Raiders
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The Raiders had a very strange season. They went undefeated against their fellow AFC West teams (6-0), but were very unimpressive against the rest of the NFL (2-8).
They need to resign Nnamdi Asomougha if they want to have a chance to compete for a playoff spot in 2011.
Odds: 20/1
20. Dallas Cowboys
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The 2010 season was not one that the Cowboys want to remember. They entered the year with high expectations, but were undone very early in the season.
It looks like they found the right guy to lead the team into the future in Jason Garrett.
With a healthy Tony Romo and some consistency on defense, this team will be right in the mix for a playoff spot in 2011.
Odds: 20/1
19. Chicago Bears
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If you would have told Bears fans that the team would go to the NFC Championship game in 2010, all of them would have signed up for that.
The future is looking a bit more unclear for this team even after its NFC title game appearance.
Jay Cutler will be back as the starter, and will have to prove to fans and the media that he can handle the position.
The defense needs to improve in the secondary, but the front seven is very good.
Odds: 18/1
18. Seattle Seahawks
15 of 33
It’s still a mystery how Seattle managed to win the NFC West in 2010. Not even because the division was so bad, but this team was awful.
The Seahawks had nothing on offense and nothing on defense, but they managed to win seven games.
San Francisco and St Louis will be stronger in 2011, making it more difficult for them to repeat in the division.
Odds: 15/1
17. Houston Texans
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For three years, we have been waiting for the Texans to break out. It looked like 2010 was going to be the year.
They finished 2009 with a winning record and beat the Colts to open the 2010 season.
That was as good as things would get for them. This team is as talented as any on the offensive side of the ball, but they need a ton of help on defense.
If the Texans can find a cornerback (Champ Bailey?) they can be dangerous next year.
Odds: 15/1
16. Detroit Lions
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The 2011 season is going to be the one in which the Lions really break out. As funny as that might be to some people, this team is prepared to take a big step forward.
The offense is great and will be better with a full year from Matthew Stafford.
The defense made a lot of strides late in the year, and with a couple of tweaks here and there, the team will fight for a playoff spot in 2011.
Odds: 15/1
15. Kansas City Chiefs
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The Chiefs surprised everyone in 2010, winning 10 games and hosting a playoff game.
They had the best running game in football, led by Jamaal Charles. Matt Cassel posted solid numbers across the board but still has a lot of work to do to be a good NFL quarterback.
They will regress some in 2011, but can compete for a playoff berth.
Odds: 12/1
14. New York Giants
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After an epic late-season collapse (again) by the Giants, 2011 is going to be a very critical year for this team.
Tom Coughlin will be coaching for his job and Eli Manning needs to become a much better decision maker.
The defense is still really good, and will keep the team in a lot of games.
Odds: 12/1
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Tampa Bay’s rebuilding project has gone infinitely quicker than anyone could have imagined.
It came out of nowhere to win 10 games, and was so close to getting into the playoffs.
Josh Freeman looks like a star at the quarterback position, and Raheem Morris is one of the best coaches in all of football.
Depending on what other teams in the division do, the Bucs could be the team to beat in the NFC South in 2011.
Odds: 12/1
12. San Francisco 49ers
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The first step in the 49ers' much-anticipated return to glory was signing Jim Harbaugh to be their head coach.
It’s the first time in years that this team set their sights on someone and actually did what it had to do in order to make it happen.
The Niners need a quarterback desperately, but in that division, they have more talent than the other three teams.
They should be the favorites to win the NFC West in 2011.
Odds: 12/1
11. St Louis Rams
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Sam Bradford was outstanding in his rookie season, despite not having any help from the offensive line or the receiving corps.
The organization will find him a playmaking receiver, either in the draft or via free agency.
St. Louis could have won the division with a win in week 17 at Seattle. This is a team on the rise.
Odds: 10/1
10. New Orleans Saints
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The 2010 season certainly didn’t end the way that anyone figured it would for the Saints.
That defense got exposed against an awful Seattle team in the wild card round.
They still have Drew Brees and all that offensive talent, so they will still win a lot of games.
That defense really needs work; releasing Roman Harper would be a good start.
Odds: 10/1
9. Atlanta Falcons
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Atlanta’s great 2010 regular season was washed away quickly with an awful performance against Green Bay in the playoffs.
As good as its record was in 2010, this team has a lot of questions to answer.
The Falcons are a solid team overall, but if they want to be elite, they need help.
Finding a cornerback who can make a stop at a key moment should be their first order of business.
Odds: 10/1
8. Philadelphia Eagles
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This year was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Eagles after they traded Donovan McNabb and were going to go with Kevin Kolb at quarterback.
He got hurt, and Michael Vick never gave the job back.
This team is loaded with offensive playmakers and will be dangerous.
The secondary has to get more consistent for the team to make a deep playoff run.
Odds: 10/1
7. Baltimore Ravens
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The Ravens have to be sick about how their 2010 season ended at Pittsburgh.
They had the Steelers on the ropes but couldn’t close the game out. Their biggest problem this season was their inability to finish games.
If Ray Rice can play like he did in 2009 and the team can find a speed receiver to complement its big receivers, it will be right back in the playoffs in 2011.
Odds: 6/1
6. San Diego Chargers
27 of 33
The Chargers' 2010 season was one of the strangest in NFL history.
They finished first in total offense and total defense, but thanks to some awful special teams play early and bad performances late, they missed the playoffs.
This team is still loaded, and will enter next season as the favorites in the AFC West.
Odds: 6/1
5. Indianapolis Colts
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After struggling for a long time in 2010, the Colts were able to turn the engine on and win the AFC South once again.
They lost in the first round thanks to some questionable coaching decisions.
This team won 10 games with a bunch of practice squad guys playing at receiver.
Peyton Manning is going to get a truck load of money. This team is the class of the division.
Odds: 5/1
4. Green Bay Packers
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Aaron Rodgers took the NFL world by storm in the 2010 postseason. He wasn’t great in the NFC Championship game, but he was good enough to win it. He has been fantastic ever since becoming the starter in 2008.
The defense is one of the deepest units in all of football. This team will be really good for a long time.
Odds: 4/1
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
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The Steelers are playing in their eighth Super Bowl next weekend. They have the best defense in all of football and an underrated offense.
This team will be a fixture in the playoff race for a long, long time. Plus, there is only one team in that division that can compete with them.
Odds: 4/1
2. New York Jets
31 of 33
This was supposed to be the year that the Jets won the AFC East.
That didn’t happen, but they made their second consecutive trip to the AFC Championship game.
They will have questions at the receiver position with Holmes and Edwards both slated to be free agents.
If Mark Sanchez can continue to evolve, this Jets team will be more dangerous than ever next year.
Odds: 5/2
1. New England Patriots
32 of 33
The Patriots didn’t win the Super Bowl in 2010, but they won 14 games in the regular season with a young defense that will be better in 2011.
Don’t underestimate this team just because it lost to the Jets in the AFC Divisional playoff round.
Odds: 2/1
Bonus Prediction: Odds There Will Be An 18-Game Schedule
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The NFL owners desperately want an 18-game regular season.
It will mean a lot more money into their pockets, and that's the driving force for them to get it passed in the new CBA.
The players will want to be appropriately compensated for the two extra games, as they should.
I believe that the two sides will find some solution to the problem, and there will be an 18-game regular season from now on.
Odds: 7/1
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