NFL Lockout: 10 Teams with the Most on the Line If the Season Is Shortened

The NFL labor negotiations have halted and there’s no guarantee that the 2011 season will start on time. If the standoff drags on long enough, the league will have little choice but to play an abbreviated regular season (last seen after the 1982 strike).

For some teams, a lockout-shortened season could be a blessing in disguise. For others, it would be a major disappointment.

Read on for the 10 clubs with the most to gain or lose from an abridged 2011 schedule.

10. Kansas City Chiefs

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KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 02: Wide receiver Dexter McCluster #22 of the Kansas City Chiefs runs down field in a game against the Oakland Raiders in a game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Tim Umphrey/Getty Imag

After a brilliant 2010 season, the Chiefs have plenty of momentum to build on heading into 2011. The longer the lockout lasts, the less that momentum is likely to carry over.

A shorter regular season also gives the Chiefs a better chance of missing the playoffs on a fluke. San Diego could easily recover to win the AFC West again, and the Wild-Card races are always close.

A longer season would give K.C. a better chance to battle its way into the playoffs. A shorter one could leave them home in January, missing out on vital postseason experience for their young players.

9. Buffalo Bills

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MIAMI - DECEMBER 19: Running Back C.J. Spiller #21 of the Buffalo Bills runs against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium on December 19, 2010 in Miami, Florida.The Bills defeated the Dolphins 17-14. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Even with the third-overall pick in this year’s draft, the Bills are much more than a year away from contending in the crowded AFC East.

With a shortened regular season, they’ll have time enough to see which young players do or don’t fit as part of their rebuilding efforts without beating themselves up in a lost cause.

The sooner 2012 comes, the happier the Bills will be. A lockout-shortened 2011 would be one part of making that happen.

8. St. Louis Rams

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 12: Quarterback Sam Bradford #8 of the St. Louis Rams looks to throw a pass during the game against the New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome on December 12, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Get

If the NFL is forced to shorten the season, the divisional schedule is likely to become an even bigger factor than it already is in determining the outcome of a season. The NFC West probably won’t be as bad as last year’s version, but it could be close.

The Rams, a team on the rise, might get to give their young stars an early taste of the playoffs if Sam Bradford and company can get the job done against shaky NFC West competition. That postseason experience would be a big boost down the road if St. Louis can become a regular contender again.

7. Carolina Panthers

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ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Jimmy Clausen #2 of the Carolina Panthers against the Atlanta Falcons at Georgia Dome on January 2, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The 2011 season could be a major make-or-break year for Carolina QB Jimmy Clausen. If he shows promise (and assuming the Panthers don’t draft his replacement in April), he could become the franchise QB in Carolina.

Having fewer than a full 16 games to make his case, though, could leave Clausen out in the cold.

The Panthers might be forced to make a decision on whether to stick with him for the future, but if the offense takes a couple of games to reach midseason form, they’ll be deciding without having seen much of Clausen at his best.

A wrong decision either way on Clausen could haunt Carolina for years.

6. Indianapolis Colts

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 08: Quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts passes the ball in the first quarter against the New York Jets during their 2011 AFC wild card playoff game at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 8, 2011 in Indianapolis, I

The Colts have dominated the AFC South since the division was formed, so a shortened schedule (that would probably make divisional games proportionally more critical) could be much to their advantage.

In addition, as stars like Dwight Freeney and Jeff Saturday get up in years, Indy will be happy for the opportunity to reach the playoffs without exposing their starters to as many games.

For much of Peyton Manning’s career, the Colts have been judged solely on their playoff performance. He won’t mind skipping over part of the regular season to get to the good stuff.

5. Seattle Seahawks

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 16: Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck #8 of the Seattle Seahawks reacts while taking on the Chicago Bears in the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field on January 16, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty

Seattle’s ideal plan in building for the future would include selecting a rookie QB this year (possibly hometown hero Jake Locker), then letting him apprentice to Matt Hasselbeck while he gets his feet under him.

The shorter the 2011 regular season, the less time there would be for Locker to learn the ropes. With Hasselbeck’s body already deteriorating, Seattle can’t count on him as a full-season starter now, much less for 2012.

Pete Carroll is already starting to turn this team around. It would be a pity if the lockout hampered his efforts to groom a potential franchise QB.

4. Denver Broncos

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OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 27: JaMarcus Russell #2 of the Oakland Raiders is sacked by Elvis Dumervil #92 of the Denver Broncos on September 27, 2009 during an NFL game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/

As bad as Denver was last season, the Broncos are not that far from being a contender in the AFC West.

Kyle Orton and Brandon Lloyd put up some impressive numbers on offense, and the defense will get a major boost next year from the return of sack specialist Elvis Dumervil.

With the Broncos potentially able to add a Marcell Dareus or a Von Miller to the defense with the No. 2-overall pick, 2011 could be a big turnaround year for them.  Unfortunately, they’ll need time for the defense to coalesce, and time is one commodity the lockout could leave in very short supply.

3. Baltimore Ravens

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CHARLOTTE, NC - NOVEMBER 21: Ray Lewis #52 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on November 21, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

As good as the Ravens’ defense is, they’ll take a major hit when Ed Reed and Ray Lewis finally run out of steam. Until that happens, though, they’re a Super Bowl contender in any given year.

If 2011 is abbreviated by a lockout, that’s one more championship run for the team with less stress on its aging stars. Every season Baltimore can squeeze out of Lewis and Reed matters, so they won’t complain if they get a playoff run without a full 16 games beforehand.

2. Detroit Lions

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DETROIT - NOVEMBER 07: Detroit Lions team doctor Kyle Anderson checks the right shoulder of Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions after leaving the game during the third quarter of the game at Ford Field on November 7, 2010 in Detroit, Michigan. The Je

Every time Matthew Stafford has started to get into a rhythm and look like a genuine—perhaps even standout—NFL quarterback, his season has been cut short by injury.

In 2011, it may be cut short by labor negotiations before it even begins.

Stafford badly needs a full 2011 season to build some momentum with a Detroit offense that’s starting to show hints of becoming a dangerous unit. If he has to settle for a third-straight abbreviated campaign, his development as a QB will likely be the worse for it.

1. Philadelphia Eagles

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 09: Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles scrtambles against B.J. Raji #90 of the Green Bay Packers during the 2011 NFC wild card playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 9, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (

The Eagles’ time window as a top NFC contender appears to be exactly as long as Michael Vick can keep playing at the top of his game. With his high-energy, high-risk style, that’s not necessarily an extended period.

If the 2011 season is shortened, the Eagles get a chance to be a Super Bowl contender with reduced risk of Vick getting hurt. The reduced wear and tear might help Vick give the Eagles one more season than he otherwise might have down the line.