2011 NFL Predictions: 7 Teams That Will Struggle To Fill Seats

"The NFL is as popular as ever." How many times have we heard that statement in the past few years?

It was a true statement; until the lockout struck.

It's hard to know just how much the lockout will affect ticket sales this season (assuming there is a season) but we can safely say that some teams will struggle to fill their seats no matter what.

Last season all but three teams filled their stadiums to at least 85 percent capacity on average, but I could see more teams falling below that number this year.

Here is a look at seven teams who will likely have trouble filling their stadiums this season.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - NOVEMBER 21: David Garrard #9 of the Jacksonville Jaguars is congratulated by fans after winning a game agaisnt the Cleveland Browns at EverBank Field on November 21, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Jacksonville made a bold move by trading up in the first round to select Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert in this year's draft. While there is very little chance that Gabbert will start early in this season, I would expect to see him at some point this year.

Gabbert should play eventually because the Jags are going to struggle to win games this year and while the rookie quarterback could prove to be a draw for fans, the mounting losses will not be.

Last season Jacksonville was 21st in the league in percentage of seats filled in the stadium, with attendance at an average of 93.8 percent of the capacity.

I don't see things getting any better this year, even if the team is committed to staying in Jacksonville, I expect things to only get worse.

2. Oakland Raiders

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 12: A fan of the Oakland Raiders cheers during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on December 12, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Raider Nation!

Umm, about that...

The Raiders had the worst attendance in the league last season, as their stadium was filled to just 73.7 percent of capacity on average last year.

Now, there are two ways to look at this:

1. No opposing teams' fans go to games in Oakland because they are fearful of their safety and that hurts the Raiders attendance numbers.

2. Raiders fans are extremely fair-weather and, although the true fans of the team are diehards, there just aren't enough diehards in the area to fill the stadium.

On that note, I propose we put Raiders and Eagles fans in a steel cage and see who wins. (The viewers would be the only winners)

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 05: Fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just before the start of the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

Tampa Bay is coming off a great season that saw the Buccaneers win 10 games and nearly make the playoffs.

That means their attendance must have been pretty good last season, right?

Wrong.

The Bucs had the second-worst attendance in the league last season, and while their performance last season might help them sell tickets in the first few games this year, I don't see the Bucs doing any better than .500 this season.

A .500 season would not be enough to motivate fans in the Tampa Bay area to come out and support their team on Sundays.

4. Cincinnati Bengals

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CINCINNATI - OCTOBER 31: A Cincinnati Bengals fan is dressed for halloween during the NFL game against the Miami Dolphins at Paul Brown Stadium on October 31, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

I believe the Bengals are going to be starting a rookie quarterback, and it is very likely that his No. 1 target will also be a rookie.

Andy Dalton and A.J. Green could both develop into very good NFL players, but I don't see Dalton winning a lot of games for the Bengals this year.

Last season the Bengals were 22nd in average attendance based on their stadium capacity and they are another team that I expect to see a bit of a decrease this season.

5. St. Louis Rams

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GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 7: Fans of the St. Louis Rams look on during their NFL Game on December 7, 2008 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

With the emergence of Sam Bradford the Rams future is looking bright (you can remove the bags from your heads now) and even though St. Louis was not able to win the incredibly winnable NFC West last season, it is the favorite to win it this year.

Many people consider Rams fans to be bandwagon fans, and...well, they'd be right. The St. Louis Cardinals receive some of the best fan support in baseball, but unfortunately the Rams cannot say the same.

St. Louis will need to prove that it is a true title contender before fans will start buying into this team, and I think it's at least another year or two away before that happens.

6. Buffalo Bills

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ORCHARD PARK, NY - OCTOBER 03: A young Buffalo Bills fan shows his support against the New York Jets at Ralph Wilson Stadium on October 3, 2010 in Orchard Park, New York. The Jets won 38-14. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

It can't be easy being a fan of the Buffalo Bills.

The Bills have struggled to win for many years now and they play in the same division as two of the best teams in football. When they were winning, they couldn't win it all, but at least they went to four straight Super Bowls, right?

Bills fans have to brave the snow and cold for the majority of their home games and their current claim to fame is having the "league's smartest quarterback."

No wonder the Bills had the fourth-worst attendance in the league last season.

7. Miami Dolphins

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MIAMI - DECEMBER 26: Fans calling for the removal of Quarterback Chad Henne #7 as the Miami Dolphins play against the Detroit Lions at Sun Life Stadium on December 26, 2010 in Miami, Florida. The Lions defeated the Dolphins 34-27. (Photo by Marc Serota/Ge

Sports teams in Florida just don't tend to draw well, as evidenced by the Rays, Marlins, Magic, Jags and even Heat to some extent.

So it's no wonder that the Dolphins were nowhere near the top of the league in attendance last season.

With the uncertainty at quarterback and the fact that they have to take down the Jets and Pats if they want to make the playoffs, Dolphins fans are likely in for another long and mediocre season.