2011 NFL Predictions: 10 Teams That Will Be Cellar Dwellers in 2011

While all eyes are on the Philadelphia Eagles to contend for a Super Bowl, the Andrew Luck Bowl is already the game of choice for one-third of the league. In order to achieve greatness, high goals must be set, but those goals have to be realistic. It would be unrealistic for any of the following teams to expect a Super Bowl berth, and for most, the playoffs are more of a dream than reality.

These are the squads circled on all the top teams’ schedules as an extra bye week. If you have a player in fantasy football playing one of these teams, they’re a must start. Here are 10 teams that will be cellar dwellers in 2011; be content with anything close to mediocrity:

10. Cleveland Browns

When Joe Haden’s not playing football, he studies teams that know how to win.

If the Browns played in the NFC West, they’d be legitimate playoff contenders. Too bad they’re in the AFC North where they already have four losses on their record from being forced to play the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens twice. Football isn’t fair.

Speaking of unfair football, Mike Holmgren tried to psych out the rest of the NFL by announcing the switch to a 4-3 defense and then going on to draft two 3-4 prospects in the first two rounds of the draft in Phil Taylor and Jabaal Sheard: genius. They also wasted a fourth-round pick on a tight end, even though they already have a solid one in Evan Moore with a lack of talent at the wide receiver position.

They also failed to find a replacement for Eric Wright across from Haden. Throw in a weakness at strong safety after losing Abram Elam and Cleveland is bound to witness an air show every Sunday from the opposing offense. For the Browns to have a chance to make the playoffs, T.J. Ward is going to have to lead the league in concussions caused.

9. San Francisco 49ers

Patrick Willis was just asked how many points he believes the 49ers offense can average this year with Alex Smith under center: two. Exactly, offenses can’t score two points unless it’s for the other team.

Smith has officially worn the bust label for years, but apparently Jim Harbaugh thinks he can win with him. San Francisco was a huge favorite to win their division last season and they choked. This year, after losing Aubrayo Franklin, Manny Lawson and Takeo Spikes, they’re arguably worse than last year.

Hmm, Michael Crabtree and Braylon Edwards on the same team, that should be fun to watch. Two high character wide receivers catching passes from a sub-par quarterback; too bad Hard Knocks isn’t in San Francisco this season.

Frank Gore hasn’t played a full season since 2006 so question marks always surround their running game. Madieu Williams was the weakness of the Minnesota Vikings secondary for years, and the 49ers brought him in to be a solution so that should turn out great.

Willis is going to have to average 20 tackles a game for the 49ers to make the playoffs, which is possible in that division and because he’s a beast, but it’s unlikely.

8. Buffalo Bills

Buffalo: the town of the blizzard and the team that refuses to select a franchise quarterback. Chan Gailey looks like he’s sticking with Ryan Fitzpatrick. If that’s the case, Gailey may have more job security if the Bills finish with the worst record in the league and draft Luck because they aren’t getting out of the AFC East alive with Fitzpatrick under center.

The New England Patriots and New York Jets are in another league in terms of talent right now, so like the Browns, the Bills already have four losses on their schedule. Look at the bright side though; their front seven should be greatly improved in 2011 with the additions of Shawne Merriman and Marcel Dareus…oh wait, they lost Paul Posluszny to the Jacksonville Jaguars, never mind.

If Merriman does fail to return to his pre-roid days as a pass-rusher, the Bills rush will be non-existent, again. They failed to add one quality pass-rusher even though they finished fifth-worst in the NFL last season in sacks. It isn’t like the play the pass happy Pats twice a year…

C.J. Spiller failed to be Chris Johnson in year one and will never fulfill those expectations. Buffalo’s savior isn’t on the team yet.

7. Denver Broncos

Sorry, John, bringing back the short shorts isn’t going to bring the Broncos back to the days they were on the top of the AFC West. In an inconsistent division, expect them to be the one constant: loss to the Chargers, loss to the Raiders and loss to the Chiefs.

It is never a good thing when you go into training camp with a quarterback competition. Denver’s coaching staff may not believe they have one, but don’t tell Tim Tebow that. Either way, no one knows how Kyle Orton is going to perform outside of Josh McDaniels’ offense because he’s never recorded a passer rating of at least 80 outside of the system (but apparently passer rating is a useless statistic, right ESPN?)

They will get dominated in the trenches. Relying on one of the worst starting running backs in the league in Knowshon Moreno and a 29-year-old Willis McGahee isn’t going to get the job done on the ground. Their interior defensive line is a joke with nothing but rotational caliber tackles, and the New England Patriots’ cast out in Ty Warren to man the middle.

And poor Von Miller won’t be able to fulfill his potential in a 4-3 defense.

6. Miami Dolphins

“We want Orton!  We want Orton!” You would think that Dolphins' fans would’ve heard from up north in Tennessee what happens when you mess with a quarterback’s mind that has zero job security: They go AWOL. OK, maybe that’s just Vince Young.

The Dolphins already have four losses on their schedule from the Jets and Patriots. With Chad Henne under center, they have a better chance of losing to the Bills twice than beating either of those power houses once.

They lost their wildcat back in Ronnie Brown and his partner in crime Sticky Ricky Williams. Each back was aging rapidly, but it was still Miami’s best chance to get Chad Henne out from under center. 

Tony Sparano should just start looking for work now. Stephen Ross definitely failed in making his recruitment of Jim Harbaugh and Bill Cowher a secret. Sparano is already as good as gone because the Dolphins don’t have a respectable starting quarterback, or running back for that matter.

Since when is Reggie Bush a feature back? This isn’t USC any more. Brandon Marshall may just want to go play for the Heat even if there’s a football season. They may choke, but at least they’ll get to the postseason.

5. Cincinnati Bengals

The combination to the lock of the cage Mike Brown is holding Carson Palmer hostage in may be in that suitcase. Not only did the Bengals franchise quarterback go crazy and threaten to retire this offseason, they traded their team mascot to the Patriots in Chad Ochocinco. 

“A [expletive] shame if we don't win the Super Bowl. ...We're going to do it, this is it.”  Ochocinco should change his last name to “The Prophet” (El Profeta if we’re sticking with the Spanish theme) for how accurate his prediction for the T.Ocho show was. 

The Bengals passing game isn’t going to take a step back after losing those two clowns, but with Bruce Gradkowski or Andy Dalton under center, it definitely will. They don’t have the running game to make up for it either with Cedric Benson.

And they really blew it by letting Johnathan Jospeh leave to sign with the Houston Texans. Last season they had one of the best trio of cornerbacks in the entire league and without Jospeh, Pacman Jones bound to get arrested at any moment, they could be down to one in Leon Hall.

The dealing of Palmer could really help the direction of this franchise, but Mike Brown’s brain apparently got fried during the CBA negotiations.

4. Seattle Seahawks

This is Marshawn Lynch before he heard he was going to be taking handoffs from Tarvaris Jackson this season. After he heard the news, he started running around the party looking for Tracey Porter to throw through a wall.

Yeah, all hope of the Seahawks returning to the playoffs was shattered with that news. Of course, having the worst starting quarterback in the worst division in the NFL is an accomplishment by itself. Jackson is nothing but a reserve quarterback, and he’s going to have a hard time getting the ball to Sidney Rice, Zach Miller, Mike Williams and John Carlson.

Carroll must’ve just thought he could make up for Jackson’s lack of accuracy with talent for him to throw to. They also failed to upgrade their gaping hole at the strong safety position where Lawyer Milloy, who turns 38 in November, still starts. Zach Miller should’ve signed with a team in the NFC West so he’d get to absolutely burn Milloy in games, not in practice.

Back to bashing Tarvaris Jackson, there may be reasoning behind Carroll’s madness in starting him: I’m convinced he’s determined to draft Matt Barkley. Failure is the Hawks only option to achieve that goal.

3. Arizona Cardinals

The fate of the Arizona Cardinals franchise rests on that guy’s shoulders. Yeah, Larry Fitzgerald is as good as gone.

Kevin Kolb is 3-4 lifetime as a starting quarterback, with an 11-14 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a career passer rating of 73.2. When Fitzgerald wanted an accomplished veteran quarterback to get him the football, I don’t know how Kolb was the first guy that popped up into Ken Whisenhunt’s head. With a down year, Whisenhunt is most likely gone and Fitzgerald is definitely gone.

What did Zona expect? They lost their All-World passer in Kurt Warner, the heart of the offense in Anquan Boldin and the heart of their defense in Karlos Dansby in one offseason. A team with no QB and no heart leads to an on-field performance that’s so poor it’s not even funny.

They failed to make their offensive line respectable and they failed to find a wide receiver who will prohibit defenses from double-teaming Fitzgerald. That isn’t a good combination and their defense isn’t going to make up for it because they failed to add a lethal pass rusher as well, unless you actually think fourth round pick Sam Acho is an instant-fix. And if so, you’d be kidding yourself.

2. Carolina Panthers

This is what the Carolina Panthers should do: Start anyone but Cam Newton at quarterback because either way they’re going to be picking inside the top five. He isn’t pro ready and needs time to develop.

This is what the Carolina Panthers will do: Start Cam Newton who will throw twice as many interceptions as touchdowns, lose his confidence and be ruined as a quarterback. Then they’ll have to start over and draft another quarterback (sound familiar? Jimmy Clausen!).

The Panthers managed to offer two of the worst contracts of the entire offseason: $43 million over five years to an injury-prone, 27-year-old running back in DeAngelo Williams and $76 million over six years with $30 million guaranteed to Charles Johnson, more guaranteed money than every other free agent in the league this offseason and he’s had one good year. Jerry Richardson vs. Al Davis: Who will make more of a fool of themselves?

Carolina paid those two instead of adding a respectable wide receiver for Newton to throw to. They are setting him up for failure. If they start him, he will be the next JaMarcus Russell. No, he probably won’t get addicted to the purple drank, but he will bust.

1. Washington Redskins

As bad as Jerry Richardson and Al Davis are (and Mike Brown, can’t forget the kidnapper), Daniel Snyder is the worst owner in the NFL.

The Washington Redskins entered the offseason with a need at the wide receiver position. They went on to draft Leonard Hankerson, Niles Paul and Aldrick Robinson, re-sign Santana Moss, sign Donte’ Stallworth and trade for Jabar Gaffney. To follow up, the Redskins signed Kellen Clemens to throw them the football: brilliant.

As of now, John Beck is the Redskins starting quarterback. 2008 Detroit Lions, you may have company soon. If Beck starts 16 games for Washington, they may just go winless. 

The Skins provide Vegas with the most compelling over/under win total for a season ever: Redskins’ regular season wins, plus or minus 2? While other teams on this list have four automatic losses within their division, Washington has six.

If they fail to win the Andrew Luck Bowl, it may be the greatest upset in the history of professional sports. Actually, with Luck under center, the Redskins could actually contend for a playoff spot next season so maybe they’re purposely flopping on the season. Snyder could be a genius after all. Yeah, when hogs fly.

David Daniels is a NFL Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a Syndicated Writer. Follow  him on Twitter.